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.)

Bluegrass Fer Dat Ass! — 10/22 & 10/28/16 Setlists

'I'd rather be in some dark hollow,

Where the sun don't ever shine...'

We've been bluegrassing it up while our drummer and his wife welcome their little baby girl into the world, and it's been a blast. Part of how I got to be friends with our bass player and lead guitarist is we all brought instruments to a friend's birthday party and quickly found out that we knew all the same songs:

ME OR PETE OR TRISH: "Hey, let's do [this old Grateful Dead/random blues/semi-obscure folk song]."

TRISH OR PETE OR ME: "Sweet, we know that one!"

With this bluegrass group, we've discovered a bunch more of those songs, plus with a new project going, Covered in Grass (where we play bluegrass versions of well-known pop songs), we're adding more to the repertoire all the time.

At the first October show, we were joined by music professor and tremendous picker Danny Rectenwald on mandolin:

10/22/16, Hambone's, Pgh., Pa. (click here to stream/download)

Early set:
Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)
Jack-a-Roe (Trad.)
Friend of the Devil (Dead)
Shady Grove (Trad.)
In the Pines (Leadbelly)
Take On Me (M. Harket)
Hold Me Back
Me and My Uncle (J. Phillips) >
I Know What I Know (P. Simon)
John Hardy (Trad.) >
Laid (James) 
Foggy Mountain Top (L. Flatt)
Sweet Child O'Mine (G'n'F'n'R)

Late set:
Deep River Blues (D. Watson)
Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)
I Know You Rider (Trad.) >
Whiskey Before Breakfast (Trad.)
What Does the Deep Sea Say? (D. Watson)
Honey Babe (E. Bishop)
Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.)
Canyonero (M. Groening) >
Eat My Dust (D. Grisman) >
Riders on the Storm (Morrison/Manzarek/Krieger)
Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis) >
Salt Creek (Trad.)
More Pretty Girls Than One (T. O'Brien)
This Little Jar* >
How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Bros.)

*First time played

The second show was a Halloween-themed set at Elwood's Pub. Bluegrass-wise, that means a whole lotta shootin', stabbin', killin' and jailin'...

10/28/16 Elwood's Pub, Rural Ridge, Pa. (click here to stream/download)

Set I: 
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya (M. Rebennack)
Evil Mind
Send Me to the Electric Chair (D. Bromberg)
Blackjack Molly
Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)
Long Black Veil (Dill/Wilkin)
Maggie's Farm (Dylan)
Tumbling Tumbleweeds (R. Rogers)
Angel From Montgomery (J. Prine)
Honey Babe (E. Bishop) >
Werewolves of London (W. Zevon)

Set II:
Sympathy for the Devil (Stones)
Dark Hollow (B. Browning)
Man of Constant Sorrow (Trad.)
Streetlight Mama
After Midnight (J.J. Cale)
I Know What I Know (P. Simon)
Stack-a-Lee (Trad., M. Rebennack arr.)
Angel Band (W. Bradbury)
New Minglewood Blues (N. Cannon, Dead arr.)

Set III:
Cash on the Barrelhead (C. Louvin/I. Louvin)
Riders on the Storm (Morrison/Manzarek/Krieger)
Banks of the Ohio (Trad.)
Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)
Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.)
Friend of the Devil (Dead)
Hang Me Oh Hang Me (D. Van Ronk)
St. James Infirmary (Trad.)
This Little Jar >
How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Bros.)
An Hour Before Dawn

Tonight's Setlist: 10/8/16, PGH Abides 2016 (Lebowskifest), Spirit, Pgh., Pa.

'Yeah well, that's just, like, your opinion, man...' — The Dude

What a great time at PGH Abides. We always have a great time. Big thanks to Pandemic Pete, Steph Brea and the rest of the amazing folks who organize Pittsburgh's Lebowskifest every year. It just keeps getting better.

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

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (R. Rogers)

The Man In Me (Dylan)

Big River (J. Cash)

Riders on the Storm (Morrison/Manzark/Krieger)

Lodi (CCR)

Junko Partner (M. Rebennack)

That's It >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman) >

That's It

Hotel California (Eagles, but we did the Gipsy Kings' version, in Spanish!)

Dead Flowers (Stones)

Salt Creek (Trad.) >

Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis)

Feelin' Alright (D. Mason)

Theme from Branded (Alch/Frontiere)

Last Weekend's Setlist (No. 2 of 2): 7/30/16 Four Seasons Brewing Co., Latrobe, Pa.

'That nine-pound hammer, it killed John Henry,

but it won't kill me, no it won't kill me...'

After hauling ass down to West Virginny for our noon full-band set, it was more ass-hauling back east for a bluegrass trio gig at the Four Seasons Brewing Co. in Latrobe. My fingers were destroyed by the end of the night, but we had a good time and I debuted my first attempt at writing a full-on bluegrass song, "Streetlight Mama." It hits all the requisite notes for bluegrass: unrequited love, violence and murder.

NOTE: The sound is not great, due to poor mic placement and due to Four Seasons essentially being a giant concrete box, so caveat emptor!

Click here to download/stream the set courtesy of Archive.org! (NOTE No. 2: At least presently, the Archive page says this is a concert by Charlie Hunter, because I was not paying close enough attention when selecting a band from the eTree list. We're right next to one another...)

Early set:

New Mexican Shuffle

Deep River Blues (D. Watson)

Have Someone Play Dixie For Me (P. Roy)

Blackjack Molly

Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.)

Boys in the Barroom (R. Hunter) >

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Althea (Dead)

Cocaine Blues (L. Jordan)

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

Strange Moon

Ophelia (The Band)

Junko Partner (J. Waynes)

Streetlight Mama*

Midnight Special (Leadbelly)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan) >

Mighty High (J. Ligon) >

Midnight Moonlight Reprise

Late set:

It's Raining Here This Morning (Stanley Bros.)

Hold Me Back

The Old Home Place (Webb/Jayne)

Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis)

Me and My Uncle (J. Phillips) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)
Salt Creek (Trad.)

A Lonesome Night (Stanley Bros.)

Stack-a-Lee (Trad., Rebennack arr.)

Honey Babe (E. Bishop)

You Better Get Right (Stanley Bros.) >

Big River (J. Cash)

I Know You Rider (Trad., Dead arr.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Blackberry Blossom (A. Smith) >

Friend of the Devil

How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Bros.) >

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

*First time played

Last Weekend's Setlist (No. 1 of 2): 7/30/16 Bottoms Up Weekend Festival, Cameron, W.Va.

'It slipped right down the staircase,

it jumped right off the porch...'

We couldn't have asked for better weather at a late-summer show: 75 degrees and cloudy! Normally I'm a sweaty friggin' mess from Memorial Day to Labor Day, especially at outdoor gigs, but this was perfect, with a pleasant breeze blowing from behind the stage.

It was Show No. 1 of 2 that day: 75 percent of the band busted it back east for a bluegrass gig the same night at Four Seasons Brewing Co. in Latrobe.

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

One set:

That's It

Blackjack Molly

I Like It

Ophelia (The Band)

Stack-a-Lee (Trad., Rebennack arr.)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Strange Moon

Whiskey River (W. Nelson) >

Jam >

Feelin' Blue (CCR) >

Funky Werewolf

Viola Lee Blues (N. Cannon, Dead arr.)

Last Week's Setlist: 7/16/16 Arsenal Cider House, Pgh., Pa.

"They call it the 'Babywaker'... I thought it was called the 'Babymaker'..."

We had a tremendous time at Arsenal Cider House, a place I will be visiting in the future regardless of whether or not we have a gig there. Blackberry cider — "The Babywaker" — was out-of-control good.

After a short acoustic set where we opened for ourselves — Trish and I tossed off a few tunes while our drummer and lead guitarist were getting set up — I also got to try out my new Zoom G5n multi-effects processor, which proved itself well worth the purchase. I'll have to use it judiciously, but the nearly 70 different effects are going to come in awful handy at future shows.

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

Set I:

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

Junko Partner (J. Waynes)

New Mexican Shuffle

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Friend of the Devil (Dead)

Set II:

Jam > Queen Cobra

Dauphine >
Feelin' Blue (CCR) >

Funky Werewolf

Strange Moon

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Meet Me in the Morning (Dylan)

Blackjack Molly

That's It

Set III:

Viola Lee Blues (N. Cannon, Dead. arr) >

China Cat Sunflower (Dead) > Jam >
After Midnight (J.J. Cale)

Stack-a-Lee (Trad., Rebennack arr.)

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

Good Morning Lil' Schoolgirl (J. Lee Williamson) >

Midnight Rambler (Stones) >
Drumz >

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

Cold Rain and Snow (P. Rowan)

Tonight's Setlist: 6/21/16, Leechburg Firemen's Carnival, Leechburg, Pa.

'This nine-pound hammer, it killed John Henry,

but it won't kill me, no it won't kill me...'

We were joined tonight by my sister for a handful of songs at the beginning of the second set, and it was pretty awesome. She's a classically-trained opera singer, so we had to countrify her up a little to get the proper twaang for singing bluegrass, but we got there.

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

Early set:
New Mexican Shuffle
Nine Pound Hammer (M. Travis)
Let Me Love You One More Time (Stanley Bros.)
In the Pines (Leadbelly)
John Hardy (Trad.)
Mystery Train (J. Parker)
Blackberry Blossom (A. Smith)
Pig in a Pen (Trad.)
Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Dylan)
Glendale Train (J. Dawson) >
I Know You Rider (Trad.) >
Whiskey Before Breakfast

Late set:
Roving Gambler* (Stanley Bros.)
A Lonesome Night* (Stanley Bros.)
Leaning on the Everlasting Arm* (Stanley Bros.)
Friend of the Devil* (Dead)
Where We'll Never Grow Old* (Stanley Bros.)
Dark as a Dungeon* (M. Travis)
I Am Weary, Let Me Rest* (Cox Family)
You Better Get Right (Stanley Bros.) >
Mighty High (J. Ligon)
Honey Babe (E. Bishop) >
Gravel Road (M. Slim)
Peggy-O (Trad., Dead arr.)
Salt Creek (Trad.)
Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)
Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)
How Mountain Girls Can Love (Stanley Bros.)

*with Rachel Grumet

Last Night's Setlist: 6/10/16, Penn Hills Library Amphitheater, Penn Hills, Pa.

'Daddy's got them Deep Elem blues...'

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

New tunes? Check. Disco-gospel? Check. My 3-year-old son occasionally wandering up to the stage to talk some shit? ("When does the music start, Daddy?") Check.

Early set:

Queen Cobra

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Let It Rock (C. Berry)

I Like It

Dauphine

The Cars Hiss By My Window (Morrison/Manzarek/Krieger)

New Mexican Shuffle

China Cat Sunflower (Dead) >

Feelin' Blue (CCR) >

Jam >

Gravel Road (M. Slim) >

Franklin's Tower (Dead)

Late set:

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

That's It

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

Tupelo Honey (V. Morrison)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad., Dead arr.)

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

Stone Soup >

Drumz >

Mighty High (J. Ligon)

Last Month's Setlist: 5/14/16 American Legion Post No. 980, Plum, Pa.

'We gonna let it all hang out...'

There's nothing like a good crowd that's into the music. And just like when I played a couple solo shows at the Legion, this crowd was into it. They gave us energy, we gave it back, and in my opinion played one of our best shows to date.

It also helps that after three years of Playing in the Band, I'm finally starting to develop better solo instincts/chops.

Download/stream the show here, courtesy of Archive.org!

Early set:

Jam > Whiskey River (W. Nelson) >

Big River (J. Cash)

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

Feelin' Blue (CCR)

Meet Me in the Morning (Dylan) >

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

New Mexican Shuffle

The One That Got Away (T. Waits)
Big Bad Blues (Furthur)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Dauphine > Jam >

After Midnight (J.J. Cale)

Late set:

Equinox (Coltrane) >

Les Brers in A Minor (D. Betts) >

Feelin' Alright (D. Mason)

Me and My Uncle (J. Philips) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Lil' Red Rooster (C. Burnett)

Queen Cobra

Althea (Dead) >
Don't Let Go (J. Stone) >

Drumz > 

China Cat Sunflower (Dead) >

Werewolves of London (W. Zevon) >

Viola Lee Blues (Dead)

E: Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

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)