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St. Louis Area · Solo Acoustic · Guitars and Vocals

Mel HughesHundreds of songs.
Takes requests.

Portrait of Mel Hughes sitting in a chair by the door of a weathered storefront, playing his acoustic guitar beneath wooden MEL HUGHES MUSIC and For Booking signs, with a mug of beer on a small table beside him and chickens pecking under the window

Not the same old cover act. Mel's book runs deeper than the usual setlist, and the list backs it up: one night can run from Waylon Jennings to Pink Floyd. Americana like Jason Isbell's "Last of My Kind" and Zach Bryan's "Something in the Orange." Classic country like Waylon Jennings' "Luckenbach, Texas" and Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried." Outlaw country like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson's "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," Waylon Jennings' "Good Hearted Woman," and Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" — the one that gets the line dancers out of their seats. Classic rock done his own way — Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." Folk like Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" and Jim Croce's "Operator." And today's hits like Chris Stapleton's "Starting Over" and Shaboozey's "Good News."

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For booking: [email protected]

Solo acoustic · St. Louis area · 3-hour sets · Own Bose L1 sound provided — no house PA needed · Fits a corner to festival crowds of 500+ · Private parties, community and corporate events too
HundredsSongs ready
Over 40Artists covered
3 hrsTypical set
867Facebook followers

Recently at Marquart's Landing, Crossroads Sports Bar, Top Shooters, Caddyshack Saloon & The Sand Bar — plus the Washington Chamber of Commerce conference, Union Wingfest, and Sunset Nights.

A quick sample

Nine songs, just over three minutes — real clips from real rooms. Press play.

Promo reel · 3:05 · Nine live clips

Upcoming shows

What's on the calendar — the dates still to come. Come out, request a song, and stay for the second set.

Sat7Nov 2026

Café Smok N Pi

DeSoto, Missouri — an evening set in DeSoto. Prine story songs early, sing-alongs once the room warms up.

Saturday, November 7, 2026 · 6–9 PM
Fri20Nov 2026

Crossroads Sports Bar

S. Lindbergh, Concord Village — St. Louis, Missouri. Back at Crossroads for a Friday night set.

Friday, November 20, 2026 · 7–10 PM
Sat26Dec 2026

Café Smok N Pi

DeSoto, Missouri — the day after Christmas, back in DeSoto to close out the year.

Saturday, December 26, 2026 · Time to be announced
Wed19May 2027

Sunset Nights: Aloha Summer!

Minnie Ha Ha Park, Sunset Hills, Missouri — Mel kicks off the Sunset Nights summer series.

Wednesday, May 19, 2027 · 6–8 PM

Want Mel at your room or party on another date? Booking is open — dates fill around these.

Mel Hughes performing at dusk on a patio, guitar in hand under string lights
Mel Hughes standing on a creek bank in a plaid shirt, holding his acoustic guitar

One full song — unplugged

The reel is the highlights. Here's a whole song, start to finish — Mel unplugged: just guitar and voice, no amp, no backing tracks.

“Starting Over” · Chris Stapleton · 3:36 · Unplugged

The show

Built for bars, patios, and listening rooms around St. Louis. People stay longer when they hear their song. That's the whole idea.

Close-up of Mel Hughes singing live, wearing his hat
Mel mid-song — every song in the book is saved, filed, and ready offline, by capo and tuning, so the music never stalls.
01

Takes requests

Have a favorite? Ask between songs. With hundreds of songs and over 40 artists covered, there's a good chance Mel knows it — and he's glad to play it.

02

Three hours, no repeats needed

A full evening without leaning on the same ten songs. Story songs early, sing-alongs when the room is warm.

03

Right-sized for the room

Solo acoustic fits a corner, a patio, or a full bar — easy load-in, no band footprint, volume that lets people talk and still listen.

04

Private parties too

Birthdays, backyard parties, and company gatherings across the St. Louis area. Same book, tailored to your crowd.

05

The gear

A Martin 6 and a 12-string. Run through a top-of-the-line Bose L1 sound system. It's sized for intimate rooms and scales up to festival events with 500 or more in attendance — full, clean sound at any size, without drowning out the conversation.

A few from the list

  • All The Best · John Prine
  • Sam Stone · John Prine
  • Something in the Orange · Zach Bryan
  • Last of My Kind · Jason Isbell
  • Cover Me Up · Jason Isbell
  • Folsom Prison Blues · Johnny Cash
  • The Housefire · Turnpike Troubadours
  • Runnin' Down A Dream · Tom Petty
  • Mama Tried · Merle Haggard
  • Alright Guy · Todd Snider
  • Desperado · Eagles
  • Sugar Mountain · Neil Young

The artists he plays deep

Not a mile-wide, inch-deep list — these are the artists Mel can play all night. Grouped by style.

Americana, folk & songwriters

  • John Prine
  • Jason Isbell
  • Tyler Childers
  • Todd Snider
  • Guy Clark
  • Townes Van Zandt
  • Bob Dylan
  • Zach Bryan
  • The Avett Brothers

Country & outlaw

  • Willie Nelson
  • Waylon Jennings
  • Johnny Cash
  • George Strait
  • Turnpike Troubadours
  • Whiskey Myers
  • Red Clay Strays
  • Chris Stapleton

Classic rock

  • Tom Petty
  • Bruce Springsteen
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • Eagles
  • The Rolling Stones
  • Bob Seger
  • Elton John
  • Marshall Tucker Band
  • Ozark Mountain Daredevils
  • Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  • The Band
  • America
  • Jimmy Buffett

Recent rooms

Regularly playing around the St. Louis area — river towns, sports bars, and neighborhood rooms where the crowd shapes the set.

Marquart's Landing

Washington, Missouri riverfront staple. Mel played there Friday, October 23, 2026 — a room that loves Prine, Willie, and a long second set.

Recent date · Fri Oct 23, 2026

Crossroads Sports Bar

Saturday night set, 7–10pm, Saturday, October 24, 2026. Sports-bar energy, sing-along finish — Turnpike, Petty, and Zach Bryan territory.

Recent date · Sat Oct 24, 2026 · 7–10pm

Top Shooters

A sports-bar room that runs on familiar songs and a crowd that sings along — Prine story songs, Petty choruses, and Zach Bryan late in the night.

Recent room · St. Louis area

Caddyshack Saloon

A crowd that loves music, plain and simple — owner Shaun filmed the night himself. Mel called it about as much fun as he's had doing this in over a decade, and the 12-string got its own round of compliments.

Recent room · St. Louis area

The Sand Bar

A Washington room in Mel's regular rotation — story songs early, requests from the floor, and sing-alongs to close the night.

Recent room · Washington, Missouri

Community events

Beyond the bar rooms — Mel plays the festivals, conferences, and community stages around the region too.

Washington Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference

Music for the Washington area's business community at its annual gathering.

Community event · Washington, Missouri

Union Missouri Wingfest

Wings, crowds, and a set built for a festival afternoon in Union.

Community event · Union, Missouri

Washington Missouri Arts and Crafts Festival

Live acoustic music among the makers and artists at Washington's arts and crafts festival.

Community event · Washington, Missouri

Sunset Nights

Part of the Sunset Hills Park and Recreation Department's Sunset Nights series — outdoor summer music, and Mel kicks it off.

Upcoming · This coming summer · Sunset Hills

Book Mel for your room

Tell him the venue, the date you're thinking, and how long you want music. He'll write back about availability and what a night looks like for your crowd — no form, no middleman.

“Have a song in mind? Just ask — if it's in the book, Mel will play it.”

Write an email

Also find Mel Hughes Music on Facebook for gig announcements and upcoming dates.

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