THIS ASTRONOMICAL TIME OF THE YEAR IS WINDING DOWN! To anyone up for a grand night out with some bands, they’ll be keeping this summer going until September 22nd! A big surprise came when King’s X, one of rock music’s most creative and original bands, would perform a duo of headline dates. I was excited knowing that one of those gigs would wrap up in New York at the Gramercy Theatre with support from Colossal Street Jam. I was lucky enough to witness King’s X bring down the house on August 8th, which was one of the uplifting shows I’ve seen in a hot minute. I watched a crowd of rock mavericks get won over right before my eyes, which I had a feeling would happen. Of course, anytime I attend a gig at the Gramercy Theatre. For me, Paul’s Da Burger Joint, my favorite restaurant in the East Village, is where I go for a pre-show dinner, and I recommend the grilled chicken salad with their specialty – the Eastsider Burger. For those wondering if this is a paid mention, it isn’t; more so, my endorsement, to save you from scrolling through OpenTable or Yelp while walking around in Manhattan. After an always satisfying meal at Pauls’, I roamed to the venue while enjoying the cooling breeze of a clear day in the broad thoroughfare of the city as others that did arrive early got to have a drink or two while chilling out as Colossal Street Jam, the direct support for King’s X was getting ready to start the show.
Hailing from the same borough of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and Monster Magnet, Red Bank’s Colossal Street Jam warmed up the cluster of early attendees for a half hour of Foreigner meets Night Ranger Jersey-based hard rock – I see how they’re favored by bands like King’s X, being that King’s X picked them as local support throughout these fortnight dates, but I thought they -were mid. Although I got bored by the middle of their set, their New York fan base seemed to enjoy watching them, which counts for something.
L’Amour’s man behind the decks, Alex Kayne, kept the groovy times accelerated in between bands. Alex salted in some of the deeper classic rock and metal album cuts like Judas Priest’s Solar Angels and Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin, as well as keeping his set rewound with some more powerful, heavier songs from the seventies like Aerosmith’s Lord of the Thighs, and Black Sabbath’s Lord of This World. As a byproduct of Ozzy Osbourne entering life on a high plane, the Sabbath pick received the loudest feedback for apparent reasons. It’s always a good time when Alex DJs an event or an afterparty. Alex’s selection from his sound barrier-wrecking record collection prepared those ready for some ear candy from the three sovereigns.
A paragon of sheer musical brilliance since the late eighties, King’s X welcomed everyone inside the first church of rock and roll for an hour and thirty minutes by starting their service with the mighty Groove Machine. With its captivating drum work from Jerry Gaskill, riffs that howl from Ty Tabor, and Doug Pinnick’s distinctly smooth yet soulful bass and vocal style, King’s X captures what makes this trio so beloved by fans and musicians, while retaining its sound no matter the generation. Their sound is reminiscent of seventies Black Sabbath and Rush in the nineties, but the melodies growl throughout the annals of time as if they’re also on the razor’s edge of modern rock music. The trio conveyed that throughout the journey King’s X took us on. As soon as they locked in, everybody got into it. The setlist was for the die-hard fans with unearthed album tracks like Pillow, the doomy Sumerland, the overwhelming Black Like Sunday, and some new songs like Festival and Let it Rain – satisfying everyone in attendance – and showing the greenhorns how three people can create a pulsating terrain of swaying music for an explosive and swaggering performance.
The triad of Doug, Ty, and Jerry in a live setting brings a layered vocal chemistry that naturally heightens the songs into Beatle-esque territory. The partnership stems from a musical kinship that of one of the few lineups that remains intact since a time in American history when Memphis Style was en vogue and artists like Duran Duran and “Weird Al” Yankovic grabbed the viewer’s attention via MTV. The vocal harmonies are all live and sound a lot more natural than layering everything through a computer bank. All three members got a chance to show off their homophony. King’s X is an example of the sum is greater than the whole of its parts – three sides of one, if you will. This three-piece keep it 100% live – no backing tracks, no auto tune, just raw, unfiltered honesty, and straight from the heart.
A King’s X gig is a thematic lifting of noise that echoes like a church bell and bursts into an effervescent experience. The riffs wrap you in, the vocals are sharp, and the drums are more present than ever. With his tender voice and raw, streetwise lyricism at the forefront, Doug has become a remarkable inspiration in rock history. Thirty-seven years later, the psychedelic textures, echoed rhythms, and climbing counterpoint glow bright as ever, but this time aged like a fine wine. The past few decades, despite the aches and pains that come with age, have given the three-piece space to remain timeless since the release of their critically acclaimed debut, Out of the Silent Planet (1988), cementing them as a transcendental influence on the Nineties rock bands by way of Alice in Chains and Deftones. They want people to take in the music and feel embraced by the utmost professionalism, so that they can see what a real, live rock show is supposed to be. That’s what you get from King’s X when you see them live, or people who’ve listened to a cross-section of their albums featured in their setlist, is that it feels like an out-of-this-world band to see in concert. Doug, Ty, and Jerry want to let people take a moment for themselves and embrace the reality wherever their guests would like to go by simply enjoying a performance. It’s like you’re hanging out with the band, watching them perform in the studio: three guys, plugged in, no filler throughout the performance.
The entire show went over so well with everything said (and more) that the best way to close a brilliant performance was with three of their most well-known songs in It’s Love, Dogman, and the very definition of crowd participation. Closing with Goldilox, Dug acted as a human teleprompter by having the audience carry the final encore, sending a heartfelt press of people home happy. It is a bummer that King’s X – as original and outstanding as they are – never broke it big in the mainstream? Yes. Can they still show no signs of slowing down as they continue to celebrate their twilight years with old and new fans alike? Yes! It’s the middle of August throughout the states, the weather is remarkably not sweltering (false fall, maybe?), and the sun’s still setting late on this summer, which means this autumn is full of chances to zing zap through another array of tours from the harvesttime of the year. Have you been slacking on shows this summer? Let’s get that fixed. From rock to metal in our world of heavy music, King’s X have six dates lined up starting in October, with hopefully more to come. Wanna see them live? The internet’s got you from doing a little research when you finish doomscrolling. Celebrate three decades of great songs and tight musicianship from a heavy metal rite of passage commanded by the cardinals Dug, Ty, and Jerry.
