Forget electronics, pyrotechnics, large crowds, big venues, and five-piece bands, because all you need at the end of the day to make a great song is an acoustic guitar and great lyrics. Now, are all the things we mentioned good, sure, but there is truly nothing more authentically connective than an intimate live acoustic performance. Nothing beats it, especially in the genre of country music.
In a day and age where true country singer/songwriters are few and far in between, it can be hard to get your hands on a recording of a raw acoustic performance. That being so, we are going to point you in the right direction. So, here are three of the best acoustic country music sets of the 21st century.
Tyler Childers & Red Barn Radio
Recorded and released in 2013, Tyler Childers‘ Red Barn Radio sessions are one of the many things that spread his music to the masses. There aren’t a lot of words that can be used that can truly do this performance justice, as Childers’ performances are just something folks hadn’t heard for quite some time when they released.
Some of the songs included in the two sessions he played include “Shake The Frost,” “Universal Sounds,” “Rock, Salt, & Nails,” and “22nd Winter.” Following the posting of the sessions on YouTube, Childers released his full-length EP, Live on Red Barn Radio I & II.
Sturgill Simpson on NPR Tiny Desk Concert
Frankly, we could make a list of all the great NPR Tiny Desk Concert acoustic country performances. If we did, Sturgill Simpson would undeniably be at the top of our list. Simpson’s performance isn’t just sad folk songs; rather, he takes you up, down, left, right, and puts you into a pleasant paralysis. If you don’t believe us, just look at the viewing numbers on the video.
Posted in 2014, Simpson played his tracks “Life of Sin,” “Water In The Well,” “Turtles All The Way Down,” and “Time After All.” Despite only playing four songs, the quality of each one gives you something to chew on for quite a while. They are all just that good.
Sierra Ferrell & Railbird Music Festival
Nothing about Sierra Ferrell articulates a sense of falseness or phoniness. She’s the real deal, and her successful Grammy run this year proves just that. Though, before she was winning golden trophies, she was just a girl with a guitar, and her acoustic set at the Railbird Festival in 2023 suggests that fact.
In the set, Ferrell plays her gems “Bells of Every Chapel,” “Making My Way,” and “Silver Dollar.” Like the rest of these performances, Ferrell proves that it just takes a little to make a lot. Posted in the summer of 2023, it is one of Ferrell’s more notable country acoustic sets.
Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images