“X” – April 1st – Summit Music Hall

Photos by Johne Edge

The Scene: Last Friday “X” from Los Angeles played a show in Denver to help the Summit Music Hall celebrate their 6th anniversary.  If Friday was any indication, you do not want to miss any of the rest of this special concert series that commemorates this milestone. Check out the shows below and come celebrate with Soda Jerk Presents!

• April 9 – Machine Gun Kelly
• April 29 – Cursive
• May 3 – Say Anything
• And one more very special show that we will be announced soon so keep an eye on your emails and Facebook.

“X”: How does a band remain relevant nearly thirty years later?  They do what “X” does and play straight forward honest to God Rock and Roll just like they did when they started in 1977.  Singer Exene Cervenka once said, “”I’m very American. I love our culture. I love the pieces, the most mundane stuff about our culture, and I think you can make the best art out of an ordinary item that is usually thrown away or people don’t care about.”  If you ask me, this is how “X” must have approached creating their musical sound.  They mixed poetry, Folk and Punk while giving a nod to Rocks roots by also incorporating elements of Country and Rockabilly.  Throw in to the mix the melodious duets of Doe and Cervenka, the develish grin and fleet fingers of guitar virtuoso Billy Zoom, and the amazing backbeat of percussionist DJ Bonebreak and you have a recipe for one of the best bands to come out of the American Punk rock scene.

The band opened up with “Beyond and Back” which instantly reminded me about how cutting and stark “X’s” lyrics could be.  “One o’clock and then it ends/This is no place/This is no place/To be addicted to another place.”  The band is lyrically captivating, exposing both the beauty and ugliness of everyday life depending on the song, and a lot of times in the same song.

After finishing up my stint in the photo pit I got to sit back with a cold one and enjoy hearing them play classics like “House I Call Home,” “True Love,” and a cover of the Doors “Soul Kitchen.” Nostalgia filled the gaps between songs for me as memories of having my ears pierced with safety pins while listening to the band on a scratched vinyl cover of the Troggs “Wild Thing,” to later sharing conversations and whiskey with the band  flooded my mind.  I came to the realization that “X” not only helped shape modern American music but also helped shape what I have become today.

Energy: A+
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A+
Set/Light Show: B

Overall: A