Last Night's Setlist: 4/22/16, Tree Pittsburgh (private event)

'In the pines, in the pines...'

So, in addition to having one of the coolest logos ever to incorporate Pittsburgh's municipal boundaries, Tree Pittsburgh is a bunch of really cool people. Trish and I got to play a duo show last night at one of the private events marking Earth Day 2016, where we picked a few tunes and chowed down on smoked salmon, pickled jalapeños, like six different kinds of hummus and Vietnamese coffee-flavored ice cream.

And despite about a half-dozen requests, we were unable to give the people a Prince cover. Sorry. 

Early set:

The Captain

Blackjack Molly

Honey Babe (E. Bishop)

Quite a Night

Althea (Dead) >
Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

You Better Get Right (R. Stanley)

Northern Muse (Solid Ground) (V. Morrison)

New Mexican Shuffle

Strange Moon

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Friend of the Devil (Dead)

Midnight Special (Leadbelly)

Floating Bridge (J. Estes)

Late set:

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (P. Roy)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

In the Pines (Leadbelly)

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Dylan) >

Slow Train (T. Bruno)

Astral Weeks (V. Morrison) >

Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.)

The One That Got Away (T. Waits)

Big River (J. Cash)

Black Peter (Dead)

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

Stone Soup >

Garden of Eden (J. Nelson)

Madame George (V. Morrison)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

pUNKapalooza 2016 Setlist: 4/2/16, Moondog's, Blawnox, Pa.

'...the music never stops...'

Well, Pete had to work during the day, so that took us down to just a duo! Charlie Hustle & the Picker, if you will. Trish and I did a quick set at pUNKapalooza 2016 for a small-but-appreciative crowd at Moondog's ('cause let's be honest, not a ton of people are coming out to see live music at 2:30 on a random Saturday afternoon).

Click here to stream/download the set courtesy of Archive.org!

One set:
Strange Moon
Blackjack Molly
Honey Babe (E. Bishop)
Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.) >
Dauphine
New Mexican Shuffle
The Captain*
You Better Get Right (R. Stanley) >
Gravel Road (M. Slim)
Dark as a Dungeon (M. Travis)
Mother's Meth Head Blues
Deep Elem Blues (Trad.) >
Don't Let Go (J. Stone)
Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)
Madame George (V. Morrison)

*First time played

Switchin' It Up: Charlie Hustle & the Pickers!

'Switchin' speeds like Bruce Lee, right on the Fuji in a movie...'

Did I just quote Redman's "Can't Wait" to describe our recent bluegrass side project? 

Yes. Yes, I did.

In an effort to quench our endless thirst for playing live music, we decided to put together a bluegrass trio, Charlie Hustle & the Pickers. After a few rehearsals, we booked at March 18 gig at a local beerhouse, Bierport PGH, where they host a weekly "Bluegrass Friday."

Early set:

Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (Trad.)

White Freightliner (T. Van Zandt)

Bedbug Blues (B. Smith)

Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor (J. Hurt)

The Race Is On (D. Rollins)

On and On (B. Monroe)

Nashville Blues (D. Watson)

Little Maggie (R. Stanley)

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (D. Watson)

Me and My Uncle (J. Philips) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

John Hardy (Trad.)

Hold Me Back

Cocaine Blues (L. Jordan)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

I Know You Rider (Trad., Dead arr.) >
Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)

Late set:

You Better Get Right (R. Stanley)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

In the Pines (Leadbelly)

Honey Babe (E. Bishop)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Peggy-O (Trad.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Blackberry Blossom (A. Smith) >

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (P. Roy)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Dylan)

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Dylan)

Salt Creek (Trad.) >

Mighty High (D. Crawford)

Due to some regrettable mic placement, the recording of that show is less "Charlie Hustle & the Pickers" and more "Random Bar Conversation With A Bluegrass Band Somewhere in the Background," so no recording.

A few weeks later though, we got our first bluegrass opening gig, April 14 supporting Nashville phenoms The Barefoot Movement at Thunderbird Café, and we got a fine recording just for yinz. 

Click here to download/stream the set courtesy of Archive.org!

One set:

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)

You Better Get Right (R. Stanley)

Hold Me Back

New Mexican Shuffle

In the Pines (Leadbelly)

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (P. Roy) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

John Hardy (Trad.) >

Laid (James)

Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.)

Salt Creek (Trad.) >
Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

Workingman's Blues (M. Haggard)

Tonight's Setlist: 4/1/16, Hambone's, Pgh., Pa.

'Whiskey river, don't run dry...'

Hambone's was jumpin' tonight. I played both sets with my acoustic instead of my electric because of the smaller room, but it also gave us the chance to break out some oddities, like a quick little "Blackberry Blossom" jam coming out of a nice uptempo "Friend of the Devil."

Click here to stream/download the set courtesy of Archive.org!

Early set:

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Blackberry Blossom (A. Smith) >

Whiskey River (W. Nelson)

Blackjack Molly

Quite a Night >

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

Rain Song No. 3

Mother's Meth Head Blues

Slow Train (T. Bruno)

Northern Muse (V. Morrison)

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Late set:

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

I Like It

Dauphine

Good Morning Lil' Schoolgirl (J. Williamson) >

Stone Soup >

Kiss and Tell (G. Love)

The Piano Has Been Drinking (T. Waits) >

Rain (Lennon/McCartney) >

Drumz >

Hush Pretty Mama >

Back on the Train (Phish)

E: Viola Lee Blues

E2: Deep Elem Blues

Oh yeah, we also opened for a really cool Oklahoma band, the NicNos, last week at Howler's Coyote Café! Click here to stream/download the set, courtesy of Archive.org!

One set:

That's It >

Queen Cobra >

That's It

Mother's Meth Head Blues

Dauphine

Blackjack Molly >
Jam >
Rain Song No. 3*

Hush Pretty Mama* >

Back on the Train (Phish)

*First time played