A Chicken Stompin' Good Time

The Knitters; Phranc)
@Irving Plaza
New York, NY - August 11, 2005

To call this a rare treat is an understatement. Making only their second album in 20 years, and having been that long since they played Irving Plaza, the amalgam novelty (though calling them a novelty may be considered an insult so it is pre-emptively withdrawn) that is the Knitters came barn stormin' through the Big Apple in a dusty blaze of honky tonk rockabilly fun. Comprised of X's John Doe, Exene Cervenga, and DJ Bonebrake, the Blasters's Dave Alvin, and bassist Johnny Ray Bartel, this band of premiere talent showcased what made their respective bands so awe-inspiring: Punks with professional musicianship. Beginning with a trio of ballads by Doe and Alvin, the Knitters proved that you can start off a show with slow songs and still manage to pump life into the crowd. Exene's voice, which is a 50/50 affair on the 100% otherwise perfect X songs done live, is 100% immaculate for the Knitters. The slower tempo and lighter fare that the Knitters offer is what Exene needs to keep her voice in control (though bona fide should and do relish her wild vocals when X is performing). Of all the songs of note, X's "Burning House of Love", which is excellently composed but whose original recording was too 80's, is made totally perfect as done by the Knitters. DJ Bonebrake's stand-up drumming with tin can for a bass drum is the perfect touch along side Bartel's upright acoustic bass.
Opening act Phranc - self-described as your "typical American Jewish-Lesbian folk singer" wowed the crowd with funny, snappy numbers of leftist or comic appeal (or both as is the case with her love song to Condi Rice), or delicious covers such as Cash's "I've Been Everywhere". A perfect night of folk, country, and rock.