ARTICLE BY GREG CARUSO
PHOTO BY KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW MYSPACE
NOV. 10 | ECHO PARK—Sooner or later, the secret will be out that King Khan is a purveyor of one of the most diverse and high energy shows you will ever see. Whether it be with his merry band of German funksters, The Shrines, or in duo form, like tonight, the man does not disappoint. Once again, the wily Khan graced the Echo—his second appearance this year—to a sold-out crowd. With Mark Sultan, a.k.a. BBQ Show, the duo played a short, but dynamic set, featuring tracks off of their self-titled album, King Khan and the BBQ Show.
Mark Sultan, dressed in a lime-green shirt with a pink chiffon turban wrapped around his head, is the multi-instrumentalist of this duo. He not only plays the drums with both feet, but he takes on vocal duties and plays the guitar, all at the same time. The mighty Khan is his counterpart of the evening on vocals and guitar. Dressed in tight jean shorts, bare chested (with the exception of what looked like gold chain-mail), and wearing a black afro wig that brought back memories of The Last Dragon’s Sho-Nuff on crack, King Khan welcomed the crowd, and the show began with undertones of a Doo-Wop/R&B sound crossed with hardcore punk.
The crowd near the front of the stage was WELL aware of the intensity that these guys are capable of. Mosh pits were started and stopped all throughout the short 45-minute set. Fans jumped on stage with Khan and Sultan, much to the performers’ delight, but not to security. Fans were either asked to step down or, in one poor fellow’s case, thrown off by a guard into the crowd below. Unlike the King Khan show earlier this year, when he was in full-blown frontman mode, Khan played the guitar tonight. This wasn’t as shocking as it was more a welcoming treat, for he’s an unexpected shredder.
If asked to choose which performance I would like to see again, it would be a difficult choice, but King Khan and the Shrines was much more of a spectacle than the BBQ Show, simply because so many people were involved. On the flipside, however, seeing Khan and BBQ shred on “Mind Body & Soul” was pretty jaw-dropping. Both shows have their highlights, and if the BBQ Show lasted a little bit longer, I might see things a bit differently. But due to the crowd moshing, crowd surfing and jumping on stage, the short set time could have been caused by the venue ending things earlier. I hope that’s not true.
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