Two of today’s brightest guitar talents, Marcus King and Grace Bowers, team up for a surprise solo-fueled rendition of a Kris Kristofferson classic on stage in New York
Bowers and King joined forces to pay tribute to the late country icon with a cover of Me & Bobby McGee
Two of today's fast-rising blues-rock stars – Marcus King and Grace Bowers – recently joined forces at King's show at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York on October 13 for a blistering rendition of Kris Kristofferson classic Me & Bobby McGee, alongside Brittany Spencer on vocals.
“If you know this one, feel free to sing along,” King told the audience as the guitarists launched into the track, paying tribute to the country music legend, who died last month.
King wielded an acoustic guitar – specifically, a prototype of the Epiphone El Dorado rumored to be his potential signature model – while Bowers brandished her trusty Gibson SG, treating the audience to multiple solos throughout the six-minute performance.
Speaking about her affinity for Gibson SGs and how the model became her go-to guitar, Bowers told Guitar World, “I have three SGs. Gibson sent me two new ones a month ago. I have a 1961 SG, and that’s my favorite.
“At first, I started playing SGs because they look cool and they’re lightweight. But then I discovered how I had full access to the neck, which I didn’t have on a Les Paul. I think they sound good, too; those P-90 pickups are something else.”
During the same week as her surprise appearance with Marcus King, Bowers also sat in with Louis Cato and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's house band, further solidifying her rising star status.
Meanwhile, King has been on tour since the release of his Rick Rubin-produced album Mood Swings in April, and recently spoke about the experience of joining his hero, Gary Rossington, at the late Lynyrd Skynyrd legend’s final show.
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Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.
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