What songs do you perform on your Acoustic Guitar?

Modern Saint

Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
So I did an acoustic brew gig last night - just a 30 minute set and decided to try some different tunes as I normally play.

Here was my setlist from last night

Diggin' My Potatoes - Big Bill Broonzy/Buddy Guy
*Do It Again - Steely Dan
*Joy of My Life - John Fogerty
*Hey Hey My My - Neil Young
Blue on Black - Kenny Wayne Sheppard
Crossroads - Robert Johnson/Jeff Healey

I got the best response from the Neil Young tune where everyone was singing along. What have you done that has gotten big responses?

Looking for more crowd pleasers...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tig
WAGON WHEEL!!!

(immediately interrupted an onstage real-life reenactment of Sonny Corleone's death scene from The Godfather)
 
One of my favorites to just play is "Windy and Warm". It has that quality of sounding familiar even if someone hasn't heard it before.

I have a fingerpicking arrangement of "Amazing Grace" that's kind of fun, too.
 
I don't play that kind of stuff, but I've seen "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" from the first Wilco/Bragg Mermaid Avenue record go over successfully at open mics. Depending on where you're playing, it's either way overplayed or genuinely obscure, with seemingly no middle ground.

And, I mean, for crowd pleasers, it's hard to go wrong with Top 10 stuff that has stuck. From MJ to Prince to Brittney Spears to Lady Gaga.
 
I don't play that kind of stuff, but I've seen "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" from the first Wilco/Bragg Mermaid Avenue record go over successfully at open mics. Depending on where you're playing, it's either way overplayed or genuinely obscure, with seemingly no middle ground.

I wanted to do that one, but Kaitlin and I ended up doing "Birds and Ships" instead.

Most of what I play is acoustic. I'm still hoping to get an electric/alt.country band out there to play, but no luck yet.
 
I don't know whether any of these are crowd-pleasers, but I've received positive feedback when playing these songs:

Feel Alright - Steve Earle
Lucky Now - Ryan Adams
Indianapolis - The Bottle Rockets
Stop Dragging My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty
Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt (John Prine song)

Working on learning:

Just Like Heaven - The Cure (actually, I am playing the lead melody on mandolin)
You Got Lucky - Tom Petty
Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe
 
Bears - Lyle Lovett
Lungs - Townes Van Zandt
Pick Up the Tempo - Willie Nelson
The Mercenary Song - Steve Earle
My Old Friend the Blues - Steve Earle
If I Needed You - Townes Van Zandt
Ramblin Jack and Mayhan - Guy Clark
Where the Four Winds Blow - Rodney Crowell
Lincoln Duncan - Paul Simon
House of the Rising Sun - Bob Dylan
Tom Ames Prayer - Steve Earle
It Won't Hurt - Dwight Yokum
Lonesome Orn'ry and Mean - Waylon Jennings
Third Rate Romance - The Amazing Rhythm Aces
Who Were You Thinking Of - The Texas Tornadoes
The End Is Not In Sight - The Amazing Rhythm Aces
Blue Eyes Crying - Willie Nelson
Whiskey River - Willie Nelson
The Corvette Song - George Jones
Dead Flowers - The Stones
Midnight Riders Lament - Jerry Jeff Walker
Turn the Page - Bob Seger
I'm In the Mood - Brooks & Dunn
West Texas Highway - Lyle Lovett

 
Last edited:
Pretty much original stuff. As far as covers go, I often do Catch the Wind and Last Thing On My Mind. Darling Be Home Soon is one I sometimes play. Depending on the mood, I might also do Ring of Fire or Good Lovin'.
 
No playing out so I'm hardly that useful but I have played some of this stuff for friends that seem to like it. I would think it depends on the audience since this is mostly fingerstyle stuff. If you are looking for ideas here's some anyways. I think if you want crowdpleasers you need to stick with very popular stuff so some of this might not work

Habba Na Habba - Tommy Emmanuel
Petite Etude - Rik Emmett
Midsummer's Daydream - Rik Emmett
Mood for a Day - Yes
Horizons - Genesis
Let her go - Passenger
Passenger - Iggy Pop
One White Duck - Jethro Tull
Time of your Life - Green Day
Heart of Gold - Neil Young
 
In my bands, these days I only use the acoustic on 3 songs, 2 of them in the Queen tribute band - Love of my life and '39.
The 3rd being Mama I'm Coming Home (Ozzy), which we do with Wasted.
 
Beatles, anybody? If you want folks singing along, there's nothing better than some of that: Norwegian Wood, Here Comes the Sun, And I love Her, Mother Nature's Son.... You get the idea!
 
Beatles, anybody? If you want folks singing along, there's nothing better than some of that: Norwegian Wood, Here Comes the Sun, And I love Her, Mother Nature's Son.... You get the idea!
It is funny; back in the 60's and early 70's I played a ton of Beatle songs. Now I rarely play one. Right now the only one I play now and again is Eight Days a Week.
 
I assume you mean during our band shows....

I Only You Could See
I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock and Roll)
Wagon Wheel
Stuck In The Middle
 
Back
Top