Musician, songwriter, author, actor, punk icon.
John Doe serves as an inspiring example of an artist who has remained vital over decades by expanding his vision and trying his hand at new things.
One of those new things, Doe's folk trio — which is filled out by a standup bassist and drummer — will play Sunday, June 4, at Echo Bridge, one of San Antonio's most unconventional performance spaces. Bryan Wheeler will open the outdoor show, which has pre-sale tickets due to its limited seating.
As part of the seminal LA band X, Doe helped create the West Coast's explosive late '70s and early '80s punk scene, as depicted in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization. He's since published two books chronicling that chapter of his musical life: Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World, both named for X albums.
Doe also branched out into film, grabbing starring roles in the 1987 art-film classic Border Radio, later reissued by the Criterion Collection, and 1989's delightfully cheesy Road House, before racking up more than 60 film and TV credits. His latest movie, a remake of the noir classic DOA, is currently playing festivals.
Doe's post-X musical trajectory led him into Americana and songwriting that explores a quieter kind of chaos. Fables in a Foreign Land, Doe's new album with fellow trio members bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Conrad Choucroun, was released by Fat Possum Records.
The Current talked with Doe by phone about his move to Austin, his Road House role, bro country and a lot more. The interview was edited for space and clarity.
You're playing the Echo Bridge, a spot I love.
I was taken with the location and the whole idea. Plus, this folk trio that I've been doing would be perfect there because that was designed to do in an acoustic setting.
Will you be playing tracks from your album with the trio, Fables in a Foreign Land?
I'm playing tracks from everything I can get away with.
When I think about X, part of what makes that band so special is the harmonies. They're untrained and almost country in a way. Did you grow up listening to country music?
Just by osmosis. Nothing that X did, except try to stay a band, was calculated. There are plenty of bands that are calculated, even if they don't seem to be. We did things that felt right. We came up with a hybrid. It was country-influenced but it was never A + B = C.
Of course, you're an artist, you're responding instinctively and intuitively.
Yeah. But it didn't have to be. We couldn't have been more influenced by, uh, Kiss or something. (Laughs.) Early on, I was influenced by all the things someone my age was influenced by — whether it was AM radio, the rise of Motown. But I looked into who Hank Williams was and looked into Chicago blues. Moving to California, being friends with Phil and Dave Alvin [of roots rockers The Blasters], all their musical history. [X guitarist] Billy Zoom as well. That all helped.
Unfortunately, country music is not very well defined now. Maybe it's the evolution of genres mixing. But Kevin Smith, who's going to be playing in the trio, said, 'Have you heard this guy who won the CMT awards named Jellyroll?' And I said, 'No.' It was ... I don't know what it was. It was Post Malone does country music. Although I think I like Post Malone better, and he has more to do with the spirit of country music than this guy.
I don't want people to be separate, but if it's gonna be a hybrid, I want to be able to feel something of whatever individual strains were brought to the hybrid. If that makes sense.
There's a moment in Decline of Western Civilization where somebody says, "Punk music is folk music because it's just people saying what's on their minds."
We've said that in the past. Folk music is for folks.
Music of the people.
I listened to folk music when I was a kid. I don't think my parents really listened to the songs. They saw the record is by Pete Seeger — he seems to be a pretty good guy. But the songs are all written by Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston — very questionable characters ... in a good way.
Have you seen the film Chulas Fronteras, which documents the Tejano and conjunto scene in South Texas?
Yes, that's one of my favorite films! Les Blank was a genius. I love the fact that San Antonio has never lost its Mexican influence. It's always been the main focus of the culture. It's pretty rewarding. I do a version of "Cancion Mixteca" (a song from the film) that I learned from Harry Dean Stanton.
Have you heard the iconic San Antonio singer Lydia Mendoza?
Yes! Found out about her on a postage stamp. She's in Chulas Fronteras making tamales. Fucking awesome.
I have to ask about this. You were an actor in Road House. That movie was such a staple of my childhood.
I refer to that movie as the most expensive B-movie ever made. You have no idea how surreal that was.
How'd you get involved?
I went in and auditioned. The director liked the way I yelled when I was supposed to get my nose broken.
You were related to Ben Gazzara in the film?
I was his nephew. The degrees of separation between him and me and [legendary director] John Cassavetes were not lost on me. Patrick Swayze was a particularly generous and hardworking leader. That was the main thing that I took away from that experience. When you have a leader that shows up prepared, ready to work hard, then everybody else is inspired. I've been in some other situations where the leader is not, and it's no fun.
Are acting and music two different parts of your brain?
No, it's all part of the general creativity, and I'm lucky enough to get to do more things than most. You just focus whatever creative abilities you have. I did a lot of, uh, on-the-job learning. (Laughs.) It was never a secret desire. It just happened. I give [director] Allison Anders a lot of credit for that. She put me in this movie called Border Radio. That was the first "real movie" I'd ever done. And it went on from there.
You moved to Texas?
I've been in Austin for six years. I've been coming to Austin since 1980, played with the Big Boys a dozen times at least. Played with The Dicks, Scratch Acid. I knew the Butthole Surfers but never played with them. And, of course, Alejandro [Escovedo], and Jon Dee Graham was on my first solo record. My wife Krissy is a native Texan and we just decided to move.
Do you think Texas music is a stronger strain because it's created in a more conservative, repressive atmosphere?
I guess. That's like saying the "Latino vote is a block." There's no such thing as Texas music. There's stuff I don't get at all, like bro country, and then people like Terry Allen, who defy all definitions. He and I wrote a song on my latest record.
There's a lot of those first-name, last-name guys that nobody knows outside of Texas, but they can draw 3,000 people in small towns. And that's awesome. It's truly regional music. I may not understand the music ... but I'm for it. Probably wouldn't agree with their politics but whatever. You gotta live and let live.
But yes, some types of Texas music have to fight harder. I think being an underdog can motivate you. There's a lot of space here, and you have to fill that up. Whether it's the Flaming Lips coming from where they came from or The Dicks or Roky Erikson. Space is good.
$25, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, The Echo Bridge, 2617 Texas 536 Spur (under the Mrs. Frank W. Sorrell Bridge), echobridge2.eventbrite.com.
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