King's X at the Gramercy Theatre

Doug Pinnick & Ty Tabor

Vocalist/bassist Doug Pinnick and drummer Jerry Gaskill met in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri, when they were supposed to be the rhythm section for Greg X. Volz. That project folded before it started, and Pinnick and Gaskill quickly found a second team-up opportunity as the rhythm section for Phil Keaggy. Pinnick and Gaskill came to know local guitarist Ty Tabor, and in 1980 invited him to join the band they were forming called the Edge, performing classic rock and Top 40 covers on the local club circuit. By 1983, they became Sneak Preview. By 1985, Sneak Preview moved to Houston, Texas, and became part of Morgan Cryar's band. Sneak Preview later changed its name to King's X as the group transitioned from radio-friendly rock originals to a more experimental and complex songwriting style. Still together almost 40 years later, the band has a relatively small but fiercely diehard following. The band's 12th and most recent studio album is 2008's XV.

At the Gramercy Theatre tonight, King's X performed a retrospective of 16 songs spanning its 30 years of recordings. While not a flashy performance by any measure, the musical ability amassed by this trio was spectacular. Pinnick sang soulfully, Tabor played slick licks on his guitar, and Gaskill beat hard on the drums. Periodically, between songs, the highly supportive audience chanted the drummer's first name, appreciating that Gaskill has remained in the band despite suffering heart attacks in 2012 and 2014. Imaginative and skillfully performed, King's X music avoided all contemporary clichés, instead generating progressive rhythms and clean sounds on edgy hard rock songs. The lyrics inspired wonder and spirituality, and the instrumental jams were played with sparkling finesse. In the end, the King's X concert was an ideal experience for mature hard rock fans who have graduated beyond pointy guitars and hair-spinning singers. The one liability: fans have been waiting 10 years for new songs.

Setlist:

1. Groove Machine
2. The World Around Me
3. Pillow
4. Flies and Blue Skies
5. Vegetable
6. Cigarettes
7. Pray
8. Black Flag
9. Lost in Germany
10. A Box
11. Summerland
12. Over My Head
13. Go Tell Somebody
14. We Were Born to Be Loved

Encore:

1. Dogman
2. Goldilox