KoHoSo: Exene Is Still Queen

X - Fox Performing Arts Center - Riverside, California - November 14, 2025CC BY-NC-SA 4.0I don't know how many people on Pillowfort know about X, enjoy their music, or would consider paying good money to go see them. I could say a lot of things about this show and X overall, but I'll stick with just one general line of thought.In an era where a lot of artists in their 70s and even 80s are touring, and with it now so easy to find examples of recent performances, it's a reasonable thought to wonder if they can still cut the mustard. Having seen a recent performance of such a group that made me absolutely cringe, and the whole concert experience being so incredibly expensive these days, let me tell you this as a music fan who likes to be honest about even his most beloved performers.This coming February, Exene Cervenka will turn 70, and John Doe will turn 73. Watching and hearing them live, you would never know it. Especially Exene is about as active on stage as she ever was. Both Exene and John have adjusted very little of their vocals as almost any singer must do as they age. D. J. Bonebrake (turning 70 in December) is still a monster on drums. Yes, Billy Zoom (77) has to sit due to the toll that aggressive bladder cancer took on him about ten years ago, but his playing is still as crisp as ever and still comes with a bit of that old cheesy smile he often displayed during the band's zenith.In spirit, the songs from their two most recent albums fit right in with all of the classics in both lyrical and musical content. I was absolutely stunned that, song after song, other than a good portion of the crowd being even older than me and much more sedate than the punk rock crowds of the past, I was completely stunned that the level of performance was hardly any different than when I saw X at some hole in the wall club in the '80s.It is such a shame that the promoters cancelled what was supposed to be a nationwide "99 Years of Rock & Roll" tour with another great, long lived band, Los Lobos (who opened this show and were also great as always even though several technical issues). Only Riverside and Reno got to see this great pairing of bands that are still at the top of their game.So, if you've loved X for decades or are just discovering them, they come to your town in 2026 on what will now be a very limited touring schedule, and you wonder if they are still worth the expense and hassle of going to a concert these days...in this case, my answer is an emphatic "Yes!"