X marks the (Sonoma) spot

X brings its legendary blend of punk, rockabilly and folk rock to the Sebastiani Theatre this Saturday in one of the most anticipated live shows of the year in Sonoma.

Gundlach-Bundschu Winery, in conjunction with Folk Yeah productions, is presenting X as part of its X-Mas ‘19 Holiday Tour.

Led by the dual voices of John Doe and Exene Cervenka, with rockabilly-influenced guitar of Billy Zoom and the thundering rhythms of drummer DJ Bonebrake, X burst upon the Los Angeles punk scene in 1977, garnering widespread critical acclaim and a rabid following of fans thirsty for an edgy counterpoint to the popular vocal driven songs of the Eagles and the disco craze. X became one of the most important and influential bands to come out of the punk movement of the late 1970s. They were loud, speedy, irreverent and surprisingly musical. As they evolved, they picked up a country/rockabilly flavor, but they were always true to volume and power.

Such albums as “Los Angeles,” “Wild Gift” and “Under the Big Black Sun” and “See How We Are” often show up on various critics lists of the greatest albums of all time.

X still features original band members Zoom on guitar, Doe playing bass and singing, Cervenka providing vocals, and drummer Bonebrake.

Their appearance in Sonoma will remind us of how homogenized so much of today’s music is.

Cervenka’s lyrics and vocal style, along with Doe’s recognizable voice, carried them for a few years. The band’s last studio album was in 1993. For a time, they reorganized a bit with singer/guitarist Dave Alvin, performing as the Knitters. Now, 40 years after their formation, they are playing together again on the “X-Mas 2019 Holiday tour.”

In a Rolling Stone interview from September 2017, Cervenka said, “We’re still around. It’s a miracle.”

Gundlach-Bundschu vintner and music fan Jeff Bundschu is proud to be presenting X to the local crowd. He said, “Though there is nothing I love more than sharing new music (at the live shows), it is super fun to present the legends, too, and X for me is high on that list.”

We all seem to cling to the music of our youth, and Bundschu is no exception. He added, “Their seminal album, ‘Under the Big Black Sun,’ came out when I was a freshman in high school, and ended up being one of the most influential albums for me at that time. It was an early lesson on genre malleability, as they were punk rock royalty but clearly had a country-esque/Orbison aspect to their sound.”

A mosh pit at the Sebastiani. Who’d a thought it?

Opening for X, Los Straitjackets hail from Nashville, but sound like they are from someplace near an ocean. Known for their matching outfits, gold medalions, and Lucha Libre styled face masks, Los Straitjackets is one hard rocking, surf-styled instrumental band. Instead of vocals, they let vibrato-rich guitar licks provide the fire for the songs. Drummer Chris Sprague defines the feel with his signature snare cracks and lead guitarist Danny Amis does Dick Dale proud.

Los Straitjackets are the Wrecking Crew of the waves, with the ability to play any style of music. But surf they must. It is certain they will have the crowd stoked by the time X takes the stage.

The show begins at 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets at the door and at eventbrite.com