King Kyote comes home to Portland on Dec. 18, his first show here since 2022

York-raised roots rocker Jon King brings his self-titled debut album to Live at Madrid's the Friday before Christmas.

The last time King Kyote played Portland, it was October 2022 at Maine Craft Distilling & Public House, and the songwriter was a few months removed from representing Maine on national television. A lot has happened since, and on the Friday before Christmas he finally brings it back to town.

King Kyote plays Live at Madrid's in Portland on Friday, Dec. 18, with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets run $32 to $99.99 through Humanitix. The date was announced Oct. 7, and it's his first Portland show since Oct. 9, 2022.

King Kyote is the stage name of Jon King, who grew up in York and has been performing under the King Kyote name since 2018. In 2022 he represented Maine on NBC's American Song Contest with "Get Out Alive," a song released on Atlantic Records that March. That run put a Maine songwriter in front of a national audience, with host Snoop Dogg singling out his voice and his writing.

What has changed since 2022 is mostly the size of the catalog and the road map. In September 2025, King released his self-titled debut album, King Kyote, a full-length statement after years of singles and that TV spotlight. His sound blends blues, roots rock and indie Americana, and he has shared stages with Taj Mahal, Houndmouth and Robert Randolph & The Family Band.

The last time King Kyote played Portland, he was months removed from representing Maine on national TV.

He's spent much of the time since on the road around New England and beyond, with 2026 dates that included Lowell, Massachusetts, in April and Boston in July, and a stop at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls, where the Greenfield Recorder sat him down for a get-to-know-you profile. Portland, though, has been waiting since 2022, and a December homecoming-season show is a good way to make up for it.

The price range, from $32 up to $99.99, suggests there's a choice of how you want to see it, so check the Humanitix listing for what each tier includes before you buy.

For a songwriter who carried the state's name onto a national stage, a Portland date with a full album to play is the show that closes the loop. Locals who voted for "Get Out Alive" four years ago now get to hear what came after it, in a hometown-state room, a week before Christmas.

What to know: the show starts at 7 p.m. on a Friday, so it's an easy one to fold into a holiday-week night out. Tickets are on Humanitix only; there's no reason to look anywhere else.

It took four years and a debut album to get back here. Dec. 18 is the night to go hear what Jon King has been building since he left.

Sources: Sounds Local: Get to know King Kyote, indie roots rock musician, comes to Turners Falls next weekend — Greenfield Recorder (recorder.com); Shea Presents: King Kyote — Shea Theater (sheatheater.org); King Kyote, April 18, 2026 — Opendate (app.opendate.io); King Kyote at Live at Madrid's — Humanitix (events.humanitix.com)