Kings of Playin’

If you haven’t heard or at least heard of the Doublewide Kings, you must be living under the proverbial rock, and not the kind that has fueled the Montecito/Santa Barbara-based classic rock ensemble for the last two decades or so. DWK has been DIY-ing it better than ever in the last few years, going from basically a pub and party band that focuses on boisterous and harmony-filled roots-rock, Americana, country-blues and, mostly, the glory days of ‘70s FM radio to one that fills the city’s sizeable concert halls and music rooms, and almost every possibly organized outdoor venue. 

Over the last three autumns, the Kings have even created a whole new thing for our little burg in its collaboration with the Santa Barbara Symphony that reached a pinnacle in November 2025 with a sold-out salute to the psychedelic era (Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, etc.) complete with original and well-known arrangements of the classic songs of the era. (“I don’t know how we’re going to top that one,” admitted Palmer Jackson Jr., the Montecito guitarist-singer who co-founded the band way back when. “But we’ve got some ideas that are rolling around.”)

No doubt, but probably not rolling around as rapidly as the sextet shows up at important gigs throughout the year, with a résumé over the last umpteen months that includes venues from SOhO to the Lobero to the Marjorie Luke to Carpinteria’s Alcazar Theatre, not to mention the Bellosguardo Estate at the top of the eastern end of East Beach. Then there’s the festivals, which run from Fiesta to the Stow House, Avocado Fest, and even Elings Park. 

This time around, the Kings are returning to conquer the Marjorie Luke Theatre again on Saturday, January 24, in a fundraising concert supporting the final phase of the Luke’s LED lighting project, an initiative that reduces the theatre’s environmental footprint, lowers operating costs, and enhances the lighting quality for artists and audiences alike. It’s their first-ever Southern Rock special, an evening devoted to music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, Outlaws, and the like, a guitar-centric, rowdy night. They might even dip into their original catalog for a South-leaning song called “High Water Blues.” The “six fairly nice guys [with] one big mean sound” (their words) have a trio of special guests joining in: George Friedenthal on keys, Claudia Taylor on flute, and Bill Flores on pedal steel, sax, and assorted other instruments. 

VIP tickets include premium seats, an invitation to the pre-event sound check, and admission to a private post-event party with the artists at Arnoldi’s Café. 

Here are excerpts from a tongue-tucked-lightly-in-the-cheek interview with Jackson, the Montecito man who just happens to also be the executive chairman of the Granada Theatre and Symphony board member (hence the Granada-Symphony collab) as well as managing trustee of the Ann Jackson Family Foundation. 

Q. You’ve done Southern Rock songs in your regular sets before. Now it’s a whole night.

A. One of the reasons we do these shows in general is it forces us to go learn new music and prepare it which often becomes part of our repertoire. We’ve done “Sweet Home Alabama,” but we get to go deeper into Skynyrd songs. Marshall Tucker Band is a favorite, and we’ve worked up two or three new ones for us to play. We’ve also got some Southern Rock adjacent songs, like Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken.” It’s fun for us and the audience.

You all have regular day jobs. How do you even have the time to prepare and play all these shows? Do you all hate your day jobs or your families? What’s the story?

That is such a fair question. People might think we’re nuts, but maybe it’s kind of like wanting to get this all in while we still can. For me at least, the more we play, the better we get. So it’s kind of addictive. Every new genre of music that we play forces us to get to be better musicians and to play better together. So we’re addicted to working out. 

I know you guys rehearse once a week, more when there’s a new show. How is it you’ve lasted so long with largely the same personnel?

We all do get along really well. I mean, we argue on stuff, but in general, we really enjoy being together. That helps. So does the wine. 

What made you guys decide to play at the Luke again?

Playing there last year blew our minds because none of us had ever been there before. Even though we knew about the renovation, we figured it’s at the Junior High, so how great could it be. So we went in with low expectations, and we came out really impressed with how well equipped it is and how the staff is so professional. It’s on par with the Lobero, so we’re happy to help.