King Size - Memories Lost & Found.
- Moose Nicholson
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
King Size Does it Again
These three don’t need big intros anymore. Ruskin, Cam, and Brannon have been playing Amp for years—in King Size and every other local supergroup worth its strings. You’ve seen ‘em at full volume and in different costumes, but what never changes is the way they land with this crowd.
King Size didn’t just play a show. They upcycle memories into new ones. From a boombox being held over your head, to detention with the brat pack, anarchy symbols written in white out on a black jansport to an angsty iteration of Disney alum teen pop. It's when "remember this?" becomes "how could we forget!" and ends with "did you hear King Size last week?".
They don’t chase the demo—they transcend it.
Kids in strollers. Boomers in lawn chairs. Couples on a date. Solo riders with a drink and a breeze. Doesn’t matter. The trio hit with “Beds Are Burning,” “Rooster,” “Purple Rain,” and “Brainstew,” and everyone suddenly remembered why they came.
It was hot—too hot for July. Didn’t matter.
Not too hot for Amp or King Size.
They played like they had something to prove.
They didn’t.
But they always do.
No Resting Bass Face Here
Cam doesn’t sit still. He doesn’t stand still either.
Somewhere in the second set, he stepped off the stage—not in protest, just because the four feet of riser weren’t enough to hold him. Bass still rolling, he slipped into the crowd and kept playing, pulling the show outward without saying a word.
It wasn’t a stunt. It’s just how he plays—kicking at the air, smashing a stray cymbal mid-song, moving like there’s too much in him to stay in one spot. He doesn’t upstage Ruskin or Brannon. He amplifies them.
It’s easy to forget how much ground three players can cover—until King Size starts peeling through decades like pages in a mixtape.
They led with “In the Meantime” and “Spider Song,” dropped “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” right when no one expected it, and eased into “Man Eater” like they’d written it themselves. There was no theme, no gimmick. Just taste.
They hit “Beds Are Burning” with conviction. “Rooster” with teeth. From Stone Temple Pilots to Tears for Fears - they killed over and over again. And then they got weird—in the best way.
“Hit Me Baby One More Time,” buried in grit and growl, almost snuck past the crowd until the chorus gave it away and a few jaws visibly dropped.
Then came “Brainstew.” They let it drag. Let it simmer. You thought they might follow the Green Day playbook and rip into “Jaded”—but instead, they pulled the thread and landed in “Longview.” Unexpected. Perfect.
The set was nearly done when they tore into “Detroit Rock City.” It was a closer if you’ve ever heard one. Loud, lean, locked in.
Kenny looked over as the song was ending and said, “That’s gotta be it, right? You can’t follow that or Whipping Post or Purple Rain…”
Right as Ruskin started playing “Purple Rain.”
So I lit a lighter. Held it high.
Because of course I did.
The crowd grew thicker as the shadows grew longer. The sun set, the temperature dropped, and the crepuscular masses emerged. Not just from within the borders of Aiken either.
Tracy Aldridge drove in from Evans, like she always does when King Size is on the lineup. Carolyn McGee-Olczak and her crew were just passing through town on vacation and happened to stumble into what she called “the right time to stop by.” Amy Betancourt called it flat out: “That was a great show!”
Angie Clark kept it short—“the best band.” Sometimes that’s all you need.
Then there was Margaret Stiles, who knew exactly what she was doing. Five videos posted. Tagging friends who couldn’t make it. Commenting back and forth with people still buzzing. The kind of amplification we love to see.
Even the people who didn’t say anything said everything—with every sway, every phone in the air, every corner packed past sundown.
The Great Garage Band Sale
A King Size set isn’t curated—it’s combed through.
It’s the musical equivalent of a garage sale where all the boxes are labeled “PLAY LOUD.” A busted STP track here, a Tears for Fears synth line over there, a Britney CD someone accidentally left in the Nirvana case. It shouldn’t make sense. But it does.
They’re not covering songs—they’re reclaiming them. Distorting, denting, and dragging them into the now. Turning radio memories into live ones. Turning “remember this?” into “did you hear that?”
And the crowd isn’t just watching—it’s participating. Browsing through their own histories. Finding the song they forgot they loved. Letting it hit differently. Then tossing it back in the box, but shinier.
That’s the beauty of it.
Nothing’s precious.
Everything’s playable.
Every Thursday has its own current. This one just happened to ride a little heavier—louder guitars, hotter pavement, deeper cuts.
But the same things always hold true:
It’s free. It’s real. It’s yours if you show up.
King Size brought the volume. The crowd brought the rest.
And this week, tomorrow, we do it again.
Tom Reed & The Tandem take the Bud Light Stage this Thursday. Don’t miss your chance to hear one of Amp's favorite alums make his debut his new project.
And if we’ve learned anything this summer, it’s that showing up, despite the radar and the thermometer, is the only way not to miss some of the biggest and most memorable surprises.
Downtown Hydration: Where the good decisions happen after the fun ones.
Dehydrated? Foggy? Feeling like the heat won Round One? Downtown Hydration is how you get back in the fight. IV therapy, real electrolyte balance, and no judgment if you walk in wearing sunglasses indoors. Especially on a Friday.
Proof that souvenirs can have swagger.
Their new etched decanter sets are heirloom-level classy—with your choice of Whiskey & Easy Street or the Aiken Horse design. It’s not merch—it’s a reminder. That you were here. That Aiken means something. That glassware can flex.
Electric Eats and Activities
Electric Eats is doing nachos and margaritas this weekend. Bourbon and BBQ after that. Wine weekend after that. It’s the kind of place where the food’s built for fun, and the calendar feels like it was designed by someone who’s actually been to a Thursday night show. Show up hungry—or just thirsty.
Rhumba Continues Live Music All Weekend
Live music, low lighting, and high-proof drinks—Rhumba keeps the weekend from slipping into the quiet. With DJ Kenny spinning on Friday and Iliana Rose following on Saturday, it’s not just a lounge—it’s where Thursday's rhythm drifts into Friday’s sway. You don’t need a reason. But they’ll give you one anyway.
More Shots!
Tomorrow: Tom Reed and The Tandem
Tom Reed has taken to the Bud Light Stage many times - Solo, Duos, Full Bands. He has always been a fan favorite with his timeless ionic American storyteller covers, but tomorrow he hits the stage with The Tandem for the first time. Here's a video of Tom on the Morning Mix as a reminder of the genuine musicianship that makes Tom so lovable.
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