Live music review: King Khan & BBQ Show madness at Hotel Vegas
If you haven’t caught on yet, any show happening on the Hotel Vegas patio is bound to be sold out and a cannot miss event. Canadian garage rockers King Khan & BBQ Show showed up and showed out September 25. Watching the duo set up their instruments may have caused the audience some confusion: a broken tom and a snare. No five piece drum kit, no keyboard, just those two pieces and a couple of microphones. Mark Sultan, member of the band, came out and placed a cinder block behind the busted tom.
King Khan and Sultan appeared on the stage to kick off the set with a high energy tune, “Fishfight”. It was quite a sight to behold.
Let’s set the scene: Sultan, on guitar, drums, and back up vocals, with a blonde toupee, all black, from wrists to ankles, oversized bikini bottoms, and a leather mask. His long sleeve shirt was cut at the nipples (think Regina George from Mean Girls). King Khan shimmied across the stage in gold sequin hot shorts, a fur loincloth, a chain-mail sleeve, Davy Crockett hat, and a matching mask.The duo had clearly raided some vintage shops for any and all accessories they could find to match their stage presence.
The crowd bopped to the first two songs, “Fishfight” and “Hold Me Tight”, but kicked it up a notch once the watery intro for “I’ll Be Loving You” began, thus beginning the mosh pit. Local Austin rocker Gus Baldwin sprinted across from stage left, diving into the debauchery. “Darlin’, can you see the blue moon in my eye”, King Khan wallowed as he danced across the stage, wriggling his hips.
King Khan & BBQ Show took their political stance through heavy banter, advocating vasectomies for everyone. “It’s a much easier process than the other one”, likely referring to tubal litigation. Miranda Zipse from the opening act Miranda and Beat joined Sultan and King Khan on stage to perform the song “Operate”.
It was remarkable, watching Sultan perform “Tastebuds”, sitting at the drums, strumming the guitar, singing the R-rated lyrics. “Well I got bumps inside my tongue; salty, sweet, and bitter ones; I wish I had them down below.”
Check out King Khan & BBQ Show if you are into classic surf rock mixed with garage rock.
All video shot by Christina DeStefano. Featured Photo courtesy of King Khan & BBQ Show.
