The King Khan and BBQ Show

Way back before the King Khan and BBQ Show ever began, Mark Sultan (a.k.a. BBQ) and King Khan (then referred to as the Blacksnake) were in a Canadian garage band known simply as the Spaceshits. Ten years and several continents later — after Khan had fostered a faux-celebrity explosion in Europe with his Sensational Shrines, and Sultan/BBQ had begun his one-man band activities — they were reunited, producing one of 2005's most heralded and appreciated underground rock and roll albums, their eponymous debut on Hazelwood Vinyl Plastics. This year finds them on the road in the States with big-name stars the Detroit Cobras, whose lead singer, Rachel Nagy, shares with Khan the dubious distinction of having also received a beatdown from Amy Gore of the Detroit garage band the Gore Gore Girls. Gossip aside, Khan and BBQ emanate some of the most infectious, true-to-fun, rock and roll tunes since Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper deplaned in a most unfortunate and unorthodox manner. — D. Sirianni