Available to book from $250 (USD). For an accurate quote please make an enquiry.
As a solo artist, James has been in Austin just over four years and have already put in over 950 gigs. He has 40+ original songs, and also a covers book of over 1300 songs, ranging from oldies and classic country to to 80s and 90s rock to contemporary pop and hitting most points in between. He's able to hold a room's attention with song choices and banter, or to settle into the background and provide a solid soundtrack for people to hang out, just depends on the room and the vibe. He is energetic enough to hang on a stage alongside full bands and he can fingerpick his way around with the quietest singer-songwriters. He can provide and run his own sound, play 40 minutes or 4 hours with aplomb, and entertain all audiences.
= areas covered (up to 180 miles)
= free travel (up to 30 miles)
My full catalog is over 1300 songs and always growing, but this is a shortlist of my more commonly played stuff (as of maybe a year ago; I should probably add another 50 or so that I've picked up in the interim one of these days)...
1979- Smashing Pumpkins
Act Naturally- Buck Owens
Against The Wind- Bob Seger
Alabama Pines- Jason Isbell
Alison- Elvis Costello
All the World is Green- Tom Waits
All Things Must Pass- George Harrison
All Your’n- Tyler Childers
Always On My Mind- Willie Nelson
Always Something There to Remind Me- Simple Minds
Am I Wrong- Love Spit Love
Amarillo By Morning- George Strait
America- Paul Simon
Angel From Montgomery- John Prine
Another Saturday Night- Sam Cooke
Anti-Hero- Taylor Swift
Ask- the Smiths
Atlantic City- Bruce Springsteen
Babylon- David Gray
Back on the Chain Gang- the Pretenders
Best Of All Possible Worlds- Kris Kristofferson
Betty- Taylor Swift
Bird On A Wire- Leonard Cohen
Biscuits- Kacey Musgraves
Bizarre Love Triangle- New Order
Bloody Mary Morning- Willie Nelson
Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain- Willie Nelson
Bobcaygeon- Tragically Hip
Born At The Right Time- Paul Simon
Build Me Up Buttercup- the Foundations
Bury Me Far (From My Uniform)- Joe Pug
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You- Elvis Presley
Can’t Let Go- Lucinda Williams
Carmelita- Warren Zevon
Champagne Corolla- Justin Townes Earle
Chinese Satellite- Phoebe Bridgers
City Of New Orleans- Arlo Guthrie
Clay Pigeons- Blaze Foley
Complicated- Avril Lavigne
Copper Canteen- James McMurtry
Cover Me Up- Jason Isbell
Crazy- Willie Nelson
Dancing On My Own- Robyn
Dead Flowers- Rolling Stones
Dial Drunk- Noah Kahan
Dixie Chicken- Little Feat
Do It Again- Steely Dan
Dollar Bill Bar- Sierra Ferrell
Don’t Dream It’s Over- Crowded House
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me- Elton John
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright- Bob Dylan
Downtown Train- Tom Waits
Dublin Blues- Guy Clark
Every Girl- Turnpike Troubadors
Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears For Fears
Everyday I Write the Book- Elvis Costello
Fake Plastic Trees- Radiohead
Fast Car- Tracy Chapman
Feathered Indians- Tyler Childers
Fisherman’s Blues- the Waterboys
Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash
Forget the Flowers- Wilco
Friend of the Devil- Grateful Dead
Fruits Of My Labor- Lucinda Williams
Goddam Lonely Love- Drive-By Truckers
Going Underground- the Jam
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- Elton John
Gravity is Gone- Drive-By Truckers
Great Expectations- Gaslight Anthem
Hard Feelings- Lorde
Harvest Moon- Neil Young
Head On- Man Man
Heart of the Matter- Don Henley
Heaven- Talking Heads
Hesitating Beauty- Woody Guthrie
Hey Good Lookin’- Hank Williams
Hey Jealousy- Gin Blossoms
Howlin’ at the Moon- Hank Williams
I Always Get Lucky With You- George Jones
I Don’t Live Here Anymore- the War On Drugs
I Still Miss Someone- Johnny Cash
I Want To Be With You Always- Lefty Frizzell
I’m Going To Go Back There Someday- Gonzo
I’m So Tired- the Beatles
If I Can’t Change Your Mind- Sugar
If I Could Turn Back Time- Cher
If I Ever Leave This World Alive- Flogging Molly
If I Had A Boat- Lyle Lovett
llegal Smile- John Prine
In Care of the Blues- Patsy Cline
In Your Eyes- Peter Gabriel
lIt’s Hard To Be Humble- Mac Davis
Jesus, Etc- Wilco
Karma Police- Radiohead
Kathleen- Josh Ritter
King of the Road- Roger Miller
LA Freeway- Guy Clark
Landslide- Fleetwood Mac
Light On- Maggie Rogers
Look At Miss Ohio- Gillian Welch
Loretta- Townes Van Zandt
Lucky Ball & Chain- They Might Be Giants
Mama Tried- Merle Haggard
Mary Jane’s Last Dance- Tom Petty
Me & Bobby McGee- Kris Kristofferson
Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard- Paul Simon
Melt Show- Old 97's
Move Over Mama- Justin Townes Earle
My Favorite Mistake- Sheryl Crow
No Children- Mountain Goats
Not Strong Enough- Boygenius
Nothing Compares 2 U- Sinead O’Connor
Numbers & Such- Steve Gollnick
On The Road Again- Willie Nelson
One- U2
One Great City!- the Weakerthans
One More Night in Brooklyn- Justin Townes Earle
Ooh La La- the Faces
Ophelia- the Band
Ordinary World- Duran Duran
Out Of My Head- Fastball
Pancho & Lefty- Townes Van Zandt
Pearl of the Quarter - Steely Dan
Picture In A Frame- Tom Waits
Plea From A Cat Named Virtute- the Weakerthans
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want- the Smiths
Promised Land- Chuck Berry
Rain King- Counting Crows
Rainbow- Kacey Musgraves
Rainbow Connection- Kermit
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head- BJ Thomas
Re: Stacks- Bon Iver
Recovery- Frank Turner
Relatively Easy- Jason Isbell
Rocket Man- Elton John
Romeo & Juliet- Dire Straits
Running Just In Case- Miranda Lambert
Sad Songs & Waltzes- Willie Nelson
Scarlet Begonias- Grateful Dead
ea Of Heartbreak- Don Gibson
September Gurls- Big Star
She Thinks I Still Care- George Jones
She’s Got You- Loretta Lynn
Shine A Light- Rolling Stones
Should I Fall Behind- Bruce Springsteen
Sick Of Myself- Matthew Sweet
Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay- Otis Redding
Snow Is Gone- Josh Ritter
Something in the Orange- Zach Bryan
Starting Over- Chris Stapleton
Streets of Baltimore- Bobby Bare
Sucked Out- Superdrag
Sunday Morning Coming Down- Kris Kristofferson
Tempted- Squeeze
Tennessee Whiskey- Chris Stapleton
The 1- Taylor Swift
The Boxer- Paul Simon
The Old Apartment- Barenaked Ladies
The Old Home Place- the Dillards
The Other End of the Telescope- Elvis Costello
The Way- Fastball
The Whole Of The Moon- the Waterboys
The Worst Day Since Yesterday- Flogging Molly
These Days- Jackson Browne
These Things I’ve Come To Know- James McMurtry
Thirteen- Big Star
This Must Be The Place- Talking Heads
This Year- Mountain Goats
Three-Legged Man- Shel Silverstein
Til I Hear If From You- Gin Blossoms
Til There Was You- Meredith Wilson
Time After Time- Cyndi Lauper
Tin Man- Miranda Lambert
To Live Is To Fly- Townes Van Zandt
Tornadoes- Drive-By Truckers
Tracks Of My Tears- Smokey Robinson
Train In Vain- the Clash
Traveling Alone- Jason Isbell
Valerie- Amy Winehouse
Walkin’ After Midnight- Patsy Cline
Walls (Circus)- Tom Petty
Waltz Across Texas- Ernest Tubb
Warm Beer & Cold Women- Tom Waits
Welcome to the Working Week- Elvis Costello
When I Paint My Masterpiece- The Band
When I Write My Master’s Thesis- John K Samson
When The Circus Comes- Los Lobos
Wichita Lineman- Glen Campbell
Wicked Game- Chris Isaak
Wildflowers- Tom Petty
Wild World- Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
Wish- Snapdragon
Wish I Was The Moon- Neko Case
Wonderful World- Sam Cooke
Wonderwall- Oasis
Yesterday- the Beatles
You Can Come Over- Brandy Clark
You Can Have The Crown- Sturgill Simpson
You Had Time- Ani DiFranco
You’re Still On My Mind- George Jones
Your Song- Elton John
Maybe 6'x6' worth of space and a 3-prong power outlet within 75 feet.
Mostly just the address so my GPS can get me there, tho any particularly unusual details would certainly be useful!
I can provide and run sound equipment; with notice I can bring lights as well but I don't typically have them on hand.
As requested, I can put on a playlist around my performances.
I recently played a solo corporate event at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, and a band I lead did a gig last summer at the Blanton Museum of Art, which were both PRETTY COOL. Beyond that, tho, I love to play and I'll work pretty much wherever: bars, breweries, clubs, distilleries, wineries, farmer's markets, old folks homes, hotels, parks...
I love all kinds of events. Weddings are fun because nearly everyone is in a good mood, and who doesn't love being around love? But any room where at least some folks are paying attention to what I'm doing, even if only peripherally, will make me pretty happy. I curate a pretty interesting and unique collection of songs, and I love when I can either hit someone's request, and/or just surprise folks with a deep pull; my favorite song to play is always the song you forgot you loved.
I was born into a family of musicians: I was (apparently) singing before I could talk. Started learning the guitar at 14, wrote my first song at 16, formed my first band at 17. I spent my late 20s and early 30s touring the northeast in an indie rock band, and moved to Austin in 2021 to take my shot at being a full-time performing musician. Four years, three bands, and nearly 1000 gigs later, I love my job for the first time in my life.
I think Jason Isbell is the best singer-songwriter walking the earth right now (and yes, I do know Bob Dylan is still alive, thanks for mentioning it); as a rhythm guitarist I'm ever seeking a middle ground between Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom) and Ani DiFranco, while my lead guitar playing is most influenced by Trey Anastasio (Phish). Not sure I can name the greatest song of all time (there's a lot of great songs, and I play most of em), but I have recently been of the opinion that Deee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" may be the exact point where western culture peaked.
Typically I arrive between an hour and 90 minutes before showtime. If the gig is 2 hours or less I just play straight through; 3 hours I'll do a 20 minute break in the middle, 4 hours I'll do two 15 minute breaks.
I'm ready and willing to perform outdoors, tho I do request cover from direct sun or precipitation.
Given notice, I can pick up songs upon request (how many songs depends mostly on how much notice is given and how complicated the songs are); during the show I'll take requests but make no promises that I'll know them (but if I can fake it, I will!).
I strive to calibrate the performance to the event: I can be the star of the show or I can be wallpaper for the mood, just depends on what the room wants. I would HOPE previous clients would say that I played a diverse and unpredictable mix of enjoyable songs at a volume and energy level that suited the desires of their event.
Wedding
Birthday Party
Private Event
Corporate Event
Hotel / Restaurant Event
Bar / Venue Event
Funeral / Memorial
Wedding Proposal
Concert
Recording Session
Cruise
Virtual Event
Charity Event
Burns Night
Christmas Party
New Year's Eve
1950s Music
1960s Music
1970s Music
1980s Music
1990s Music
2000s+ Music
Folk
Bluegrass
Folk Rock
Country
Pop
Acoustic
Covers
Motown
R&B
Soul
Tribute
Vintage
Rock
Britpop
Classic Rock
Indie
Rock 'n' Roll
Alternative Rock
100% acoustic (no power)
PA / sound system included
Male vocalist
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