Despite being together for nearly 30 years and releasing roughly half a dozen well-received studio albums in the 1980s, X is a band usually remembered for their blistering live performances. Hailing from Los Angeles, X was formed in 1977 when the duo of John Doe and Exene Cervenka met at a poetry workshop. Cervenka (vocals) and Doe (vocals, bass) soon joined forces with Billy Zoom (guitars) and D.J. Bonebrake (drums), leading to the band's eventual release of the Los Angeles LP. During the next handful of studio albums released during the decade, the band seamlessly blended several genres---including rock, punk, folk and country---into a potent mix that garnered lots of praise from critics and fans alike.

Eventually, the band would explore other side projects in entertainment; though they never officially broke up, X took a much-needed vacation as the 1990s drew nearer. Doe tried his hand at acting, and both he and Exene---who enjoyed wedded bliss for a short time---released a few solo albums. Billy Zoom left the group for a short time, with guitarist Tony Gilkinson filling in during the recording of the band's hard-edged 1987 album, See How We Are, as well as a 1988 live record. A few years passed, and Zoom climbed back aboard for the 1993 album release of Hey Zeus!; while it was met with lukewarm response, it marked the band's sincere determination to keep working together. During the past decade or so, X's collaborations and public appearances have been quite sporadic---the band has only toured on a very limited basis, releasing a handful of live albums in the process.

Fortunately, director Amber Cordero has managed to capture the mysterious band in concert on X: Live In Los Angeles, recorded live at the House of Blues on November 26 & 27, 2004. At roughly 74 minutes in length, the concert features a formidable fistful of favorites---including 2 separate curtains calls---with 21 songs in all. From start to finish, here's what your ears can look forward to:

Regular Setlist: You're Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not / In This House That I Call Home / We're Desperate / Beyond & Back / White Girl / The Unheard Music / Los Angeles / True Love / I'm Coming Over / Blue Spark / The New World / Nausea / Johny, Hit & Run Paulene / Motel Room In My Bed / It's Who You Know / Because I Do / Devil Doll

Encores: The Hungry Wolf / Year 1 / The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss / Soul Kitchen

Though I've personally never seen an X concert up close and personal, artists like Henry Rollins and Flea have been to plenty of 'em. In his short essay from the DVD's insert booklet, Flea recounts his memories of the X concert experience...where the young fan clawed his way up to the front row on many occasions. He describes their shows as "wild and intense, but the music was beautiful and poetic"---and after seeing the concert on DVD, it's easy to see why. The band still plays with an enormous amount of energy: Doe and Cervenka's vocal harmonies sound as strong as ever, Zoom's solid guitar playing is only overshadowed by his camera-mugging, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake anchors the band's atmospheric sound nicely. Bookended by comments from the musicians in an interview setting, Live In Los Angeles is a nice package that pays tribute to a truly underrated band.

Though their music never consistently reached mainstream popularity, the talent and dedication of the band ensured a solid local fanbase---and while X hasn't released a studio album in well over a decade, their classic material is strong enough to stand on its own. In the meantime, interested parties will certainly want to check out Shout Factory's recent DVD release of Live In Los Angeles (also available on CD), produced by the band themselves. Featuring a solid technical presentation and several interesting bonus features, this release should satisfy veteran fans---and it may even win over a few new ones. With that said, let's see how this disc stacks up, shall we?

Any fan of concert DVDs should know that technical presentation is the most important factor, and Live In Los Angeles doesn't disappoint. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks good, with deep blacks and a strong color palette. The stage setup and lighting effects are simple and stark, with the basic camera angles being a welcome change from the seizure-inducing MTV style of editing. The visual style of this film tends to favor a high contrast level---especially in the interview footage (seen in image #3)---but everything looks as clean and clear as intended. The concert's 5.1 Surround Sound presentation (mixed by Billy Zoom) is equally impressive, with the sonic presence of the band coming through loud and clear. It may not sound as good as being there live, but it's close.

It's not the most feature-packed concert disc you'll ever see, but fans of X should really enjoy Live In Los Angeles. It's good to see the band back together on stage, and the local fans in attendance certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. Shout Factory has done an admirable job with this release, offering a strong technical presentation and a handful of appropriate bonus features. While casual fans (or those new to the band) would be better off spending their money on X's back catalogue, die-hard fans should pick this release up without hesitation. Recommended.