Live Review: King Khan and the Shrines @ The Masquerade on March 10

By Ben Grad

Arish Khan (aka King Khan) recorded an EP in
Germany with Black Lips a few weeks ago, shortly after the Lips were forced to flee
India by government censors. Like Black Lips, Khan's bands (The King Khan &
BBQ Show, King Khan and the Shrines) have a reputation for riotous, bodily-fluid-infused performances. On his last tours through Atlanta, Khan got naked for a
free show at Vacation, and, a few weeks later, was punched in the face by
Mastodon's Brent Hinds shortly after his Kirkwood Baller's Club set at Highland
Ballroom.

Though Khan's performances at more mainstream
venues like Lenny's or The Masquerade are less sensational than his
quasi-house-shows, they clearly benefit from their lead singer's outrageous
reputation. Watch the front of the crowd cringe as King Khan rushes towards
them, cape open wide. See Masquerade's packed downstairs stage (“Hell”) erupt
into shouts and moan on Khan's command. This is a crowd that expects the
unexpected, even though it knows the most King Khan and the Shrines will provide
at a venue like Masquerade is their usual foot-stomping mix of soul and garage
rock.

Tuesday night's show was a mix of the familiar and
the unfamiliar, with local underground favorites Balkans opening, followed by
Brooklyn's Golden Triangle. Both bands are rooted in garage rock with various
degrees of surf, psychedelic, and noise influences. While Balkans played a great
set, they were really blown away by Golden Triangle's more layered sound –
similar surf/garage roots as Balkans, combined with overlapped male-female
vocals, dark noise, and a smattering of '50s girl group sound. The high quality
of Tuesday night's opening acts really made the night's show, while King Khan's
performances are so perfectly orchestrated that they've become tame, Tuesday's
show at the Masquerade was saved by two fantastic opening bands.