Even when X was a fresh young punk band on the scene, it wasn't doing anything new.
So says the band's singer, Exene Cervenka. That's not a bad thing. In fact, she explains, it's why the band's musical legacy endures three decades after its Los Angeles birth.
"We were never fashionable, we were never particularly popular, we were never new," Cervenka says. "That's why our music still stands up."
X, featuring Cervenka and bandmates John Doe, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake, performs Thursday at a show at Harlow's.
Formed in 1977, X burst onto the burgeoning L.A. punk scene with a gritty, raucous sound that married Chuck Berry-style riffs with touches of country twang, psychedelia and rock.
The band's 1980 debut album, "Los Angeles," met with acclaim as critics praised its genre-busting style.
But such acclaim never translated to mainstream success, and 31 years after its inception, X remains something of a cult favorite.
No big deal, Cervenka says.
"It didn't bother me then, it doesn't bother me now – I don't keep up with that."
That devil-may-care attitude has, at least in part, kept the band going through occasional lineup changes, solo efforts and side projects, including the Knitters, a country-punk band featuring Doe, Cervenka and Bonebrake with Dave Alvin.
The original lineup reunited in the late '90s. Since then, Cervenka says, the band's dynamic has strengthened.
"It's really good; the (relationship) I turn to the most when we're onstage is John, because we've been partners for so long," Cervenka says of the singer- songwriter who also happens to be her ex-husband.
(Cervenka, who also was once wed to actor Viggo Mortensen, is now married to guitarist Jason Edge.)
Cervenka and Doe, still good friends, remain the band's emotional core.
On songs such as "We're Desperate," "In This House That I Call Home" and "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline," the pair create a frenetic energy wrought with sexual tension and an under- current of dissatisfaction.
Throughout, Doe's steady, low voice is a calm antidote to Cervenka's furious caterwaul.
"It's pretty special having someone that you sing with every night," she says.
"A lot of bands just have one singer, but with the two vocals interacting, we (keep) a mental connection going."
And that connection has only deepened with time.
"If anything, it becomes more intense," she says. "I know exactly what John is thinking, what mood he's in, what's he's feeling."
Promoter Brian McKenna, who booked the band's Sacramento show, is excited to see that relationship onstage again.
"I've probably seen X more than any other band," McKenna says.
The first time was in 1983 and in the years since, he says, X has never lost its vitality – or relevance.
"X really represents a certain point in time for a lot of people – (but) to me, on record and onstage, they're just as powerful today as they were 25 years ago.
"If anything, they're even better because they've really grown."
These days, when the members of X aren't on the road, they keep busy with various projects. Doe acts on TV and in movies ("The Good Girl," "CSI: Miami," etc.), Cervenka makes art on her Missouri farm and also plays in the Original Sinners. Bonebrake is in not one but two jazz ensembles, and Zoom runs an amplifier restoration and repair business.
As such, it's been 15 years since X's last studio album – 1993's "Hey Zeus."
Finally, Cervenka says, fans may get some new music.
"We talk about making another record all the time – it's just that all these other projects always seem to take precedence," she says.
"But I've sent John some stuff and at some point we may sit down and sing and see how it all takes shape."
In the meantime, Cervenka and company will keep the band alive onstage for as long as they can.
"I enjoy every show because, each time, I don't know if we're ever going to play again," she says.
It's the fans, she adds, who help keep it going.
"Playing live is always great because the audience is so inspiring, so enthusiastic – they always give it their all."
X
WHEN: 9 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Harlow's, 2708 J St., Sacramento
TICKETS: $30, available at the door.
INFORMATION: (916) 441-4693 or www.harlows.com
COME EARLY: Get a pre-show bite at Tres Hermanas (2416 K St.). Enjoy the Mexican restaurant's outdoor patio while you munch on crunchy chips, enchiladas and chile rellenos.
AFTER THE SHOW: Walk around the block to the True Love Coffeehouse (2315 K St.) for some post-show coffee and dessert. Who knows, you may even catch X singer John Doe throwing back a hot chocolate or two. We're not promising you anything; we're merely speculating on the possibilities.
Call Bee pop music writer Rachel Leibrock, (916) 321-1176.
