Marcus King Band

[Shug]

A Southern soulful jaz- rock jamming protoge of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, this kid can play his ass off and his vocals sound way more mature than someone age 20.  He sings like Warren Haynes.  The band keeps up with him, too.

I am going to see him live for my first time in a couple weeks, can't frickin' wait!

Here is a complete show that smokes the entire way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm5xBlm3-IE

Here is a part of that show doing some Zeppelin and Sabbath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBqp8mW2H0

[davymac]

A Southern soulful jaz- rock jamming protoge of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, this kid can play his ass off and his vocals sound way more mature than someone age 20.  He sings like Warren Haynes.  The band keeps up with him, too.

I am going to see him live for my first time in a couple weeks, can't frickin' wait!

Here is a complete show that smokes the entire way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm5xBlm3-IE

Here is a part of that show doing some Zeppelin and Sabbath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBqp8mW2H0

I think MKB is the future of the southern rock jam scene.  His vocals are outta this world.  He will be fun to watch!

[Jbpats]

Listened to their set from Mountain Jam earlier this summer, MK can definitely play but his style emulates Derek Trucks a bit too much in my opinion.. Not enough originality there.
As for vocals, decent voice but in all honesty thought he was a woman when I first heard him.

[Shug]

Originality is overrated, IMO, and nearly impossible to achieve.  I vastly prefer musicians to play with passion and skill than to try too hard to do something that hasn't been done before even if they sound exactly like great stuff that has come before. 

People said the same thing about Stevie Ray Vaughan, I always thought it was a bullshit criticism (sounds too much like Albert King or Hendirx, too derivative, etc).  If you blow the doors off the place with your guitar, you kick ass, in my book, Ha ha ha!

[oistheone]

How was the show, Shug?? MKB is swinging through town on my birthday and I'm wondering if it'll be a fun enough night to celebrate to!!

[LBSUNFLWR]

came here, read this. went to jambase, saw this: https://www.jambase.com/article/patience-virtue-marcus-king-mentor-warren-haynes-marcus-king-band

[Shug]

Sorry this is late, O, hope you made the show if it already happened, if it hasn't happened yet, you GOTTA GO!!!

I mean there is nothing like seeing a guy this good in a small club.  The band has jazz rock jamming chops that can hold a candle to the masters, the Allmans.  People in the club were getting off and he was just the opening band.

Hilarious, me and some other dude were in the bathroom after the set raving about how great it was and how we went down to Tucson from Phoenix on a weeknight just to hear him do a short opening set and were just blown away.  Right on cue, Marcus comes out of a stall all smiles to hear us raving about him and us saying honest we didn't know you were listening! 

He is a very humble and friendly kid and very graciously accepted all the praise and love he got. 

He is the real fucking deal that is for sure and you won't truly get his power until you see him live in person! 

I mean I haven't been this blown away by a new discovery since I saw SRV for the first time in 1985.

Wow!

[APR]

Based on your review Shug, I'll be checking Marcus King link you provided ASAP.  Best discovery since '85 is saying a lot.  That's great he got to overhear the high praise.  This Forum has introduced me to a lot of cool bands, and this sounds like it could be another one.  I'd love to see you in SF again (repeat of Masonic MMJ please) to thank you in person for turning me on to a great band. 

[Shug]

There is always the risk of over-selling something and I tend to be on the passionate, enthusiastic side, but I did truly feel the way I felt when I first saw SRV live.  This kid, when he goes to start a solo, just immediately puts the pedal to the metal and takes off, just like SRV did.

I think about other youngish blues-based rock guitar greats I have been turned on to since SRV, like Derek Trucks, and I think Marcus King is on that same level, plus he has a real emotional passionate quality in his playing and stage demeanor that clicks with me.  You can just tell he is feeling it, he's inspired, he's fantastically gifted, and he's humble.  Its a rare fucking combo of qualities and I don't think many who like this style of rock will be disappointed seeing him live.

APR, I would love to hang again with ya for more Bay Area shows, I hope we get some Jacket there this year! If Magpie Salute play a run of shows in SF, that might get us up there again, too.  Let me know what you think of Marcus King and don't forget the true test is seeing him in person!

[MMJTX]

Can't stop listening to this. Thanks for the rec.

[oistheone]

Still wiping off soot from my face after the Marcus King Band BURNED THE HORSESHOE TAVERN TO THE GROUND the other night! Hoooo mama Shug, you were not lying. What a smokin' band!! To call Marcus a virtuosic prodigy would be an understatement. His playing is literally out of this world. I don't think he looked at the fretboard once. It's all from the heart.

His six piece band deserves some major credit too. They were on par with soul vets like TTB in my mind. The sound was phenomenal and they handle themselves on stage like they've been doing this for decades.

There was no opener, so the venue let MKB rip it for almost three hours. I was hoping for that sick cover of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" they've been doing, but was not the least bit disappointed to get some Funkadelic, Beatles and Blind Faith covers instead.

These guys definitely won't be playing venues this small for long. They're going to be around for a long time.

And you called it, nicest guys ever. The entire band hung out after the show and were all smiles and grace, zero attitude. A+!!

[davymac]

MKB is playing a free show in my home town in south GA next weekend and I'm going to miss it!  Super bummed about that, but I agree, these guys won't be playing in small venues for long...

[Shug]

Still wiping off soot from my face after the Marcus King Band BURNED THE HORSESHOE TAVERN TO THE GROUND the other night! Hoooo mama Shug, you were not lying. What a smokin' band!! To call Marcus a virtuosic prodigy would be an understatement. His playing is literally out of this world. I don't think he looked at the fretboard once. It's all from the heart.

His six piece band deserves some major credit too. They were on par with soul vets like TTB in my mind. The sound was phenomenal and they handle themselves on stage like they've been doing this for decades.

There was no opener, so the venue let MKB rip it for almost three hours. I was hoping for that sick cover of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" they've been doing, but was not the least bit disappointed to get some Funkadelic, Beatles and Blind Faith covers instead.

These guys definitely won't be playing venues this small for long. They're going to be around for a long time.

And you called it, nicest guys ever. The entire band hung out after the show and were all smiles and grace, zero attitude. A+!!

So glad to hear that, O!!  Glad you got a ripper and that it exceeded expectations that I admittedly set very high!  I'm jonesing to see them again on this tour not sure if they will come out West again as headliners.  I gotta see them again SOON!

[MMJTX]

new EP out today, haven't listened yet but heard it's scorching hot. a couple of live recordings!

[Shug]

New EP does indeed rip!  Lots of fiery playing and soulful singing on some really good tunes that don't sound like album leftovers, they easily could have made the cut.  The live jam is 14 minutes of shredding including a sweet bit of Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4, nice with the killer horn section!

Still waiting for a chance to see these guys headline a show, hope one comes my way soon.

[APR]

New EP does indeed rip!  Lots of fiery playing and soulful singing on some really good tunes that don't sound like album leftovers, they easily could have made the cut.  The live jam is 14 minutes of shredding including a sweet bit of Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4, nice with the killer horn section!

Still waiting for a chance to see these guys headline a show, hope one comes my way soon.

I saw these guys last night for the first time and thought of you.  They were the opening act and sounded great.  I really liked the band, the guitar solos, and music.  His voice isn't my favorite, and after seeing them, it's still not my favorite.  But they are fun for sure.

[Shug]

Hey APR!

I get that his voice might not be everyone's fave.  I don't really like listening to Warren Haynes sing all night long when he's the only vocalist in one of his bands and Marcus is similar to my ears but his voice sounds great to me.  Not sure why one clicks for me and the other does not but so it goes with musical appreciation.

I'm finally gonna get to see MKB a second time at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix next month and then we pulled the trigger on heading up to Red Rocks in July to see the last two nights of this year's Wheels of Soul tour with Tedeschi Trucks, MKB and Drive By Truckers.  Should be a good couple of shows with the sit ins and all that!

[MMJTX]

FINALLY MKB COMING TO TEXAS!
Aug 24 - Houston, House Blues (Peacock room/small stage)
Aug 25 - Austin - Antones
Aug 26 - Dallas - HOB Cambridge room.

[Shug]

I was just gonna post these new dates, too, for the folks who might live near a show. We get three headlining shows here in AZ as well, nice!  Sure would like to see him headline the Troubador in Los Angeles...

July 31 at Slowdown in Omaha, NE
Aug 1 at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City, MO
Aug 3 at Plaza Theatre in Glasgow, KY
Aug 4 at Legend Vally in Thornville, OH
Aug 16 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in Wilmington, NC
Aug 18 at Hot August Music Festival in Cockeysville, MD
Aug 19 at Burley Oak in Berlin, MD
Aug 22 at Duling Hall in Jackson, MS
Aug 23 at Tipitina's in New Orleans, LA
Aug 24 at House of Blues - Bronze Peacock in Houston, TX
Aug 25 at Antone's Nightclub in Austin, TX
Aug 26 at House of Blues - Cambridge Room in Dallas, TX
Aug 29 at Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, NM
Aug 30 at The Green Room in Flagstaff, A
Aug 31 at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, AZ
Sep 1 at 191 Toole in Tucson, AZ
Sep 4 at Belly Up in Solana Beach, CA
Sep 6 at Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA
Sep 7-8 at Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV
Sep 11 at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA
Sep 12 at Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA
Sep 14 at The Commonwealth Room in Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 15 at Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Telluride, CO
Sep 18 at Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, NE
Sep 22 at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in Bristol, TN
Sep 23 at Bogart's in Cincinnati, OH
Sep 26 at Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL
Sep 27 at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul, MN
Sep 30 at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI

[MMJTX]

haha sorry about that, guess i should've posted the whole tour date list