John Doe & Exene Cervenka; Justin Townes Earle @ MHOW

John Doe & Exene Cervenka; Justin Townes Earle
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY - January 10, 2009

In an "acoustic" setting (a legitimate description save for John using an electric guitar for decent portions of the set), John Doe and Exene Cervenka played an array of X, Knitters, and classic folk and country songs. They showed off some new ones, most of whose eventual recorded destination was left ambiguous but those described as belonging to the first person plural presumably mean a potential new Knitters or maybe even...gulp...X record? The setting allowed for a dissection of X and what made them so important - they were punk because they weren't like any other punk band - they were lyrically dense and ambitious, skillfully musical and proficient, and they culled their work from multiple sources, never content to be boxed in. The fact that time and again they come back to country and folk sounds leads one to conclude that X were a country band trapped in a punk band's body.

Justin Townes Earle, like his old man Steve Earle, moved to Brooklyn, upping the borough's real old-timey country quotient by a considerable margin. The Crown Heights based (yes, that's right, a country rocker from the Earle family living in Crown Heights) guitarist, along with his buddy Cory, took the audience through a winding road trip of the South, from the Appalachians to the small towns to the Boxcar trains (a big nod to Woody Guthrie was needed and made). Cory played both banjo and mandolin, not making it easy to figure out the answer to the age old question: which of these two instruments is the best instrument of all time? It was a ridiculously good set.

2009 Sneak-Peak (Airborne Toxic Event, Action Painters, Orion Experience, X, Black Keys, more)

2008 isn't quite over yet - the Year in Music review has yet to be compiled (though anyone who reads this page can gather it'll be a little slimmer this year than last) but we're already getting a taste of what's coming in the pipeline for 2009, at least in terms of some early gigs (see the concert calendar for details):

• The Rosebuds and the Raveonettes are playing on January 16th, separately but hey.
• If you can't go more than a few months without your Hold Steady fix, Franz Nicolay is playing with World Inferno Friendship Society on the 9th and a solo show on the 11th
• Frightened Rabbit made a good mark in '08 with "The Greys" and they'll be at the Bowery B on Jan 17th.
• SP faves Action Painters and the Orion Experience team up again at the Mercury Lounge on Jan 22nd...with Billy Joel's daughter opening. Yep.
• Devotchka. Webster Hall. Saturday, January 24th. I may have an excuse but you won't.
• In Feb, the Black Keys return to Terminal 5. In case you didn't hear, they are one of the biggest bands in the world.
• On March 11 - the Airborne Toxic Event headline the Bowery Ballroom, going from playing Pianos to the Bowery in 13 months. That's not Vampire Weekend-fast but that is still pretty fast.
  

X Made Videos OMG!

Not even YouTube has been able to be an adequate source of vintage X material but now VH1 of all damn places has a handy helping of X videos, and it kicks off with "True Love Part 2", you know - the one where X officially left punk rock behind to explore the dangerous, forbidden world of Disco!

It's a great window not just into the band (and some of the lame videos they were compelled to make in order to have at least some success in the music business) but into the 80's in general. Watch as the band morphs from a punk band delving into other contemporary sounds into cheesy hair metal-ish behavior into an alt-country band. Despite the changes in production and aesthetic (and the post-'86 departure of Billy Zoom), witness the consistent songwriting structure by John and Exene, and their ability to transcend the rapid ways in which a decade can change.

Also, here's what Exene is up to these days while the band tours.

Return of X

As just mentioned below, the Airborne Toxic Event became the second best band from Los Angeles as of last night. The band that holds the top spot - and has been holding it down for 31 years now is, of course, X. Exene, John, Billy, and DJ will be returning to New York in May to celebrate this milestone. Still no talk of a new record with Billy as far as anyone knows. Billy hasn't made an X record since Ain't Love Grand back in 1986.

Opening for them will be the Detroit Cobras, the covers band that had a strong cult following for years before unexpectedly turning into hipster darlings in 2007. This has to be tamest opener for X possibly since another Michigan band, the Fags, opened in 2003 Juliana Hatfield in 2005. That's a good thing though.

Ma & Pa Kettle In Brooklyn

The Knitters;Chatham County Line
@ Luna Lounge
Brooklyn, NY - April 28, 2007

I'm not sure how it is going to be at the Gramercy during the week, but the Knitters in Brooklyn on a Saturday night should have been packed. Especially since the revamped Luna Lounge is now at a lot bigger (and well-constructed) diggs in Hipsterville East (Williamsburg). And if this was an X show, that it would be guaranteed to be sold out, packed to the rafters (if there were rafters). The marked drop-off in numbers from X to the Knitters really surprises me but hey that's more room for a hoe down.
For whatever reason, I did not truly appreciate the talent of Dave Alvin the last time I saw them. This time was completely different. Alvin, no surprise, is magnificent. The solo on "The New World" may be a highlight of my concert going life. The X songs done Knitter-style, as a whole, sound better than the non-X songs except of course for "Rock Island Line". What a beautifully intimate way to see one of the great unknown national treasures.
Openers Chatham County Line are pure - and I mean pure - bluegrass from North Carolina. You'd have no idea you were at a show headlined by members of one of the big mosh pit acts if you walked on these nice young men opening the night up. The bottom line is, you like bluegrass or you don't. If you do - and I certainly do - then this band gets the job done by far. Besides, it's not too often you get bluegrass in New York.

My only question of the night, were all the southern-accented women yuppies in attendance with their American Express tab at the bar, and some of whom were inexplicably dressed for a velvet-rope, guest-list club...are they there because they actually know about Knitters and Chatham? And if so, do they know X? These dames seemed a long way off from anything remotely related to X. But there they were, getting drunk and two-steppin'. Only in Brooklyn.

Here are the Knitters on Letterman in 2005 (the label is wrong).

Perfection

X; Rollins Band; The Riverboat Gamblers
@Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY - August 16, 2006

X is perfect. Any questions? Rollins Band is not my personal cup of tea despite my immense respect of Henry Rollins. But if you like his music in addition to his words, then you wouldn't have been disappointed. The day after I saw the openers, the Riverboat Gamblers, I read they were on Spin Magazine's Top 25 live acts. While this Texas hard rock band does put its collective heart out, the songs all sound the same and the lead singer's lame antics and Iggy Pop crowd-mingling ripoff got old fast.

Blue Republic's My Space Band of the Week: X

If you don't know who X are, there isn't much I can say. Simply stated, they are one of the greatest bands to ever roam the Earth. If that's not enough incentive to learn what you may not already know, then you can't be helped. If you live in the Northeast, this week could be your lucky break: the band arrives as part of its tour, including a stop at the Nokia Theater in Times Square on Wednesday night.

Listen to "Because I Do" from X's third album, Under the Big Black Sun, on my page, before hearing other classics on their page. Also on their page is a hell of a video from 1983, when the band played twice (!) on Late Night with David Letterman. Also, of course, go to the official site.

Not X-static

Boooo! X is uncharacteristically going on a national tour for the second time in a year (this time with Rollins Band) but as of right now they're skipping New York City. Did Billy not enjoy it or something? Shame. The closest dates are in August at the Starland Ballroom in the middle of nowhere in New Jersey (with no direct public transportation to the place) and the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, the city where I first saw X in June 2003.

In between now and then, let's be on the lookout for a New York date.

X

X; Juliana Hatfield
@Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY – December 9, 2005

It is pretty ridiculous to call any one band or artist “the greatest of all time”. There is just too much music and too many artists for one person to proclaim such a thing. But let’s not mince words…if there is one band that would get that title, that does deserve that title, the one band that comes closest to living that ultimate title, it’s X. If the first four flawless albums weren’t enough, the live show solidifies it. And the fact that it’s been 25 years since Los Angeles debuted, and that X is still sounding fresh and better than anyone else, is more proof of their supremacy.

It’s been 20 years since X has played New York…that means for all intents and purposes, Billy Zoom never left the band. And thank goodness. With grace and ease, Billy plays like a madman without ever breaking a sweat. Wearing a Ramones t-shirt as he delivered the licks that made X the ultimate complete band, Billy Zoom was embraced by New York as he deserved. John Doe and Exene Cervenga sound better live and in-person than they ever do in the studio or on a captured live recording. DJ Bonebrake continues to make the case for being the greatest drummer of all time. That’s one claim I will defend to the end.

Tim Robbins introduced the band and came out to sing on “The New World”. Other songs played include: “You’re Phone’s Off the Hook (but you’re not)”, “Johnny Hit and Run Pauline”, “Soul Kitchen”, “Sugarlight”, “The Unheard Music”, “The World’s A Mess, It’s In My Kiss”, “Beyond and Back”, “In This House That I Call Home”, “Year 1”, “The Hungry Wolf”, “Motel Room In My Bed”, “Riding With Mary”, “Devil Doll” and “True Love”.

Juliana Hatfield, who I only unfortunately caught the last 10 minutes of, offered more than decent alternative country rock with John Doe helping out on the last song.

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.