Marcus King performs at the theater at MGM National Harbor on Sept. 10, 2022. (Photo by Casey Vock)
It’s not every day you see musicians and comedians team up on stage, but when it happens, it can offer a refreshed approach for both types of entertainers to connect with their audiences.
Longtime friends, ascending guitar god Marcus King and comedian Dean Delray, well known on the national comedy circuit, had said to one another for years that they would one day tour together.
Watch Dean Delray interview guitar guru Marcus King via the comedian’s official YouTube channel:
Well, what better time than coming out of a pandemic that, if it didn’t destroy their lives, most certainly deprived so many people of the simple good times afforded by the experiences of live music or a standup comedy show enjoyed in person.
And what better place to take in such a concoction — blues-powered southern rock ’n roll and uncensored comedy — than MGM National Harbor, which features a colorful and grand stage snugged just south of the nation’s capital, the night of Sept. 10.
The Saturday evening stop was one on an anticipated tour that sees King, a masterful shredder but a young one at just 26 years old, traveling city-to-city in support of his new solo album, Young Blood, which was produced by Dan Auerbach and released back in April on American Records/Republic Records.
Stream Marcus King’s new solo album, Young Blood, via Spotify:
Featuring an additional treat in the form of a set by Neal Francis, an exhilarating and visionary funk and soul artist out of Chicago, as well as an opening set by South Carolina native Ashland Craft, the night amounted to a marathon of entertainment.
Stream Neal Francis’ 2021 studio album, In Plain Sight, via Spotify:
Parklife DC was on hand to take in the eye-popping evening of undeniably hilarious jokes thanks to Mr. Delray and the fulfilling music created by the likes of Marcus and his band, Neal and his crew, and Ashland, too.
Here are images of Marcus King, Neal Francis and Ashland Craft, as well as comedian Dean Delray, performing at MGM National Harbor on Sept. 10, 2022. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Vock.
Marcus King
Neal Francis
Ashland Craft
Dean Delray
