Setlist: 12/9/17 American Legion Post No. 980, Plum, Pa.

Above: 'Fess, a.k.a. Professor Longhair. Our set had

a decidedly N'awlins flavor to the selections..

Man, it's been a helluva long time since I posted on here. Well, that's partially because I just haven't been on my home computer as often, and because since we started what has become the Sweaty Already String Band — the rechristened moniker for Charlie Hustle & the Pickers — we've been hella busy!

But as much fun as I have playing bluegrass and singing high, lonesome harmonies, it's just as much of a blast to send things into rock'n'roll outer-space with the electric band. There's a very strong structure to bluegrass music that I have a deep appreciation for, but I'm also equally attracted to the seemingly limitless improvisational opportunities that come with electrified music and sonic effects.

So here we are. Me playing in two vastly different bands, yet with the same people. Okay, enough rambling. Let's git to the show.

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

Early set:

Cold Rain and Snow (Trad., Dead arr.) >

That's It

Step Aside*

Ophelia (The Band) >

Feelin' Blue (CCR)

Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning (D. Van Ronk)

Streetlight Mama*

Lou-Easy-Ann (J.J. Cale)

On the Run*^

Let It Rock (C. Berry)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

Late set:

Big Bad Blues (Furthur)

Feelin' Alright (D. Mason)

Big River (J. Cash)

Old Home Place Blues (Webb/Jayne, Flynn arr.)

Iko Iko (J. Crawford) >

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Back on the Train (Phish)>

Drumz >

Space >

Don't Let Go (J. Stone) >

Mountain Jam (Allman Bros.) >

Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad (Trad., Dead arr.) >

Mountain Jam Reprise#

*First time played
^with 'Tipitina' tease
#with 'Ode to Joy' tease

Setlist: Oil Country Bluegrass Festival, 2/25/17, Oil City, Pa.

Why is it called the Oil COUNTRY Bluegrass Festival 

if it's in Oil CITY? No one knows. But it's awesome.

Another month, another great time at a regional bluegrass festival. This time it was the Oil Country Bluegrass Festival, where our pal Sam Stuckey from Well Strung filled the mandolin role.

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

One set:

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

In the Pines (Lead Belly)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

Old Train (T. Rice)

St. Patty's Parade Day Setlist: 3/11/17 Rex Theater, Pgh,. Pa.

ERRBODY-PLAYIN'-THE-WRONG-INSTRUMENTS JAM!! UH-OH!!

We had a pretty great time opening for the Town Pants at the free St. Patty's Parade Day show at the Rex, despite the South Side being a complete and utter sh*tshow. Special thanks to our buddy Sam Stuckey from Well Strung for sitting in on mandolin with me and Pete, and for introducing us to a new tune, "Railroad Bill."

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

One set:

Old Train (T. Rice)

Shady Grove (Trad.)

Railroad Bill (J. Elliott)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.) >

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go? (Clancy Bros.)

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

The Weekend's Setlist: 2/10/17 Club Café, Pgh., Pa. (Bluegrass show)

'Old train each time you pass you're older than the last,

And it seems I'm too old for runnin'...'

When we started doing our bluegrass thang, Trish was a little hesitant about jumping in with an additional harmony part. But she found her groove, and it makes all the difference. When you're singing bluegrass, that third, high part is what gives things the "high, lonesome sound" that characterizes the best of the genre.

Judging by the whoop and holler that follow the first burst of harmony in "Roving Gambler," I'd say we're gettin' there pretty quickly!

Thanks to Corey Kurtz & Dave Marley, and Hollow Oaks for sharing the bill with us. We had a great time!

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

One set:

Old Train (T. Rice)

Dark Hollow (B. Browning)

Streetlight Mama

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

My Sisters and Brothers (J. Garcia)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome Too (B. Monroe)

No Expectation (Stones) >

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

Junko Partner (J. Waynes)

Mother's Meth Head Blues

Loser (Dead)

Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.) >

You Better Get Right (Stanley Bros.)

Ice Jammin': This Weekend's Setlists

'In the moonlight, in the midnight...'

It was 36 straight hours of bluegrass from Saturday afternoon onward — we took the stage as the closing full band at the January Ice Jam in Butler on Saturday night, then it was time to head a few miles south on Sunday for a private party.

First off, if you're not familiar with the Ice Jam, about 800 bluegrass fans and players basically take over the Days Inn Conference Center in Butler and play music for two-and-a-half days straight. I'm talking every hotel door open and every room (and most of the hallways) filled with people playing bluegrass until about 5 a.m. I'm talking about GYM JAM 2017, where pickers hit the Days Inn fitness room and played mandolin while treadmilling and Stair-Mastering. It was a beautiful time.

Our pal Danny Rectenwald joined us at Ice Jam for our set as Covered in Grass, and then Charlie Hustle & the Pickers played a party for some great folks at the North Park Lodge.

Click the links below to check out the shows courtesy of Archive.org!

11/14/17 January Ice Jam, Butler, Pa.

(click here to download/stream)

One set:

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

Blackjack County Chains (R. Lane) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)

11/15/17 Private event, North Park Lodge, McCandless, Pa.

(click here to download/stream)

Early set:

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (P. Roy)

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Ophelia (The Band)

Honey Babe (E. Bishop)

Big River (J. Cash)

A Lonesome Night (Stanley Bros.)

You Better Get Right (Stanley Bros.) >

Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead)

Bury Me Beneath the Willow (Trad.)

Banks of the Ohio (Trad.)

Althea (Dead)

Streetlight Mama

No Expectation (Stones)

Angel From Montgomery (J. Prine)

Long Black Veil (Dill/Wilkins)

Ol' Slew Foot (J. Horton)

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)

Late set:

Old Train (T. Rice)

Deep River Blues (D. Watson)

Midnight Flyer (P. Craft)

Dark Hollow (B. Browning)

Glendale Train (J. Dawson)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (R. Rogers)

New Mexican Shuffle

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

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard) >

Salt Creek (Trad.)

Saturday's Bluegrass Setlist: 1/7/17, Nied's Hotel, Pgh., Pa.

'On the banks of the Ohio...'

So we had to designate our bass player to injured-reserve status after a late-afternoon mishap... luckily, five head-staples later, she's good as new! In the meantime, we had our homie Danny Rectenwald join us for a night of hot pickin' at Nied's Hotel.

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

Early set:

Jam/Intro

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Streetlight Mama

New Mexican Shuffle

In the Pines (Leadbelly)

Let Me Love You One More Time (Stanley Bros.)

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

Blackjack Molly

No Expectation (Stones)

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (Dry Branch Fire Squad)

You'll Never Miss the Water 'Til the Well Runs Dry (H. Linn, Varine arr.)

Peggy-O (Dead) >

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)

Casey Jones (Dead)

Late set:

This Little Jar

Hold Me Back

A Lonesome Night (Stanley Bros.)

Feelin' Alright (D. Mason)

Hang Me Oh Hang Me (Trad.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead)

Dark Hollow (B. Browning)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

Dead Flowers (Stones)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

Me and My Uncle (J. Phillips) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Loser (Dead)

Banks of the Ohio (Trad.)

Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis) >

Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.)

Powderfinger (N. Young) >

Rain (Lennon-McCartney) >

Ol' Slew Foot (J. Horton)

E: How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Bros.)