TheAlterBridgeNation.com

For most of this year, and especially the last couple of months, I've been hitting the acoustic hard and fast, and working out a bit of a set that I can take to coffee shops, open jam nights, etc, and start finally making the rounds and doing the solo singer/songwriter kind of thing. I need to put more work into the songwriter part (only have one original finished that's not from my old band, but 2 more with solid starts), but I've finally been wrangling in the idea of playing some cover songs that people will hopefully recognize and enjoy. So for anyone else who does this sort of thing, what songs do you play? Figured this would be a good place to show off any recordings you have done, or just list the songs you jam on a fairly regular basis. I'll go first...

Beyond Blind Eyes - Wikked (my old band)
Leave Again - Wikked
Truth Is Consequence - solo original (I hate the production on this recording, vocals sound all auto-tuned and shitty, but it's the best recording I have so far)
Already Dead - cover of an original by my friend Elyse
Take On Me - A-Ha (re-interpreted into a slower ballad without the egregious high note)
Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison
Hang - Matchbox 20
100 in a 55 - Pop Evil
Closing Time - Semisonic
I Am - Train
Down in a Hole - Alice in Chains (not really mastered yet, just started working with it)
Everlong - Foo Fighters (same, not mastered, having trouble getting the rhythms down while singing)

I don't have any recordings, but some of my favorite acoustic songs to play are:

Imperfect - Stone Sour
Price of Fame - Submersed
Life After You - Daughtry
September - Daughtry (The verse is kind of difficult to pick and sing at the same time for me though.)
Shed Some Light - Shinedown
Without You - Breaking Benjamin
Wherever You Will Go - The Calling

And Everlong is a really fun one for me too. First song I learned on guitar. It is hard to sing and keep that rhythm going at the same time though.

Forgot to add I also play Outside by Staind once in a while, but I often forget about it, or I'll play it once and suck so hard at hitting the power chords on the acoustic just right so they ring out decently, that I just give up. lol

Okay, here we go!

All my originals
Pearl Jam- Black, Betterman, Last Kiss
STP- Wicked Garden, Plush
Metallica/Segar- Turn The Page
Foo Fighters- Walk, Learn To Fly, Everlong, Times Like These
Elton John- Crocodile Rock, Candle In The Wind
Queen- You're My Best Friend, The Show Must Go On
Alter Bridge- Open Your Eyes, Watch Over You, Burn It Down
Creed- Torn, My Own Prison
Filter- Take A Picture
Lady Gaga/Daughtry- Poker Face
Christina Aguilera- Beautiful
U2- One
Skynard/Shinedown- Simple Man
Tonic- If You Could Only See
Genesis- Land Of Confusion
Sublime- Badfish, What I Got
Chris Cornell- When I'm Down, You Know My Name
Audioslave- Like A Stone, I Am The Highway
Soundgarden- Black Hole Sun
Alice In Chains- Got Me Wrong, No Excuses, Rooster, Down In A Hole
Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
Incubus- Warning

...and more I cant think of at the moment. TBH, playing music is my JOB, and its how I make my rent so I HAVE to know all these songs. http://www.youtube.com/jongoodhue

How about:

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Shinedown - 45.
Creed - What's This Life For
Nirvana - Rape Me
G'n'R - Patience
Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (but tbh it's pretty hard to pick and sing at the same time)
Nickelback - Rockstar, How You Remind Me

lots and lots of Mayer.
Was playing/singing Landslide by Fleetwood Mac earlier tonight too. But yea mostly Mayer

#doublepost

Ha, I totally forgot about Daughtry's cover of Poker Face. I had that mostly down a while back and then quit playing with it for some reason. Mr. Goodhue, you are truly an inspiration.

I'm also trying to incorporate one or two really good country songs in there. And I've loved a lot of country songs over the years, but I'm having a hard time now finding any that really stick out to me and feel right to play.

TenaciousBe wrote: I'm also trying to incorporate one or two really good country songs in there. And I've loved a lot of country songs over the years, but I'm having a hard time now finding any that really stick out to me and feel right to play.

Whiskey Lullaby probably wouldn't be a great song to do solo
[youtube]http://youtu.be/IZbN_nmxAGk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/PKpQRjj_WbU[/youtube]

thread needs moar folk

When I get home I'll add my list. Mmkay, Macca?

gid yin

Then add some, Macca!

Actually, that brings up a good question. What exactly constitutes "folk" music? To me, when I hear the word "folk," I think of an acoustic singer/songwriter. What's the difference between the two?

Hmm, it's actually a tough thing to define. The singer-songwriter stuff is definitely a big part of it, I'd class most singer-songwriters as folk too. But then there's other stuff like the range of instruments used, folk often involves unconventional instruments that you don't often hear in popular music like flutes, banjos, harmonicas, violins etc. Then for me there's also the moods/feelings evoked by the lyrics/melodies in the songs which I think are distinctive and unique to folk music.

I dunno, I'm not the best at explaining this stuff. Nick or Nyte may be able to do it better.

That does make a lot of sense. I forget there's a whole world of folk-style music out there beyond just a dude with his acoustic singing.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/gjgkRoPLYRk[/youtube]

Listen to Fleet Foxes, you'll be all the better for it.

I'm glad you made this thread Brian because as someone starting out (only played a few shows spread out), I am gonna be picking the brains of those of you who have done it more. I don't play often enough yet to develop a following so it's always my family and friends that buy tickets to come see me. I wanna get away from that and start playing restaurants/coffee shops, etc... I'm playing a show next month and hoping to add a lot of new ones to this list, I just wrote down literally over 50 songs over the weekend I'm hoping to tackle. I have a bunch of show videos on http://www.youtube.com/qwiksand . Anyways, here is most of the ones I've done:

Daughtry - It's Not Over, Home, What About Now, Poker Face (biggest crowd response always)
Tonic - If You Could Only See
Alter Bridge - Broken Wings
The Mayfield Four - Eden, White Flag
3 Doors Down - Loser, Here Without You
Staind - So Far Away, Everything Changes, Epiphany
Pearl Jam - Black
Shinedown - If You Only Knew, Save Me, Simple Man (usually my closer)
Bon Jovi - Livin On A Prayer (slowed way down, once did Stone Sour's Bother into this, went over really well)
Breaking Benjamin - Diary Of Jane
Fuel - Bad Day
Creed - Higher
Collective Soul - The World I Know

'Watch Over You'.
I absolutely love to play it.
Unfortunately that's where the list ends After that I decided it was not the instrument I really wanted and picked up bass.

Rosenblaetter wrote:'Watch Over You'.
I absolutely love to play it.
Unfortunately that's where the list ends After that I decided it was not the instrument I really wanted and picked up bass.

Had a band rehearsal tonight and my bassist couldnt make it, so I played bass. Fun fucking instrument.

Just now seen this thread. Glad someone made it! I've just started running an open mic night on Thursday nights and when no one is playing I just play myself so I've built up a ton of songs recently, I'll list one of my favorite set lists I have.

Seether - Gasoline
Breaking Benjamin - So Cold
Aerosmith - Dream On
Foo Fighters - My Hero
Black Tide - That Fire
Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
Seven Mary Three - Cumbersome
Trevor Hall - The Lime Tree
Framing Hanley - Lollipop
The Gourds - Gin & Juice
Jamey Johnson - In Color
Tool/Eminem - Sober/Lose Yourself

I like to play setlists that have alot of hard rock but still mixes things up a bit cause crowds vary. The occasional country, rap, or pop song usually lands a pretty good tip