Marcus King Band, Lou Shields

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David McClister

Marcus King Band

Have the blues about another work week kicking off? Burn off some of that angst with a show by the Marcus King Band, on tour behind the new album, Carolina Confessions. The sprawling, personal song cycle was penned by 22-year-old bandleader King, displaying songwriting chops to match his melodic and fiery guitar-slinging. The sextet is especially recommended for anyone who is a fan of the Allman Brothers Band or Black Crowes; catch them in a club before they blow up. With Lou Shields.

$20 ($18 adv.; ages 18+).

press release: The Marcus King Band have already given fans reason to believe they are destined for great things. At 22 years of age, Marcus King has been a bandleader for a decade and tipped as "music's next great guitarist" by the Washington Post. But the band's daring, ambitious new album, Carolina Confessions, marks an artistic leap of another order. Released on October 5, 2018, on Fantasy Records, the album was produced and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded at Nashville's iconic RCA Studio A. And it finds the band's trademark musicianship buoyed by a new narrative depth, as Marcus delves into heavy themes: absolution, guilt, leaving home, yearning, love and other affairs of the soul.

Carolina Confessions features 10 brand-new songs, all written by Marcus except for "How Long," which was co-written with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and veteran songwriter Pat McLaughlin. Whether it's the searing rock exorcism of "Confessions" or the propulsive road-bound soul of "Where I'm Headed," Marcus exhibits an almost Southern gothic sensibility in his songs, owning up to failed relationships, portraying his complex connection with his hometown, arraying a sprawling musical firmament in the process.

Marcus and his five bandmates -- drummer Jack Ryan, bass player Stephen Campbell, trumpeter/trombonist Justin Johnson, sax player Dean Mitchell and keyboard player DeShawn "D'Vibes" Alexander -- are in top form on Carolina Confessions, exhibiting an intuitive sense of control and expression as they tackle their most sonically layered and emotionally complex compositions to date.