We told you Marcus King was coming to Apopka Amphitheater. We were there Saturday night, and we brought our camera.
King played to a packed amphitheater on May 30, running through songs from his latest album Darling Blue alongside older favorites. If you’ve never seen him live, the man can flat-out play; his guitar work alone is worth the price of admission, and his band locked in tight behind him all night.
If you’re asking for my opinion, I think playing a 2,000-ish-seat amphitheater in Apopka is exactly the kind of move that builds a fanbase that sticks around. Bigger rooms will come, but there’s something to be said for an artist at King’s level choosing to play close to the crowd while the album is still finding its people across the South.
Darling Blue, released last September on American Records/Republic Records, marked King’s reunion with his live band for the first time since the Marcus King Band’s 2018 release Carolina Confessions. The album was recorded at Capricorn Studios with GRAMMY-winning producer Eddie Spear and features collaborations with Billy Strings, Noah Cyrus, and Lainey Wilson among others.
Apopka Amphitheater continues to be one of the best outdoor venues in Central Florida for a night like this: good sight lines, plenty of room, a slight breeze off the lake, and the kind of crowd that actually listens and stomps their cowboy boots.
