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

Tonight's (Solo) Setlist: 9/20/13 Twisted Thistle, Leechburg, Pa.

Tonight's set had a bit of a Southern gothic feel to it...

Lots of voodoo, alligator swamps and strange moons...

After nearly a year of pretty much just playing full-band gigs with Charlie Hustle & the Grifters, it was fun and maybe just a little nerve-wracking to jump back in the solo seat for a night at the Twisted Thistle. It's always a blast to dig back into the songbook, but I also end up picking stuff I haven't practiced for months.

On top of that, my regular acoustic guitar is in the shop — apparently it needs a replacement jack that can only be procured from a rare metal found in the center of the earth, or some other ridiculous sh*t that's causing a simple one-day repair to enter its third week. So I borrowed a beautiful old Gibson from one of my fellow Hustlers. Rarely-practiced tunes. Unfamiliar guitar. All things considered, it was a pretty good night.

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

Early set:

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

Mother's Meth Head Blues*

Garbage Man (M. McKinley)

Dauphine* >

Whiskey River (W. Nelson)

Midnight Special (Leadbelly)

Dark as a Dungeon (M. Travis)

New Mexican Shuffle*

Rain Song No. 3*

Lodi (CCR)

Mystery Train (J. Parker) >

Statesboro Blues v1 > Mystery Train

Late set:

Me and My Uncle (Dead) >

Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya (M. Rebennack)

She Wore a Wreath of Roses (T. Bayly)

Third Street Woman (J. Willie Reynolds)

Strange Moon*

It Hurts Me Too (E. James)

I Like It*

Factory*

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

Alligator (Dead) > Jam >

Berta Berta (Trad.) >

Slow Train (T. Bruno) > Jam >

Dark Star (Dead) >

Slow Train >

Junco Partner (H. Byrd, var.) >

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

*Original