I speak, of course, of X, one of the best bands to come out of the LA punk scene, back in 1977. However, X is about far more than punk rock, although that is certainly integral to who they are. But they also bring in many other influences to their sound, such as country, rockabilly, old time rock n’ roll (a la Chuck Berry), even hints of jazz and funk. And there’s no denying that singers Exene Cervenka and John Doe are two of the most talented lyricists ever in the rock world.

Last night they rocked a capacity crowd at Harlow’s – overcoming a mediocre, indifferent sound mix – to thrill the people who came to see them, many of whom probably grew up listening to the band. Indeed, there were a number of grayhairs moshing it up on the dance floor and probably regretting it today, realizing that while they can still dig the music, they are probably a little to old for that particular action any more.

It’s inspiring, in a way, to watch X rock out so hard after all these years. If they can maintain the motivation to go out on stage and give it everything they’ve got after all this time and mileage, then why are some younger bands unable to play with the same verve? I don’t know, but I do know I was very happy I saw X.

That’s a change from this festival in the past. Before, the music was kinda hippy-dippy, singer-songwritery, lightweight poppy stuff. I have nothing against that kind of music, but it just don’t float my boat.

But my boat got floated Saturday afternoon. I managed to catch two good acts, The Generals and Lite Brite, and one band that may be the best band in Sacramento right now: Pets.

I sat there during Pets’ set and wondered to myself why they are not making a splash yet on the national scene. They’ve got a great look with sex appeal, cool vibe, and most important of all, a great sound. If you took The Jesus and Mary Chain and turned them into a more dance-oriented sound, that’s what you’d get.

Best of all, if you ever talked with Derek or Allison – the couple that comprise Pets – you’d discover they are two of the nicest people you’d want to meet.

Somebody sign these two to a recording contract and put them out on the national scene…now!

Now the team has finally traded away its second-best player, Ron Artest. I will miss the good things he brought to the table, namely a never-say-die attitude on the court, a presence in the post, and, of course, most of all, his defensive intensity. But, I will happily wave goodbye to his penchant for off-the-cuff, contradictory statements to the press, which grated on Kings fans’ nerves after awhile. And, on the court, his self-delusion he could create offensively like a Kobe Bryant proved ill-founded and would lead to a poor offensive possessions on a team that could not afford very many of those.

However, let’s be honest. Even with Artest, the Kings were probably going to miss the playoffs, just like last year. Let’s also be honest and admit that the talent level of the 2007 Kings was a long way from the talent level they had in 2003. However, that said, I think there is reason to be optimistic that they will be back in the playoff hunt in 2-3 years. In a couple years, players like Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Donte Green will be coming into their own. Add to that mix a probable mid-range first rounder next year and two first rounders the following year, plus some added salary cap room once some of the bloated contracts they now have come off the books, and you are looking at some real potential.

I just hope Kings fans who got spoiled by a run of very good playoff years will stick with them and keep their eyes focused down the road a season or two. By then, we’ll be seeing a team that’s a contender.

Then I got a call from my buddy, Jerry Perry. “Hey, I’m going to see Sal Valentino at The Palms tonight. You interested in going?”

Yes, I was, for two main reasons. First, I had not been to The Palms since they moved to Winters. I’d been to a good amount of shows in the old Davis barn location, but Winters just seemed so far away, especially when there are usually several good options for live music on any given weekend night here in town.

But secondly and more importantly, I was curious to see Sal perform. I’d met him before when he sat in for a song at benefit show at the old True Love Coffeehouse and he seemed a pretty nice guy and he sang well. But I’d never seen him do a whole show himself so I figured this CD release show of his would be a good opportunity to see the former singer for the Beau Brummels (they had a hit in the ‘60s with Laugh, Laugh).

I was not disappointed in the least. The show was opened by Walking Spanish, a young band featuring Jackie Greene’s little brother. To me, it seemed that although their songs are promising they are not quite developed enough in that area. But they were OK.

Then Sal took the stage. Backed by an all-star Sacramento band that included David Houston on guitar (Davis also produced Sal’s new CD), Larry Tagg (Bourgeois Tagg) on bass and Mark Harrod (Popgun) on drums, and augmented by a four-piece string section and the harmony vocals of Allyson Seconds, Sal took the stage. He seemed slightly tentative in the first song, but then he just seemed to start getting into it and was outstanding from that point on. He was also warm and funny in talking between songs.

I would also recommend his new CD to anyone who likes the kind of music The Palms has always booked. (I don’t know what to call it. Adult alternative singer songwriter?)

The new Palms was also a hit in my book. Located in downtown Winters, it’s a larger room than the old Davis barn. But what it lacks in intimacy it makes up for by great sound, good sightlines and a comfortable vibe.

So, two great experiences in one night. Guess I’ll start catching up on that Netflix queue next week.

However, the primary reason I am writing this is not to review the cuisine – which folks like sac-eats can do much better than I – it’s more to give y’all a couple heads-up warnings. First, that if you want to go to Chicago Fire you’ll have to make it for dinner. Second, it’s probably not a good idea to visit Gianni’s right now, because they are renovating the space next to the restaurant and the entire time we were there they were hammering on the walls, which put a bit of a damper on the affair.

I don’t know if you are like me, but I have developed a bit of an aversion to overly noisy restaurants. I know most newer places are designed to enhance the noisiness – thus, I assume, giving an appearance of being a “happening” place – but when it gets to the point where you have difficulty hearing your companions’ conversation then it becomes an annoyance. Admittedly, after years of playing loud rock and roll my ears aren’t in the greatest shape, but having had my hearing tested not too long ago I know that I have not suffered an overabundance of hearing loss.

Thus, I (and, no doubt, my companions) grow weary of being in a place where half my conversational bon mots consist of “Huh?” or “What?” and constantly craning my neck to point my oh-so-attractive ear directly at my eating companion.

Is it too much to ask these days for a place to eat where you can at least hear the people at your table?

Lite Brite: A young Sacramento three-piece band that reminds me of what you might get if Sonic Youth met The latter-period Jam. But they don’t slavishly ape their influences; it’s more the occasional feel to the music here and there. They also pulled off a nice cover of Led Zeppelin’s “In the Night,” not an easy thing to do.

Kevin Seconds & The Altruistics: The latest rock project from Sacto’s resident punk rock legend. The music seems to me a mix of hardcore punk with melodic pop sensibilities. The band is tight, and, as always, Mr. Seconds has a very deft touch with songwriting.

The Knockoffs: Alas, this terrific band only gets together for reunion shows these days. In talking to singer Tom Hutchison before the show, he said they try to play one 21+ and one all-ages show each year. This was the all-ages event, held at Javalounge. Little rust was evident on the Knockoff music machine, and fans were seen actually moving their bodies to the music (not moshing though), a rarity at Sacramento shows.

Saucer: For some reason this band doesn’t draw the crowds they deserve, perhaps because of the sporadic gigging. The sound is what one might encounter from a mash-up of The Cure and The Pixies, two very cool bands in my book. They started out strong but were apparently put off by equipment problems. But those first 3-4 songs were glorious.

Radio Orangevale: If you like Las Pesadillas, you’ll probably like this band, especially seeing as how it contains three-fourths of LPs. But don’t expect a carbon copy of the previous band. This band is somewhat more straightforward in approach, with hints of Iron Maiden in the harmony guitar lines. Definitely one of the better Sacramento bands.

Baby Grand: Or, as I like to call them, The Baby Grand Orchestra. I was a fan of this band from back in their beginning days as a pop trio, but they now have something like 6 or 7 members. It’s hard to keep track. But the odd thing is that the more members they add, the softer and gentler becomes the music. This style actually fits songwriter and singer Gerri White’s tunes much better. Of course, the fact they were doing an in-store at R5 Records and had to play at a lower volume than normal added to this effect, but I’d still call it soft indie pop. Seeing as how I tend to gravitate toward louder and faster stuff, the fact I like this band is somewhat remarkable, but, I consider it more a sign of their quality music.

Do yourself a favor and check out any of these bands if what I wrote here even remotely sounds intriguing to you.

But the band I really wanted to see was Prieta. (You can check out more on Prieta at http://www.myspace.com/prietaslays, although no music is posted as of yet.) They are a relatively new band, but I caught them at a recent show with Bridges and they totally kicked butt.

They did not fail to please last night either, even though the singer announced after the first song that he was totally drunk. These guys are kind of old school hard rock with a bit of indie quirk flavor. They are all good musicians, very tight and seem to enjoy themselves up there on stage.

One of the things I noticed though was that the indie crowd seems to like them a lot. That’s not a bad thing at all, but the music these guys play is closer to Hot Pistol than to Bridges. Yet, if Hot Pistol was on the bills I’ve seen Prieta on, the indie crowd would have turned away with their noses in the air. The only thing I can guess is it’s based on looks. Prieta looks and dresses like indie rockers while Hot Pistol looks more like Lynyrd Skynrd. Sad, but indicative of where the world of music is these days, with so much of a band’s appeal tied into looks.

Anyway, if you’re into hard rockin’ or indie rock or just plain good bands, I recommend you check out Prieta.