King Khan & BBQ at Bottletree in Birmingham
It seems like every time I review a show on this site, the band only has a handful of dates left on their tour. That is once again the case with The King Khan and BBQ Show, who have six more dates in the northeast and Canada before King Khan's other band, The Shrines, play a trio of December shows in London.
The thing that appeals to me about The King Khan & BBQ Show is their visceral nature and urgency. As much as I love acts like Sigur Rós and Sufjan Stevens, sometimes loud, raw guitars and pounding rhythms are what's needed to...well...put the rock and roll back into rock and roll.
What sets The King Khan & BBQ Show apart from the garage rock pack though is their ability to incorporate other, more polished influences into their sound, yet still remain raw and direct (much like their friends, the Black Lips.) In concert, they can take a slow doo-wop song like "Why Don't You Lie" and steer it skillfully into a frenzied wall of sound and fuzz guitars. Other highlights of evening included "Zombies," a song that opens with the line "I don't give a fuck," yet manages to stay remarkably free of sounding cliche. "Fishfight" is the kind of song that you see performed live and think, "How in the hell are they making this much noise with only two guys on stage?"
I guess we're lucky in Birmingham that Khan made it to town intact and able to perform since they played Atlanta the night before. Khan's previous trip to the ATL ended with a busted lip and a trip to the hospital for stitches courtesy of Brent Hinds of Mastodon. You don't see Jens Leckman getting into any rumbles with metal guitarists now do you?
It will be quite some time before it airs, but this show was taped for We Have Signal. I imagine it will appear some time late next year.
Remaining US/Canada tour dates:
11/28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
11/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/30 - Manhattan, NY - The Bowery Ballroom
12/01 - Boston, MA - Paradise
12/05 - Toronto, ONT - Lee's Place
12/06 - Ottawa, ONT - Babylone
MP3s (courtesy of the band's German label):
The King Khan & BBQ Show - "Fishfight" mp3
The King Khan & BBQ Show - "Love You So" mp3
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