review by Jay NeSmith | photos by Chevy Anderson
A free rock 'n' roll show: What can be better? A free rock 'n' roll show with free booze, or exactly what last Wednesday's night at the Slowdown provided.
The concert, sponsored by Sailor Jerry, came through town boasting the Canadian rock duo King Khan & BBQ Show and Omaha's own Digital Leather as opener. I had never listened to any of King Khan's material, but let's be real. With such a name, how could they be be bad? Thus, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, along with the promise of a few free drink tokens (a "gift" for those who RSVP'd online), I figured I'd give it a go.
I planned on the venue being modestly crowded (after all, it was a Wednesday night), but upon arrival to a packed parking lot, I realized I was wrong. By the time I walked in, there were already 60-70 people in the venue enjoying their free "Sailor" drinks, with many more filing in through the doors as the night got underway. Digital Leather opened to an enthusiastic floor audience.
Playing his left-handed guitar (which, interestingly, was strung right-handed), Omahan Shawn Foree thrashed about, spewing lyrics into the mic. They played a handful of 10 or so songs, punctuated by championship spitting skills and lobbing beer cans through the air, standard practice for Digital Leather show. Many audience members seemed disinterested, but then again, Digital Leather's sound isn't exactly the easiest to get into right off the bat. They require careful listening to discover the complexities to their seemingly simple, stripped-down sound.
The band's members are no strangers to playing beer-soaked clubs and rowdy basements, which usually end up being more intimate shows, but it isn't very often I've seen them billed at venues such as Slowdown. In this setting, it seemed that many still don't know what to make of Digital Leather, but regardless, they put on a killer live show.
Following Digital Leather's set, the floor started to fill up more and more. There were apparently many eager fans of King Khan & BBQ show looking to get a good spot. By the time they took the stage, the better part of the floorspace was completely filled, with many other fans scoping out the show from behind the railing. The venue seemed to have filled up considerably, with well over a hundred in attendance.
The duo greeted the audience dressed in outrageous, shiny costumes, like lost Alice and Wonderland characters. Many members of the audience started cheering as a result of the ridiculousness of it all, but many also just stared in silence, seemingly a little bit confused. "Whoever's not cheering must be fucking blind!" one incredulous concertgoer remarked to those who seemed befuddled. On that appropriate note, the band kicked off their set.
The King Khan and BBQ Show is an interesting band. They are only a two-piece, but they don't lack any fullness of sound. Blacksnake (aka King Khan) played Chuck Berry-esque lead guitar lines with Mark Sultan (known as "BBQ") thumping a stripped-down drum kit with his feet while strumming rhythm guitar and singing vocals, all at the same time. Their sound was something of a mix between classic rock 'n' roll guitar riffage and melodic soul melodies with dance.
Members of the audience did the twist, while others turned to traditional push-moshing. Pausing only to discuss "everyday" issues (such as guidelines for properly giving a handjob) and to briefly introduce themselves, King Khan played a long, sometimes humorous set with tons of dancing and a swiftly demanded encore.
Overall, they were an incredibly entertaining band to watch. Playing his custom-printed Sailor Jerry-style Airline guitar (which, as he jokingly informed everyone, was also free), Blacksnake rocked out to the music, even displaying a perfected "duckwalk" to the audience's delight. Sultan did much of the vocal work, and was mind-blowing to watch.
Even if you're not a fan of the type of music they play, you can't help but appreciate the solid musicianship and dedication it must take to be able to do three or four things at once. It's hard to imagine how many hours of practice had to go in to be able to pull it all off, especially with it just being the two of them. They may be a stripped-down band, but it's definitely clear that King Khan & BBQ show are musical forces to be reckoned with.
The whole night was a lot to soak in, especially when work was bound to come way too early the next morning. Perhaps even better was the good amount still in my wallet, save for the few well-spent dollars on King Khan swag.
Jay NeSmith is a Hear Nebraska intern. Thanks to the show, he now finally believes the best things in life are free, at least until he goes to buy dinner later. Reach him at jayn@hearnebraska.org.