For the groundbreaking L.A. punk band X, the move to do a brief summer acoustic tour — including a stop at the Belly Up in Solano Beach, Calif. on July 20 — may seem a bit out of place. Known for their uncompromising and inspired punk rock, born in the late ’70s in Los Angeles in the wake of the punk British invasion, X was among the most original, raw, and passionate groups to emerge from the early days of the durable genre. They are known for high energy at earth shattering volumes in live performance.
So, why go acoustic? During a recent phone conversation with co-founding member, John Doe, stated the decision was purely practical. “It’s simple. So many venues wanted us to play but said we’re just too loud. So, we decided we’d try some acoustic shows to see how it works.”
As it turns out the band had yet to make much attempt at the acoustic versions of the songs. “Right now, we’re doing our first four albums at the Roxy in Hollywood, on four consecutive nights,” he said. “But the acoustic versions will remain true to the originals.”
X, partially because they’ve carried the label “punk” with them (and they do so proudly), have been largely ignored with respect to their contributions to Americana and roots music. But, to be sure, and to put it into a historical context, they were and remain a visionary band blending punk, rockabilly, folk, hard rock, and blues into something unique.
But what of the punk label that usually goes along with their name and legacy?
“Punk music is Americana!” Doe asserts. “We brought rock and roll back to its roots, to where it began. Punk is all about roots.” But, has the band, by virtue of their legacy, transcended punk?
“There’s a difference between the punk from back then and today,” said Doe. “Today the music is more calculated and uniform. Back then, we didn’t really have a plan. We weren’t limited. It was about purifying rock & roll, not about how you look.”
The roots of the L.A. punk rock scene of the late ’70s, and around the country during that era, ran parallel to the kind of eclectic experimentation that happened a decade earlier in the late ’60s. “We didn’t sound like Blondie or Stray Cats or the Blasters. We are all working on our own sound, not trying to sound like anybody else,” Doe said. “Like in ’68, The Doors didn’t sound like Love, who didn’t sound like the Jefferson Airplane.”
With their first album Los Angeles produced by Ray Manzarek of The Doors, their streak of contributions began with a nod from one of the founding father’s of L.A. rock. The album is now considered a classic, along with the three that followed — Wild Gift, Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World.
Unlike the steady three-chord pounding drone of the Sex Pistols or the ska strains of the Clash, X instead brought rockabilly and a folk sensibility to the proceedings with beat-poet-inspired lyrics to add dimension. They forged a sound and created the foundation for a multitude of punk, alt-rock, and future Americana-roots bands to come.
The acoustic direction is not really new to the band, although they did change their name in the past when unplugging their instruments. Founding members, John Doe, vocalist Exene Cervenka, and drummer DJ Bonebrake joined ex-Blaster, Dave Alvin and bass player, Jonny Ray Bartel of the Red Devils for a side project called the Knitters. The name was a variation of the Weavers, the classic folk group of the late 1940s. The Knitters were all acoustic and leaned heavy on country, folk, and bluegrass.
So, what’s the difference between the Knitters and X acoustic? According to John Doe, “The shows will be everything that an X show will be only, well, not as loud — per the management’s request. At this point, we don’t know how it will go. It’s really up to the audience.” When asked if there would be some of the same kind of rowdiness as the early X shows of old, Doe just laughed. “We’ll show up and bring the music. The audience will have to bring the rowdiness!”
What brought about the idea of this “reunion?” Doe was quick to make an important correction and distinction. “This is not a reunion. We’ve been playing between 100 and 150 shows a year. We never broke up.”
One things is clear, it seems the times have yet to catch up with this L.A. punk rock band. With the summer acoustic tour and more performances of their first four albums in New York City and Washington D.C., X shows no signs of letting up plugged or unplugged.
X -acoustic will be appearing at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneer Town, CA. on July 19 and at Belly Up in Solano Beach, CA. on July 20. They will also appear at Slo Brew in San Luis Obispo on July 23 and Grass Valley, Ca. on July 24.
