POP : STILL MAKING ITS MARK : Historic X, Formed in 1977, Finds It Can Speak to a New Generation of Fans

A history lesson is the last thing that most students want over their holiday vacation.

But for young fans recently recruited to punk rock--and their numbers must be legion given the sales figures racked up this year by Green Day and the Offspring--the X concert at the Galaxy Concert Theatre on Tuesday figures to be a hard-rocking lecture worth attending.

X pretty much marks the spot where West Coast punk began more than 17 years ago. Formed in 1977, the band quickly became the leader in shaping a Los Angeles response to the challenge first sounded by aggressive New Yorkers (the Ramones) and Londoners (the Clash, the Sex Pistols and the Damned).

X shaped a sound that kept the wired energy of its punk precursors but also looked back to rock’s early roots with original guitarist Billy Zoom’s screaming tributes to Chuck Berry and ‘50s rockabilly. Drummer D.J. Bonebrake furthered the roots connection by borrowing the initials of Elvis Presley’s drummer, D.J. Fontana.

Meanwhile, the vocal tandem of Exene Cervenka and bassist John Doe gave X a distinctive harmony sound, ditching traditional pop mellifluousness in favor of a tart, alarmed tone perfectly suited to song lyrics that grew out of a clear-eyed, unsentimental survey of the gritty street-scapes where the L.A. punk movement took shape.

X’s debut album, “Los Angeles,” came out in 1980, mixing tales of fear and loathing in the unforgiving city (“Los Angeles,” “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene”) with moments such as “The World’s a Mess, It’s in My Kiss,” where punk became fuel for blasting past all the tawdriness into a realm of excitement and freedom.

The band’s ambitions were not limited to a small punk scene; as the ‘80s went on, X band moved from the independent Slash label to a major company, Elektra.

Its albums reflect an attempt to maintain artistic integrity while climbing out of the underground limbo detailed in “The Unheard Music,” an early song the band wrote to express both pride in its independence and resentment at being denied access to a wider audience. But no X album rose beyond No. 76 on the charts--not even “See How We Are,” a 1987 salvo powered by the single “Fourth of July,” a Dave Alvin composition that was one of the decade’s finest rock anthems. Alvin, the former Blaster, joined X briefly after Zoom’s mid-’80s departure; Lone Justice alumnus Tony Gilkyson eventually took over the guitar spot on a long-term basis.

Frustrated, X took the late ‘80s off as Doe and Cervenka launched solo careers, producing albums that reflected their country and roots-rock influences. But as punk-rooted alternative music began to explode commercially in the early ‘90s, the band regrouped and found that its live shows could fire up a new generation of fans. X made an especially hard-hitting appearance here in 1993, playing in a show-closing place of honor on the first annual KROQ “Weenie Roast” bill at Irvine Meadows. But the band’s comeback album, “Hey Zeus!” failed to match even its modest ‘80s level of commercial success.

X is soldiering on despite that latest frustration. Skip Paige, one of the band’s managers, reported that a live recording of an acoustic concert X played last month at a San Francisco church will be its next release--probably on a custom label X plans to establish to get the album out. Meanwhile, the band is working on new songs in hopes of securing another record deal.

Doe has been negotiating with a Rhino Records subsidiary, Forward, for a planned follow-up to “Meet John Doe,” his 1990 solo debut. He also is the male lead, opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh, in “Georgia,” an as-yet unreleased film in which they play singers in a bar band.

Cervenka has a new spoken-word album due out on Henry Rollins’ 2.13.61 imprint; Gilkyson has been playing shows with Los Angeles fixture Chuck E. Weiss, and toured earlier this year in Sam Phillips’ band. Bonebrake recently became a father for the first time.

As for the West Coast punk rock movement that X was greatly responsible for shepherding into the world, as most teens and twentysomethings can tell you, punk’s days as “The Unheard Music” are now history.

* What: X.

* When: Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m.

* Where: Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana.

* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway to the Harbor Boulevard exit; head north, then turn right at Lake Center, the third street on the right. Take an immediate left into the Galaxy’s parking lot.

* Wherewithal: $19.50.

* Where to call: (714) 957-0600.

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