On paper, third annual The Marcus King Band Family Reunion in Black Mountain, North Carolina looks like another gathering of country, Americana and Southern rock talents, headlined by its namesake and sets by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Amanda Shires and Josh Ritter.
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For King, the Sept. 27-28 event allows him to continue pursuing his musical career without missing out on actual family reunions.
"We're on the road so much, and when we first started, one of the things I missed so much was my family and the big thing was I'd miss the family reunion in August every year," he says. "I took it upon myself to blend the two things together and put on a show that would also in part be an actual family reunion for my family and the rest of the band's families. We all get together earlier in the week and we have a barbeque and enjoy each other's cooking and have some good family time."
A lineup that pairs the above-mentioned acts with Yonder Mountain String Band, Doom Flamingo, Futurebirds, Los Coast, Charlie Overbey & The Broken Arrows and others allows 24-year-old King to hang out with fellow road dogs on his home turf.
"I like to book for people I either know and that I consider my road family or extended family," King says. "While I've never worked with Jason and Amanda personally, or Josh for that matter, I've worked with musicians they've worked with, and we've worked with the same producer, Dave Cobb. They're like distant cousins that I haven't spent much time with, but they're going to come to the reunion this year and spend some time."
King's festival, coincidentally named like it's an Allman Brothers homage, isn't limited to twangy rock music or country troubadours. Past lineups featured jazz fusion bands and the group Dumpstaphunk, and King names Steel Pulse as a dream addition to a future lineup.
For more information on the sold-out event, visit the festival's website.
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