The Biltmore Cabaret, a reinvented home to “all things indy”, hosted two fantastic bands this summer that could not have been more different.
Before King Khan & BBQ Show started, I welcomed a comfortable spot on the box at side stage. The packed crowd seemed mellow at this point, but I had shot them before and knew what to expect. True to my expectations, as soon as the heavy curtains pulled aside and Khan strummed his surf-rock-guitar, the Fish Fight was on. A wave of enthusiastic moshers and crowd surfers erupted over the front row; leaving shipwrecked fans to scramble on to the stage just to avoid the chaos. Khan and Sultan (appearing in their latest absurd outfits of Arab and Amish) continued to play deadpan and completely unfazed; obviously they knew what to expect also. As they cranked out revered hits, 
creating the garage 50’s revival that they are known for, the wild ocean of onlookers sent out fist pumps, crowd surfers and PBR’s in approval. And everyone cordially tried to ignore the go-go bunnies sexing it up at side stage; clearly drunk and at the wrong concert. All in all, they were a true embodiment of a chaos-concert experience and just as great as the last time.
FULL KK&BBQ GALLERY
Then there was Poliça. A month later, I sat on the same 
side-stage box feeling a very mellow and different mood in the crowd. When the curtains pulled back, it revealed a dim, smoky stage transforming us to somewhere in outer space. Though she was still invisible, Leaneagh’s sultry voice rang through the mist like a siren calling her ships. Eventually the clouds parted, revealing Christopherson and Ivascu laying the roots simultaneously through two drum kits, and Bierden winding out deep harmony, passionately on his bass. The crowd swayed along in memorized appreciation. The journey was weightless and emotional; precisely what intensity can be expected from music of Poliça
FULL POLICA GALLERY