Concert Review
Artist: X
Date: August 28, 2024
Venue: The Depot
City: Salt Lake City Ut
I covered X twice before, this being what we think will be the last time.
X is on their “Smoke and Fiction” tour, stating that they will be packing it in at the end of this one. Having launched as a punk-rockabilly act in Los Angeles in 1977, they defined a genre and gave it to us time and time again. With all that they have accomplished, 47 years with each album being equal or better than the last, they can hang their hats on this, and walk away gracefully. This last time was incredible, and I can honestly say the best gig of theirs I have gotten to see, it was a bittersweet moment. THE ENTIRE GIG was a bittersweet moment.
Supporting X was a country singer-songwriter James Intveld. He played a fun set, telling stories along the way, and even doing a song he wrote for Johnny Cash that never got recorded but Johnny loved it.
When X took the stage, they were cheered on, Exene said “Good evening Salt Lake City” and they kicked off their set with “The Phone’s Off The Hook, But You’re Not” a classic that I usually hear mid-set so this was great. They handled their set old-school, like a Ramones gig, where you have a breath in between songs, and DJ Bonebreak taps his sticks together, and off they go into the next song.
Exene was donning a new jacket, with plenty of “X” iconography on it, and as usual, killer cowboy boots, dancing away with Billy Zoom at her right smiling away.
It wasn’t until “Water and Wine” that they stopped and talked to us, thanking everyone for still coming out and seeing them live after so many years.
They took us through “White Girl”, “Breathless” an Otis Blackwell cover, then “Ruby Church”. They played a “recent” “The World’s a Mess, It’s In My Kiss” to everyone singing along with them, loudly, and out of tune, (Yes it was AWESOME).
They gave us the classic “The Hungry Wolf” from “Under The Big Black Sun”, which I have to say, I first heard and fell in love with that song from “Live at the Whisky a Go-Go”, so I can honestly say, this song was meant to be heard live.
Billy Zoom can claim the title of “God Of The Gretch”, as he ripped out his riffs, smiling making it all look so easy. Honestly, seeing Billy do what he does best is worth going to see X live.
For a “Farewell” tour, they played a good part of the set from the new album, the title track “Smoke Fiction” sounded like they weren’t going to slow down. We got a dose of this one last year, and this time it sounded like it had been a crowd favorite.
A few songs later, with lots of John Doe singing and thumping away, and Excene dancing and singing with him, we got to hear “LOS ANGELES” because it wouldn’t be an X concert without it. Still feeling like we just got started with this gig, the ultimate classic from the first album had all of us dancing, “Johny Hit and Run Pauline”, then “Nausea”, and then “Motel Room In My Bed” It felt like it was 1982 all over again. They were pulling out all the stops with songs from 77, 82, and then even 2024.
For the punters, this didn’t seem like a “Farewell show” though we did know this was probably the last time we would see them in Salt Lake City. We all danced in unison, pounding on the floor and singing along with them. Closing out the first part of the set with “Soul Kitchen” a Doors Cover.
They came back for an encore, and I was ushered back into the pit again for the finale. John and Exene came out with John on guitar, they sang a somber “See How We Are”, a sad song asking us all to look into the mirror take a look at ourselves, and the state of our society. It is a powerful song written from the heart of the Songbook Americana. If X ever had a message they wanted all of us to hear, it would be this one. Just to sit back and realize where we are all guilty, and what we need to do, to love our fellow man. Just who have we become as a country? This song will make you think about that, our greed, how we hate, who we hate, and why?
While we were thinking about that, they played “Come Back To Me”, with DJ on the vibraphone, Billy on Sax, and Craig on drums, just to shake it all up. This is a “Diner” type number that just catches the entire zeitgeist of the rockabilly age, where X was born.
A girl in the audience held up a little ziplock bag, with a guitar pic in it, and a note “Your Pic from the 87 gig”. She was waving it at Billy Zoom, and he reached for it, I took it from her and handed it to him asking him to sign it. He said he would but he didn’t have a pen. I handed him my Sharpie and he signed it for her and handed it back to me to give to her. Then he took my Sharpie put it to his nose and acted like he was sniffing it to get high (Maybe he was), everyone was laughing and bantering with him and the band before the last song.
John and Exene thanked everyone one last time and they closed out with “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts”. During the song, Billy took his pick, and a bit of his chewing gum, stuck the pick to his forehead then played his sax solo, and they closed out the evening with that song.
While everything was winding down, Billy came out into the audience and connected with everyone. He told jokes, took photos, signed things, and gave lots of hugs.
I went backstage to get a few signatures, I had a photo from the last gig, and Exene said that it was a nice picture, and asked for a copy. She said that they were done touring, but would still be willing to play festivals and one-offs.
I asked Billy to give me a quick PSA about PSA (Public Service Announcement, and Prostate Specific Antigen, what they test for when looking for Prostate Cancer). I knew Billy had been treated for Prostate Cancer, and I asked if he could give a word for my documentary film about it. Billy was more than happy to talk about it on camera and went on for a while about it. (I do appreciate him doing that for my film). I talked to Craig, and Dj again and as I was leaving, I said “Guys it’s been wonderful shooting your shows these last 3 tours, and thank you so much for all the countless hours of my miss-spent youth listening to your music”. John Doe said to me “Was it REALLY miss-spent? You listened to it, liked it, and got something out of it.” Yeah, he was right, looking back, I have so many great times to remember with the music of X. We all said good night, and they got on the tour bus, and then I guess it was over. This was the best gig I have ever seen of theirs live, from 1993 til now, they gave us their ALL, and it was magnificent.
After 47 years, X has decided to hang it up, having outlived so many other bands, and though the music matured, and kept us on our toes, they can be proud that they have said their piece and know they had done it their way. When other bands held on long past their proper expiration date, John, Billy, Exene, DJ, and Craig, have forged their path, created a legacy, and can close the door on it.
This has been a difficult piece to write knowing that it is over for a truly great band, who has occupied so much of my musical diet since I first heard them in 1987, from a couple of Hispanic punk kids, who gave me tapes of bands and filled my world with wonder, what else can I say. VIVE X.
There are a handful of dates left, grab one while you can.
