Newbie here. Looking for ideas to fluff up my repertoire

[BrianDerek]

Hey all! As the subject says, I'm a 'Newb', so I apologize if I'm broaching a topic that's been beaten to death on here. I've been playing solo off and on for years (mostly guitar, ukulele, and voice stuff), but seem to be helplessly mired in the past with my repertoire. Can anyone suggest some newer things that will allow me to be more current, yet maintain the dignity of my...ahem..."middle age"? My range is akin to Jason Mraz, Kenny Loggins, etc. but I try to utilize all keys and ranges for variety. Any advice for sure-fire crowd pleasers (anything from 1990 on would be new to me) will be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Brian

[pogo97]

Welcome, Brian. You'll find a raft-load of suggestions at the top of the front page under "Setlist Exchange":

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/LivePerformanceCategory/acapella-161/401771-

[daddymack]

Thanks pogo...exactly what I was going to tell him

[BrianDerek]

Thanks!

[Shaster]

I've been slowly getting into more of the hotel circuit, where they usually hire twenty to thirty something young ladies, with the odd thirty something male thrown in. I've been shocked to find that they do a whole lot of older stuff... Up On Cripple Creek, Grapevine, Big Yellow Taxi and so on. I guess they also do material that I don't know, like the John Mayer book, and Mumford and Sons, but I'm surprised they do the older stuff. I suppose if you look young enough, you can rediscover the oldies without being labelled an oldie.

 

Meanwhile I was trying to find newer songs until I realized I'd be better off doing older songs that sound new. So I'm throwing in Marvin Gaye, Dennis Edwards, Bobby Caldwell, Pieces of a Dream, Bill Withers and so on. Even though I've played songs like Treasure and Uptown Funk in bands, at my age, doing Bruno Mars just seems silly. I was thinking about starting a thread along these lines - still might.

[steve mac]

A lot depends on your audience of course, my main repertoire is mired in the sixties and seventies, with the odd modern song thrown in. I find a bit of Oasis goes down well, for example I played the info to Champaigne Supernova the other night as part of a name that tune type quiz, thinking not many would know it and afterwards had to play it all the way through due to the requests, so what do I know.

 

I am however starting to learn some eighties songs such as Tainted Love, Bettie Davis Eyes etc which translate well to solo acoustic and should be well remembered.

[STM86]

Wagon Wheel never fails if you haven't already added it. The Proclaimers always always work. A lot of Matchbox 20, Barenaked Ladies, and Gin Blossoms stuff "ages" well in terms of being believable as performers age. Not all, but a lot of it. I do Don't Follow by Alice in Chains, which isn't really a smash hit for me, but it's a good son that the right people do appreciate. Ho Hey by Lumineers was gold for a while. People still like it. As a younger performer, the older stuff still is what works most consistently with the biggest audience. Do don't modernize just to modernize. But if you think some of this stuff can be believable for you, then it certainly can't hurt.