It’s par for the course to hear the King Khan and BBQ Show compare their shows to either sexual acts or esoteric bits of pop culture. Those quirks and creativity are hallmarks of the legendary duo, whose frenetic catalog spans just seven years. A short split prompted both King Khan and BBQ to pursue side projects and other outlets to get their message out there but it didn’t take long before they were reunited.
“We just had this breakthrough. I feel like our hijinks are therapeutic,” the man behind the BBQ moniker, Mark Sultan, tells The Appeal. “It’s cathartic and medicinal.”
With the reissue of their iconic What’s for Dinner? and Invisible Girl LPs from In The Red Records, the King Khan and BBQ Show are looking towards the past to help shape their future.
“When we broke up our personalities went a bit haywire,” Sultan explains, “Now we’re friends again and we’ve decided to try this [again]. We have this magical bond. It’s just this mixture of alchemy, sodomy, and excellence.”
The duo recently wrapped up a successful string of Midwest shows and are only just embarking on an East and West Coast tour. By all accounts, though their fans may have changed, their passion for the Montreal rockers may rival the band’s own ebullience. A recent sold out stop in NYC only reaffirmed that.
“We had this giant disco ball penis onstage and people went bananas. New York is usually more reserved than that,” Sultan explains.
Friday’s show at Slim’s promises to be a more mild affair than King Khan and BBQ Show’s last stint in the Bay Area.
“I won’t go into it, but the last time we were in San Francisco we basically had to jump onto the plane. We’ve come back in different incarnations since then but never as the King Khan and BBQ Show,” Sultan says.
“I feel like we unite Oakland and SF. It’s exciting to go back and see what’s going on and just play fucking rock and roll.”
Catch the King Khan and BBQ Show at Slim’s this Friday, April 19. Doors open at 8, show is at 9. Tickets start at $16 and are available here.
