Concert Review: The King Khan & BBQ Show in Birmingham

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

We Have Signal

The good folks at Alabama Public Television have recently begun a program called We Have Signal, a series that can perhaps be described as a Birmingham version of Austin City Limits...though with a decidedly more underground feel. Season one features the likes of The Fiery Furnaces, The Dirtbombs, Pelican, Earth, The Dodos, Beach House, The Sword, The Warlocks, Health, The Weakerthans, Bill Frisell, The Black Angels and others including Birmingham area bands. After the performances air on APT, they're available soon afterward to stream on the website linked above. All shows are filmed at the Bottletree Cafe, a venue that's quickly become a favorite of touring bands as well as fans in the region.

Here's an embed of The Fiery Furnaces show, other shows can be streamed here.

Elvis Costello Chat Show Lineup & Schedule Announced

The eagerly awaited guest lineup and broadcast schedule for The Sundance Channel's new show, "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." has been released, and is posted below.

"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." fuses the best elements of talk and music television, inviting viewers to enjoy an in-depth conversation between host Elvis Costello and his guests, punctuated by rare musical performances by Costello, his guests and a wide variety of musicians. Comprised of 13 one-hour episodes, "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." airs on Wednesday nights at 9:00pm et/pt and kicks off Wednesday, December 3.

Here's a clip from the first episode featuring Elton John...it's Elvis and Alan Toussaint covering Elton's "Border Song":



Looks awesome, right? Here's the full schedule for Season 1:

Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Sir Elton John

Wednesday, December 10th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Lou Reed + Julian Schnabel"

Wednesday, December 17th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Bill Clinton"

Wednesday, December 24th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with James Taylor"

Wednesday, December 31st at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Tony Bennett"

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with The Police"

Wednesday, January 14th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Rufus Wainwright

Wednesday, January 21st at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones, John Mellencamp

Wednesday, January 28th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Renée Fleming"

Wednesday, February 4th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Herbie Hancock"

Wednesday, February 11th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with She & Him, Jenny Lewis, Jakob Dylan"

Wednesday, February 18th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Diana Krall"

Wednesday, February 25th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Smokey Robinson

Jersey Drunken Politician + Dead Cover Band = A Whizzing Night Of Fun!

from today's Daily News:

"A drunken Jersey City councilman was arrested for urinating on a crowd of concertgoers from the balcony of a Washington nightclub, police and club sources said Saturday.

Councilman Steven Lipski was caught relieving himself onto several revelers at the 9:30 Club during a concert by a Grateful Dead tribute band Friday night, club sources said.

"He was very drunk," the source said, noting that it wasn't the first time Lipski had caused a ruckus at the popular concert venue."

Yikes. What's worse...having a newspaper print a story about you urinating in a public place, or printing a story that you were at a Dark Star Orchestra concert?


Kevin Barnes - Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead Cover) mp3
above courtesy of Lullabyes.

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