John Doe

The energy in the cramped, sweaty, sold-out San Francisco nightclub is positively kinetic, just waiting for a spark to set it off. Punk rockers—young teen and 20-somethings ricocheting off each other up front; fans in their 30s and 40s standing stoically, arms folded, at the back—all quickly crackle to life when the nearly 30-year-old band ?nally hits the stage. Instantly, the whole rollicking hall is singing and pogo-ing along to classics like “We’re Desperate,” “White Girl” and “The Hungry Wolf,” while the band’s original 1977 lineup sledgehammers through the hyperactive material like its existence depends on it. At one point, bassist/vocalist John Doe brushes the long brown bangs from his drenched forehead, surveys his rabid following, then looks at singing partner Exene Cervenka and smiles. Like he almost can’t believe the full-tilt renaissance of his legendary L.A. out?t X, occurring right before his eyes.

Afterward, the merch booth—which offers a dozen different T-shirts, a limited-edition embroidered tour jacket, and collectible lighters emblazoned with each member’s mug—is swarmed by so many X acolytes that the vendor looks overwhelmed. His hands dart like eels, snatching money, handing out Tees, coats … and lighters. “Hey, ya gotta light your crack pipe … errr, I mean cigarette with something!” deadpans Doe the next morning over brunch at a tiny sidewalk cafe. Song titles from last night’s crowd-wowing encore are still magic-markered on his wrist, and the X-man is still giddy from the rush of regaling punks from every age group. Maybe whippersnappers have discovered the newly reunited group (which includes drummer D.J. Bonebrake and eternally smiling guitarist Billy Zoom) from the recent Rhino remasters of its ?rst six albums, or perhaps the DVD release of concert ?ick X—The Unheard Music. Then again, muses Doe, 51, “I think there’s so much virtual this and virtual that, retro this and retro that, that when somebody actually gets to see a real item these days, they’re impressed. And that just might be the reason why young people go to X shows, or re-discover Blondie and The Ramones. And hats off to The White Stripes for getting those kids back into the blues.”

But punk rock has been remarkably good to John Doe. It’s sustained his on-again/off-again life with X (which today only includes golden-oldie concerts; Zoom doesn’t want to write or record new material); a parallel career with alt.country band The Knitters; an impressive roster of TV/?lm gigs such as a recurring role on The WB’s Roswell series, and cameos in major movies like Torque and The Good Girl. Of late, he’s just taped appearances for HBO’s creepy Carnivale and CBS’s C.S.I.: Miami (“I’m just some bum hotel owner,” Doe shrugs), and an upcoming Winona Ryder picture tentatively titled The Darwin Awards. And somehow, amid all this bustle, he’s found the time to track a new solo set for Yep Roc, Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet, which sounds like Gothic blues echoing from some tinny car speakers and features guest shots from Dave Alvin, Neko Case, Kristin Hersh, Grant Lee Phillips, Cindy Lee Berryhill and Doe’s own 16-year-old daughter, Veronica Jane. Dad’s reasoning? He chortles. “I ?gure this way, the music business will be totally demysti?ed for her and she won’t wanna go into it.”