Credit: Photo by David McClister

Credit: Photo by David McClister

Is there a roots or blues band rising faster than Marcus King Band? The fresh-faced, 22-year-old guitar slinger used to have to sneak into venues when he was 15 years old, but now he’s the guest of honor.

It’s all thanks to a soulful, husky vocal and fiery, Warren Haynes-inspired fretwork that’ve seen him graduate to bigger venues on each of his headlining tours. His powerful horn section — made up of trumpeter Justin Johnson and saxophonist Dean Mitchell — is just part of the big band that’ll be onstage at Jannus Live during King’s biggest Bay area headlining set thus far.

The Marcus King Band w/North Mississippi Allstars. Thurs. March 21.  Jannus Live, St. Petersburg. jannuslive.com.

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This article appears in Mar 14-21, 2019.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...