X goes back to the beginning at the Observatory
BY ROBERT KINSLER / CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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| From left, drummer DJ Bonebrake, singer Exene Cervenka and guitarist Billy Zoom of X perform at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Thursday night. Photo: Drew A. Kelley |
By the time X took the stage at The Observatory around 10 p.m. on Thursday night (July 9, 2015), the capacity crowd was already fully aware of an announcement that was issued earlier that day that guitarist Billy Zoom has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. And when the long-time Orange County resident was spotted on the stage a few minutes before showtime checking on his guitar and equipment, there was a heartfelt group chant with his name.
Expectations for the concert were obviously high, with Zoom reportedly set to perform on this night and a trio of subsequent nights at the venue with each concert featuring one of X’s seminal albums played in its entirety. Zoom will then take a break from playing to undergo chemotherapy treatments beginning next week.
Thursday's performance was divided in two parts, with the full performance of the band’s Ray Manzarek-produced 1980 debut filling the first act and ultimately serving as the strongest part of the show. Watching the lineup of singer Exene Cervenka, bassist-singer John Doe, drummer D.J. Bonebrake and the aforementioned Zoom tear through one of punk rock's most compelling and essential albums was a thrill, with Cervenka and Doe's distinctive joint harmonies effective from the moment they were heard on the opener “Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not” while a good-sized number of concertgoers participated in a mosh pit to add to the spirit.
While Zoom had to understandably sit on a stool while performing the show, his guitar playing was spot-on, including on a powerful version of The Doors’ 1967 classic “Soul Kitchen” and even more forceful version of the quartet's own “Los Angeles” a few minutes later.
The fast-paced punk rock song “The World's a Mess; It's in My Kiss” ended the first half of the night, with Cervenka acknowledging the appreciative crowd and energy of the night: “Thank you all for coming.”
The band then took an eight-minute break, and that’s when concertgoers (and the band) had to deal with challenges that appeared to affect both of the amplifiers that Zoom was using. His primary amp was suddenly very muddled with no high tones, and a secondary amp would cut out here and there, obviously hampering the power and flow of songs (even seminal tracks such as “The Hungry Wolf,” “White Girl” and “Devil Doll” during the second 50-minute half where there were several long interruptions where Zoom and his guitar tech attempted to improve things).
The highlight of that troubled set was a propulsive and spirited “The New World,” on which Cervenka and Doe again blended their soaring voices, while the band's distinctive rock attack was showcased.
The large crowd remained throughout the night, supporting Zoom and one of Southern California’s most groundbreaking bands ever without complaint.
“Orange County, thank you very much,” Cervenka said with obvious appreciation before leaving the stage.
The technical glitches that marred the 90-minute X outing were thankfully nowhere to be heard during the two openers’ sets.
The Phil Alvin-led Blasters turned in a potent 50-minute set featuring their original blend of roots music, rockabilly, punk, blues rock and more. With the amazing guitarist Keith Wyatt at his side, Alvin and company performed all their best-known tunes (“American Music,” “Marie Marie” and “Border Radio”) with fire, and outdistanced those gems with a haunting “Dark Night,” with that song finding Wyatt tapping into his inner John Fogerty for an extended solo that had the crowd cheering in appreciation.
Opening the night was legendary singer-bassist Mike Watt, who led his small San Pedro-based outfit (dubbed the Secondmen) through a 30-minute set of genre-defying rock that might best be described as progressive-punk. The well-known leader of fiREHOSE and the Minutemen impressed those who came early with material that allowed all three of the musicians to showcase virtuoso chops.
