John Doe of X at La Zona Rosa - more photos photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
X
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
http://www.xtheband.com
X Concert Photos
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
La Zona Rosa(Austin, Texas)
Also:
Detroit Cobras
Question: How many times can X play Austin in a single year?
Answer: As many times as they want ;)
Austin has always had a thing for Los Angeles based X, and so it's not surprising that this is like their forth performance here in 2008 and it's only June. I caught a few minutes of one of their 3(?) SXSW sets over at Stubb's earlier in April, but was glad to get a chance to see them again to do a full set at La Zona Rosa in the nice air conditioning.
Rachel Nagy of The Detroit Cobras at La Zona Rosa - more photos photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
While it wasn't quite a sold out show La Zona Rosa was filled with Austin punk and rockabilly royalty as well as local music industry types. Everywhere I turned I ran into someone I knew, someone that was famous, or infamous, or soon to be. Brian Curley from Sharon Tate's Baby was one of the people there representing the old guard, super-cute Avery Babycator from local up & comers The Applicators was there with her friends, and it seemed like the whole Emo's staff was there. It was like an un-official scene party just for Austin's punk elite, but anyone that could pay the cover could come.
Opening the show were garage rock stalwarts The Detroit Cobras with a strong performance. A good match to compliment X's sound, Rachel Nagy, who is listed on the band's myspace as covering both vocals, and cigarettes, did both exceptionally well. With a smoky, skanky, bowling alley band sound they ripped through their set to an appreciative audience. Although I was predisposed to like them because of their reptilian moniker, I was impressed enough by their performance to overcome any prior bias. If I was casting a band to play a 60's sock hop in hell, this would be the one.
Billy Zoom of X at La Zona Rosa - more photos photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
There was no barrier in front of the stage so I was just a member of the crowd, but considering the number of VIP badges floating the floor, a barrier was pretty un-necessary. By the time X hit the stage the crowd was pretty solid so I had to do all my photo sniping from the edges. Billy Zoom spent the entire night smiling and posing for the flashing point and shoots in the front row, while John Doe and Exene split time on the vocals. They looked like they were having a lot of fun and the crowd sure was. The band sounded great, much tighter than their Stubb's shows but I am sure that has a lot to do with the acoustics. Still there is much to be said for the energy that you get playing an enclosed, packed club, rather than a big airy amphitheater. After an hour and a half I had to head out, but it appeared the show would go on late in the night. Great show, more like a party than a concert.
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John Doe and Exene Cervenka of X at La Zona Rosa - more photos - photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer
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