Photo Credit: Fletcher Moore
Marcus King made waves earlier this year with Mood Swings, his third solo studio record, which ushered in a bold new era for the guitar virtuoso. With production from the iconic Rick Rubin, the artist’s latest debuted a striking new sound, trading off some classic country-rock hallmarks for a potent and distinctive blend of R&B, soul, gospel, psychedelia and much more. Today, King reminds fans that he’s more than capable of making a strong impression without that coat of studio shine, stripping back two fan-favorite cuts to their bare bones and announcing a new acoustic tour.
In December and January, King will give fans a closer view of his talent and magnetism with a tour of “Intimate Acoustic Evenings,” plotting 17 small-room stops across the South, East and Central regions of the country. After rounding out his current tour with a show at the Grand Ole Opry House in his old stomping grounds of Nashville, Tenn. on Nov. 19, King will return to the road to kick off his new run on Dec. 4 from Floore’s Country Store in Helotes, Texas. From there, the artist will move through the Southwest, with stops in New Mexico and Arizona on Dec. 6 and 7, en route to four nights in Southern California, including a double-header at Los Angeles’ The Troubadour on Dec. 12 and 13.
After another show in Arizona, King will race through a four-night Southeast leg, stopping in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas before a culminating performance at The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn. on Dec. 21. In the new year, he’ll head to the Mountain region, closing out the tour with three shows in Colorado on Jan. 23-25 and a Jan. 27 finale at Jackson, Wyo.’s Center for the Arts. All of these performances will show King centerstage with his acoustic guitar, with support from longtime Marcus King Band guitarist Drew Smithers.
As a first taste of what fans can expect on his upcoming acoustic tour, King has shared new acoustic versions of two standout selections from his catalog; today’s announcement is accompanied by simplified re-imaginings of the 2018 Marcus King Band standout “8 A.M.” and the country-inflected knowing ode to understanding “Hero,” co-written with Dan Auerbach for Mood Swings. Both cuts were recorded during King’s summer shows at Nashville, Tenn.’s Bluebird Cafe, and the latter is paired with a live video.
Regarding the new renditions, King shared, “I’m so thrilled to present these songs to you all in an intimate setting – talking through the stories behind the songs and playing them in their most stripped down way.”
Tickets for King’s “Intimate Acoustic Evening” tour are available now. Listen to King’s Live from the Bluebird Cafe recordings here, and watch the video for “Hero” below.
Read on for the complete list of King’s upcoming tour dates.
Marcus King Tour Dates:
October 11, 2024 – House of Blues Boston – Boston
October 12, 2024 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia
October 13, 2024 – Brooklyn Paramount – Brooklyn, N.Y.
October 17, 2024 – La Riviera – Madrid, Spain
October 18, 2024 – Sala Apolo – Barcelona, Spain
October 20, 2024 – Fabrique Milano – Milan, Italy
October 21, 2024 – Komplex 457 – Zurich, Switzerland
October 23, 2024 – Le Transbordeur – Lyon, France
October 25, 2024 – Essigfabrik – Cologne, Germany
October 27, 2024 – Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany
October 28, 2024 – De Roma – Antwerp, Belgium
October 29, 2024 – AFAS Live – Amsterdam, Netherlands
October 31, 2024 – Metropol – Berlin, Germany
November 01, 2024 – The Grey Hall – Copenhagen, Denmark
November 03, 2024 – Bataclan – Paris, France
November 05, 2024 – Eventim Apollo – London, UK
November 06, 2024 – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
November 07, 2024 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow, UK
November 09, 2024 – O2 Institute – Birmingham, UK
November 10, 2024 – The Great Hall – Cardiff, UK
November 12, 2024 – Olympia – Dublin, Ireland
November 19, 2024 – Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, Tenn.
*December 4, 2024 – Floore’s Country Store – Helotes, Texas
*December 5, 2024 – Cactus Theater – Lubbock, Texas
*December 6, 2024 – KiMo Theatre – Albuquerque, N.M.
*December 7, 2024 – Orpheum Theater – Flagstaff, Ariz.
*December 9, 2024 – Uptown Theatre Napa – Napa, Calif.
*December 10, 2024 – Belly Up – Solana Beach, Calif.
*December 12, 2024 – Troubadour – Los Angeles
*December 13, 2024 – Troubadour – Los Angeles
*December 14, 2024 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, Ariz.
*December 17, 2024 – Duling Hall – Jackson, Miss.
*December 19, 2024 – Louisiana Grandstand – Shreveport, La.
*December 20, 2024 – The Hall – Little Rock, Ark.
*December 21, 2024 – The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
*January, 23, 2025 – Sheridan Opera House – Telluride, Colo.
*January, 24, 2025 – Vilar Performing Arts Center – Beaver Creek, Colo.
*January, 25, 2025 – – Strings Pavilion – Steamboat Springs, Colo.
*January 27, 2025 – Center for the Arts – Jackson, Wyo.
+February 25, 2025 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, Australia
+February 26, 2025 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, Australia
+February 28, 2025 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – Brisbane, Australia
+March 1, 2025 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – Brisbane, Australia
+March 4, 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, Australia
+March 5, 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, Australia
+March 7, 2025 – Spark Arena – Auckland, New Zealand
+March 8, 2025 – Spark Arena – Auckland, New Zealand
September 15-21, 2025 – Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea – Seattle, WA
*new Marcus King: An Intimate Acoustic Evening Featuring Drew Smithers acoustic dates
+supporting Chris Stapleton