For the relative infancy of San Francisco's Fresh & Onlys, they've been one of the busiest bands in the independent underground. Since their inception back in early 2009, they've released two LPs, an EP, a handful of seven-inches, plus a new album is due on In The Red in the coming months. They've also been touring non-stop, having been up, down and across North America several times over, winning over crowds one show at a time. Their first time through Vancouver they played to a handful of devout fans in a small club in the city's Downtown Eastside, but this visit found them as part of a much larger affair.
The band had some issues getting across the border, forcing them to take the stage a little later than originally intended. But they definitely made up for the lost time by tearing through their set and sticking mainly to the amped-up and better-known songs off their self-titled debut record. For the next half hour, the band moved fluidly from their garage pop numbers to darker, more psychedelic songs, entrancing a packed crowd that seemed eager to see King Khan. Tracks like the fist-pumping "Endless Love" and the rumbling "Fog Machine" were particularly potent compared to the studio versions, while new song "Diamond in the Dark" was the unexpected highlight of the night.
By the time King Khan & the Shrines hit the stage to rapturous applause, you could tell that the enthusiastic crowd was there to see just one man. Though they haven't released an album of all-new material since 2007, the band lit up the stage with their fiery garage soul revue, complete with brass section and black-clad cheerleader. Needless to say, Khan owned the stage that night, but the Fresh & Onlys came out with a handful of new fans.
The band had some issues getting across the border, forcing them to take the stage a little later than originally intended. But they definitely made up for the lost time by tearing through their set and sticking mainly to the amped-up and better-known songs off their self-titled debut record. For the next half hour, the band moved fluidly from their garage pop numbers to darker, more psychedelic songs, entrancing a packed crowd that seemed eager to see King Khan. Tracks like the fist-pumping "Endless Love" and the rumbling "Fog Machine" were particularly potent compared to the studio versions, while new song "Diamond in the Dark" was the unexpected highlight of the night.
By the time King Khan & the Shrines hit the stage to rapturous applause, you could tell that the enthusiastic crowd was there to see just one man. Though they haven't released an album of all-new material since 2007, the band lit up the stage with their fiery garage soul revue, complete with brass section and black-clad cheerleader. Needless to say, Khan owned the stage that night, but the Fresh & Onlys came out with a handful of new fans.