King Kahn Brings F**ked up Garage Rock to Neumos
King Khan & the Shrines with Red Mass and The Night Beats
A F**ked up Garage Rock Spin on Psychedelic Soul
By Ian Cunningham
Wednesday night at Neumos it’s going to get weird. Like, really weird.
Berlin-based garage rock King Khan & the Shrines are nearing the end of their U.S. tour with fairly unknown opener Red Mass and will be joined by local-Seattle psychedelic sons The Night Beats. The illegitimate son of James Brown and Jim Morrison, King Khan perfectly translates classic soul to a modern punk rock audience, incorporating the brass band-fueled momentum of funk pioneers with unique lyrics like “Put your finger in your ass, now pull it out and put it in somebody else’s ass… Jumpin’ Jack! I’m gonna smoke some crack.” It’s what I imagine the marketing team for Heineken was inspired by when they created those weird advertisements of a garage band playing “Jaan Pehechan Ho”.
King Khan & the Shrines is exactly what rock & roll needs in the 21st Century. Their music and performances offer a break from the traditional mold of guitar solos and generic encores through a fresh new combination of aspects from the last 50 years of popular music. The world cried out for a musical savior and what they received was an Überman, dressed like Blowfly, who might occasionally either urinate on the audience or shove his naked ass in Lindsay Lohan’s face (NSFW).
This is the night to tune in and drop out like our forefathers intended.
I saw their messed up shit yesterday. The brilliance of someone who is legitimately insane.