Zac Brown Band Joins Forces With Marcus King for ‘Out in the Middle’ at 2022 CMA Awards

Zac Brown Band invited Marcus King on stage Wednesday night (Nov. 9) for a show-stopping performance of "Out in the Middle" during the CMA Awards in Nashville.

The stage was set up like an MTV Unplugged performance, with a carpet and a close-knit band. But it was anything but unplugged. While Zac Brown performed on an acoustic, Marcus King absolutely wailed.

The track, which originally appeared on the band's 2021 record The Comeback, was rerecorded with guest vocals from Blake Shelton for the album's recently released deluxe version. In June, Jimmie Allen and King stepped in for Shelton during Zac Brown Band's headlining CMA Fest performance. Allen was originally scheduled to perform at tonight's awards, but was forced to cancel due to illness.

"When we were coming up with the riffs for 'Out in the Middle' and started stacking guitars on it and everything, I knew it was gonna be special," Brown said upon the song's initial release. "I knew it was special when we were first writing it, but the way it all came to life and everything, too. It's super fun to play and I love how it turned out."

This year, Zac Brown Band earned a single nomination in the Vocal Group of the Year category against Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland and Old Dominion.

The Country Music Association held the 2022 CMA Awards on Nov. 9 at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. The show, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, aired live on ABC.