On the first of four incongruous nights at City Winery, X played the album that got me through high school, the album that I could always latch onto no matter how bad things felt like they were going for me, especially when I felt like they were going bad. Los Angeles is 1,100 miles west of Midland, and culturally a lot further than that, but something about this record, and the tales of youth alienated from the larger culture ("Unheard Music"), spoke to teenage me in a way that nothing else had, and I had something to latch onto.
I can't think of a more un-punk place to see my favorite punk band play my favorite punk album, but the show was very good. They fought the sound for most of Los Angeles, but Exene managed to recenter herself and they soldiered through just fine.
Setlist*
“Los Angeles”
—
The Hungry Wolf
Year 1
Dancing with Tears in My Eyes
I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts
Breathless
Poor Girl
How I (Learned My Lesson)
I'm Coming Over
Make the Music Go Bang
Beyond and Back
Motel Room in My Bed
Devil Doll
---
Drunk in My Past
Adult Books
Because I Do
*(if you were there and think it was different, please send me a note. I got carried away a few times.)
