LIVE: X at City Winery, NYC (8/2/2015)
Iconic, stalwart and effortlessly aggressive, quintessential LA punk band X melted the faces off of their low-key, sit-down City Winery crowd on Sunday night in New York City. Known for weaving country, roots, and rockabilly into a sped-up, Ramones-like punk/Americana collage, X have been true warriors of the scene since 1977 and still sound as relevant as they did on day one. But sitting there, sipping wine, eating tofu, and listening to such still-incendiary material, one has to wonder how X made the long, hard trip to end up in City Winery, a venue certainly more suited for softer acts, when they used to raise hell at the hottest and rowdiest nightclubs on the Sunset Strip.
I remember my first time seeing X at the sadly gone Roseland Ballroom about 10 years ago. Everyone was on their feet and dancing. When they played their classic punk anthem “Los Angeles,” a bunch of younger audience members started slamming by the front of the stage and rightfully so. X has always painted a smart, but bleak, lyrical landscape of the state of the country. I’ve always found seeing them a cathartic experience: this is music to get your aggressions out. However, very little of that appeared to happening last Sunday. I observed a couple dancing in the back and some quiet singing along in seats. I was personally moved to stand up and shout along to such classics as “Los Angeles” and my favorite X track “Because I Do,” which served as an encore this time around.
It’s indicative of the state of economic divisions New York City is currently dealing with when the most welcoming place to see X is a venue like City Winery. This is not a slam against City Winery; the service was great, the ticket prices were reasonable, and the venue is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in New York. But it must be noted that X really belongs in a standing venue, and one maybe more intimate. They’re a band one wants to naturally dance to, even if their listenership is aging to the point that maybe they enjoying seeing X in a venue like City Winery more? This was a question that definitely weighed on me during the show.
One reason to the contrary and why City Winery might have been the perfect choice is because the shows were partially a benefit for X guitarist Billy Zoom. The venue was even selling autographed bottles of “Billy Zoom” wine to support his medical bills (more on this later). This further illustrates the audience of the aging band growing older themselves and willing to buy a $50 bottle of autographed wine (I certainly bought one, because it’s awesome) while their lyrical and musical content still sound threateningly youthful.
The synergy between band members has always made X something of a unique animal: the eerie, interwoven harmonies of singers Excene Cervenka and John Doe, Doe’s tight bass work along with DJ Bonebrake’s jazz-influenced drumming comprising the rhythm section and being held together by Billy Zoom’s classic California, twangy guitar. X never achieved the radio success that many believe they deserved and never found a mainstream audience outside of their home state. That being said, over the years, they have managed to achieve a fairly small but dedicated fanbase.
The actual show felt like a medicinal shot of pure American rock ‘n’ roll. This band definitely has still got it. One could close their eyes and imagine that it was 1977 at the Masque or Whisky A Go Go instead of a hot summer night in 2015 NYC. Most of the setlist was comprised of material from the first three classic albums, with an emphasis on the first two, Los Angeles and Wild Gift.
They played a substantial 23 songs, however, I do think that X is slightly more sonically dynamic than their current high-speed punk setlist lets on. X’s country and western side project the Knitters is evidence of this. Missing were more subtle moments, such as the beautiful “See How We Are” from the album of the same name. I’ve heard X play an acoustic version of this song before, and it would have been a valid addition to this specific setlist. The dark and slow-tempoed “Come Back to Me” from Under The Big Black Sun might have added some variation as well. Apparently, “New World” was played during X’s Monday evening set at City Winery, and I think this song as well, with its more pop sensibilities would have been a good addition to Sunday’s show, too. That being said, X never disappoints. They bring a unique and quintessentially American aesthetic that they’ve been honing for their entire career and it’s always worthwhile to see them, any time and in any venue.
Billy Zoom is sadly out for the remainder of this tour. He’s receiving localized treatments for bladder cancer. However, spirits were high and optimistic within the band. There is an ongoing fund to help with Zoom’s medical bills you can contribute to here. Let’s hope for his recovery as soon as possible. Doe band-member Jessie Dayton was an admirable fill-in guitarist for Zoom. However, Billy Zoom’s classically smiling and cavalier stage persona was very missed.
