Photo Credit: Fletcher Moore
Sunday, Aug. 25 marked the final sets from the 2024 Marcus King Band Family Reunion, which staged its triumphant two-day return over the weekend after five years away. For the fourth annual presentation of his beloved musical get-together–and the first since 2019–the storied South Carolina blues-rocker tapped an all-star lineup of his friends and resounding voices in the alt-country world, who collectively brought a total of 12 sets to Simpsonville, S.C.’s CCNB Amphitheater. Get an inside look at the proceedings below courtesy of photographer Fletcher Moore.
After a day-one program on Aug. 24 that treated King’s home-state fans to performances from Britti, Nikki Lane, Ethan Regan, Darby Wilcox and Band of Horses, the showrunner took the stage for a headline set with his longtime Marcus King Band. Alongside mainstay members like guitarist Drew Smithers, bassist Stephen Campbell and drummer Jack Ryan, King welcomed surprise sit-ins from his wife Briley King and father Marvin King to prop up a proper down-home family affair. Highlights from this show included treatments of standout selections from the artist’s 2024 Rick Rubin-produced album Mood Swings, including “Hero,” “Save Me” and “F*ck My Life Up Again.”
On Sunday, King turned up the heat with a program more imbued with the collaborative spirit of the blues-rock tradition. Early acts Barrett, Kashus Culpepper and Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners set a clear and powerful tone and the inimitable, stylish folk-bluegrass trailblazer Sierra Ferrell channeled that energy into an hour of her fan-favorite originals like “Dollar Bill Bar” and “In Dreams.” Before a closing show from The Avett Brothers, who dished out classics from their two-decade career alongside gems from their recent self-titled return (also released in 2024 and produced by Rubin), King took the stage once more for a special themed set.
With the help of his newly reunited friends, King and company highlighted Sunday’s show with an extended tribute to the Marshall Tucker Band. King’s father Marvin joined on the guitar and original MTB member Paul T. Riddle manned the drums, backing up a rotating ensemble of teammates. For “Searchin’ for a Rainbow,” King called on Culpepper, while Lane lent a sit-in to “Fire on the Mountain” and Ferrell featured on a thrilling “Take the Highway.” To close out the celebration, all these guests, plus Regan and Wilcox, delivered a soul-stirring run of the unforgettable “Can’t You See.”
In a statement on the long-awaited return of the Family Reunion, King wrote, “When I was growing up in South Carolina, once a year we’d pack the family car up and head up to my great grandparents home for some front porch pickin,’ covered dishes, lots of love and plenty of leftovers! This is where I learned about the joy music could bring and how it’s a powerful force that brings us together! Want to bring that same joy to you folks this year with the return of The annual Marcus King Band family reunion. We are back and bigger than ever!”
In the wake of this landmark event, King will return to the road for the fall chapter of his Mood Swings World Tour, which begins with a show at The Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sept. 4. The artist will plot a staggering 42 further stops across North America and Europe before closing his tour with a show at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Nov. 12. For tickets and more information, visit marcuskingofficial.com/tour.