Not Just 90s Unplugged!

Being on the tail end of the Gen X demographic, I came of age during one of the greatest decades of music: the 1990s. My first introduction to "Grunge" was hearing the roaring guitars and crushing bass and drums that rattled through the common wall that separated my bedroom from my older sisters'. She was hip to what was cool with the new "alternative" music that would end up shaping my musical tastes and sensibilities into who I am today as a musician. 

I grew up in a small town where at first, the local radio stations paid little attention to the new type of rock n' roll that was sweeping through the countries' teenage population. But I did have MTV, and MTV knew what was up. I typically would stay up late on the weekends to watch episodes of "120 Minutes" or "Headbanger's Ball" so that I could stay abreast of all the latest and greatest that "Alternative" music had to offer. But as time went on, one of my favorite shows became MTV's "Unplugged". I remember reading at some point, that the key to any good song is that it can be played standalone on either an acoustic guitar or piano. "Unplugged" proved this theory correct and allowed songs that had previously been produced with heavily distorted guitars and loud, bombastic drums to be stripped down to their essential elements. Unplugged versions of songs like "Porch" by Pearl Jam and "Nutshell" by Alice in Chains took on new context when compared to their previously released album versions, as the stripped down instrumentation allowed the melodies and lyrics to reveal even more angst while sounding just as graceful. While a diverse mix of artists from Eric Clapton to Mariah Carey were regularly showcased on "Unplugged", it was the 90s alt-rock bands that really shined through in my opinion. Several acts including Nirvana, 10,000 Maniacs, and the aforementioned Alice in Chains went on to release their "Unplugged" sessions as full albums, most of which ended up matching sales with their biggest studio releases. The MTV Unplugged Wikipedia page has a pretty good history of the program if you're seeking more information. 

So with all that being said, late last year I decided to start booking some solo acoustic gigs for 2024 to supplement my cover band gigs. I figured that doing some solo gigs would help with keeping me singing more regularly and allow me to play some songs I love that my cover band would not ordinarily perform. As the song list began to take shape, I noticed that I was relying heavily on songs and bands that came from this "Unplugged" era of music, so why not pay tribute to that? At the same time, there are a lot of groups I love from the 80s and even early 00's that I wanted to include, so that's why it's "Not Just 90s". It's a unique mix that I feel sets me a part from some of the other great solo acoustic acts currently playing around Richmond. You can check out the full list of artists I cover on the dedicated Not Just 90s Unplugged page of this site and then hopefully catch a show at one of the many local breweries that I will be playing out throughout the year.