Review: X @ Irving Plaza

X @ Irving Plaza - September 30, 2011
Review: Anjelica LaFurno / Photo: Daniel Francis

I’ve always felt that New Yorkers and Californians share a mutual interest and fascination with one another’s culture, punk rock being an ideal representation of such an idea. Both the New York City and Los Angeles scene heavily defined the genre; coastal bands have been pitted against one another over the years, compared endlessly, as well as being enjoyed both collectively and equally. For two nights (Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1) New Yorkers were graced with the music and aura of legendary Los Angeles punk band X. Both shows were apart of X’s Los Angeles tour named after the band’s cutting-edge debut album, released 31 years ago.

I got the chance to catch Friday’s show as well as the band members in past and present form. The show consisted of not only Los Angeles being performed in its entirety but also began with a showing of the 1986 documentary X: The Unheard Music. This of course was a delight to devoted fans, though also appreciated by those new to the band’s music. The film provided a nice background in an intimate, candid sort of way and allowed a smooth transition into the raw intensity that is X’s catalogue of music. This mixture of past and present made clear X's staying power shall continue into the future just as much as the rest of the unknown will.

The moment “Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not” began, the crowd quickly switched from conversational moviegoers to a pleasantly raucous unit. The audience seemed to build up anticipation waiting for the album’s title track to begin, while John Doe egged them on with a friendly suggestion: "Here’s a song for you!" During those nine great songs: beautiful harmonies were ever present, Billy Zoom animated guitar licks with his cheeky facial expressions instead of the outlandish body movements most guitarists opt for, DJ Bonebrake elicited infinite bass pedal power due to the crowd’s stomping their feet along with his big-band inspired beats, and of course Exene was, well, Exene. Somewhere Alison Mosshart bows down and prays to a Cervenka shrine.

The first song played after performing all of Los Angeles was “Beyond and Back” from the album Wild Gift right after Exene sang: “Shit! Oh baby, will there be beer in heaven?” John Doe pointed to the crowd and shouted as if it were a command to “shut up and smoke”, while Exene exuded a female Frankenstein look under a shower of green light as she tousled her hair with her fingers, and then whipped her head towards the microphone. The band dedicated the song “The New World” from the album More Fun in the New World to “everyone on Wall Street, the ones outside of the office anyway.” It would not be a Punk show if there weren’t at least one socially relevant remark. Shortly before the first encore John nudged Exene and smiled at her in a way only a former husband and wife can and began playing “Because I Do” from the 1982 album Under the Big Black Sun. The working dynamic and magnetism between the two was made obvious by their harmonies when singing, “What kind of fool am I? I am the married kind.”

For the first encore, songs from More Fun in the New World were played, like “Breathless” and an uncharacteristically pretty, acoustic version of “ I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts”. It was after this first encore Billy Zoom coolly whipped out a digital camera, photographed the audience and caused a sort of happy pandemonium if you will. The crowd’s insistence for a second encore was marked by their staccato feet stomping, which rattled the venue.

It’s interesting how X has come relatively full circle (they’ll be joining Pearl Jam in an upcoming South American tour!) over the past 31 years. In X: The Unheard Music, during an interview Billy Zoom admits he was skeptical about the idea of a bass player dragging his poet girlfriend into the mix, at first not knowing Exene would be a very necessary part of the formula. Who would’ve thought 31 years later X would be celebrating an album so representative of their hometown Los Angeles in the city that never sleeps?

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Check out some videos of X's performance below, as well as the setlist played on Friday night...

Interview: Exene Cervenka (X, The Knitters)

by Anjelica LaFurno

Legendary Los Angeles punk band X will be celebrating the 31st anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, Los Angeles, performing the album in its entirety during the Los Angeles tour with tour dates from September to October 2011. The tour will bring the band to New York City twice on September 30 and October 1 at Irving Plaza. Tickets are still available for both. If that isn’t enough to excite a fan or anyone appreciative of American punk music, then the added bonus of viewing the film X: The Unheard Music before X’s live performance certainly will.

The 1986 documentary dissects the Los Angeles music scene X dominated, complete with live footage and interviews. Even more awesome, the band will also be performing 45 minutes worth of other songs from their rich catalogue (Wild Gift, Under the Big Black Sun) during these particular dates. We chatted up with punk royalty Exene Cervenka (vocals) via email about her own iconic role in punk history, the difference between now and then, and also X’s future.

Interview: Dave Wakeling (The English Beat, General Public)

by Anjelica LaFurno

While prepping for my interview with Dave Wakeling, I visited his website to read that, according to his biography, “Dave Wakeling is a hell of a nice guy!” I happily found this to be true. He really is a nice guy, simple as that. The King of Ska continues to woo crowds with the sounds of The English Beat and is very willing to explain the content and story behind this great band’s origins and work. We discussed that music today is no longer dissected and analyzed like it once was. Nowadays digital downloads remove the warmth experienced by vinyl and also the informative nature of a cover sleeve. The modern music listener rarely knows the history of their favorite musical act or the story behind that song they like so much. It was a certainly a pleasure to be nostalgic for a short time with a man whose guitar glows in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet admittedly has never once downloaded a song digitally.

Anjelica LaFurno: You’ve certainly used your music as a platform for both social commentary and activism. This was especially the case for your work/involvement with Greenpeace. What is it about music that you find to be an ideal outlet for a socially conscious individual like yourself? And do you feel it is your duty as a musician to not only entertain, but also shine a spotlight on relevant issues and causes?

Dave Wakeling: Well I think the key word is ideal. I think a lot of people who get to be songwriters are idealists, originally, you know. And long before I was ever in a group I was spouting off my political and social comments, as a lot of young people do. I remember at the age of twelve watching the black and white television news with my dad and thinking how happy I would be that all this rubbish would be over. That they’d have stopped killing each other’s children by the time that I was a grown up because it was disgusting. And of course they didn’t, did they? And so you feel outraged by things like that and then you start playing the guitar. And then you start singing songs. And I think it’s a natural thing if you feel that way, and you’ve got opinions. And that sort of stuff comes out in your songs.

I do think an artist has some responsibility to sing about the environment that they live in with their fans. And so, I thought, that it’d be wonderful to be in a dance band and to be able to sing about the social issues that were of concern to me. And that if I got people happy and dancing, their minds would be more open like mine was when I was dancing. And so they’d be more susceptible to suggestion…but I don’t want them to hold my opinion. I really don’t. My shoes don’t fit them. However, I ought to let them know what my views are.

Photos/Review: The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza - July 2nd, 2011

Photos & Review by Anjelica LaFurno

My first ever English Beat concert experience began like this: I look up from the photo pit to the right-hand side of the stage where I spot a quick wave and smile from Dave Wakeling and The English Beat’s lovely tour manager Candy. In that wonderful nanosecond I excitedly realized that not only was I being acknowledged by the legendary King of Ska, but also that the next two hours would be as genuine and charismatic as said music royalty. The night was completely devoid of the artificial that often accompanies the concert experience. No barrier of snobbery and supposed superiority existed between the crowd and band. This feeling of mutuality was pointed out by The English Beat’s toaster Antonee First Class (Yes, his name is Antonee. Not Ranking Roger. I repeat Antonee and not Ranking Roger!) who declared as we all danced: “We are one!"

Wakeling picked up his signature teardrop vox guitar, walked up to the mic, and cooed to the audience,  “How about some ‘Rough Rider’?” Shouts of approval ensued as the sounds from the stage immediately began to take control of the crowd's motor skills. Dancing was abundant amongst the spectators of older devoted fans and younger newer fans, many escaping the monotony of Irving Plaza’s neighboring NYU dormitories and campus. And then this sea of collective dancers intensified making waltzing waves when the next song, “Tears of a Clown”, was played. After the first four songs Wakeling related to the crowd his distaste for New York City’s current humid weather and he likened it to the depressing weather of his hometown Birmingham, which he finds is also able to push one to contemplate suicide. This observation and opinion were certainly an appropriate introduction to the song “Click Click”, or as Wakeling referred to it “Click Fucking Click.” When the band played “Save it for Later” (my personal favorite) they played Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” in the medley. This was a sort of reciprocal homage to Pearl Jam who often play “Save it for Later” in their own medley of “Better Man.”

I’ve noticed at many shows I’ve attended over the years that there’s a mutual understanding amongst artists to force a change of pace. It’s almost an unspoken rule that there has to be some sort of cadence if it all started out very energetic or there must be some climatic rise at the end if the beginning was considerably mellow, yet this was not the case with The English Beat. The tempo remained upbeat throughout the show’s entire two-hour duration. It was as if they would never stop. At one point Wakeling suggested that all couples dance and for single people to grind against a stranger as they played “Whine and Grine,” which was reinforced by the song’s seductive sax solo. Other highlights during the show was Wakeling’s Tweety Bird like whistling and the performance of two General Public songs: “I’ll Take You There” and of course “Tenderness.” Not to mention the continued unity amongst the crowd and band as every one sang, “Mirror in the Bathroom” leading into the last song of the night “Jackpot.”

Earlier before the show I had the pleasure of interviewing Dave Wakeling and shortly before our time came to an end he asked me what I look for when I attend a concert. I explained that I personally look for experiencing a mutual happening free of any worries, allowing myself for a moment to be completely lost. And I successfully found just that this past Saturday while swaying to the best of ska.

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Read Anjelica's interview with Dave Wakeling over here. For now, check out videos of the English Beat's performance at Irving Plaza, as well as some photos Anjelica shot...

Review: Guided By Voices @ McCarren Park

Guided By Voices @ McCarren Park, June 18th, 2011
Photo by Sam Kieldsen; Review by Anjelica LaFurno

Just a few hours ago I was guided by a voice to a state of musical bliss. Robert Pollard has this gift of converting a bustling, sweaty crowd to believe in a higher spirit: the sound of Guided By Voices. I’ve always been a fan of GBV and their lo-fi genius, but seeing them live has made it incredibly clear to me how great this assemblage of Dayton misfits really are. I unfortunately missed their show at Terminal 5 earlier this year in November, so you could only imagine my excitement at the opportunity of seeing GBV’s classic lineup at McCarren Park on Saturday, June 18. GBV headlined for the Northside Festival (as well as Beirut on the previous Friday) and were supported by The Babies, Surfer Blood, and the always-wavy Wavves. I’ve seen my fair share of lo-fi bands and usually this entails a live show that, well, sounds just as mediocre as the recorded audio, yet Guided By Voices somehow manage to make their low quality sound transform into something more than just lo-fi… something spiritual.

Pollard walked onto the stage as the crowd chanted “GBV! GBV!” with a bottle of Hennessy in hand and then began to explain that if is his microphone was not taped he would knock someone in the head while swinging it. The casualness of his onstage commentary throughout the show is parallel to the aesthetic of GBV’s music and image, which was greatly appreciated by the crowd. There is nothing cooler for the concertgoer than feeling a genuine connection with the musical act, breaking down the invisible barrier that usually exists between the two. The show was chock full of Pollard’s stage kicks and continuous sips of Miller Lite while the crowd moshed and sang along.

I found it interesting how each member’s style was immensely different like they all came from a separate era of rock and genre. Bassist Greg Demos leather vest and ruffles shirt specifically amused me. I mean, c’mon a leather vest, so cool and not cool all at once. But let me get back to the music--the set list consisted mostly of music from Bee Thousand (“Always Crush Me”, “Tractor Rape Chain”, “Gold Star for Robot Boy”), but also Alien Lanes, Vampire on Titus, and Propeller (the last song of the night was from this album- “Weed King”) as well. The beauty of GBV live is there is a wide range of songs that can be played, like anything is possible because they’ve recorded such a large catalogue of music over the years.