Saturday's 'Setlist': 10/18/14 Super-Dave's Super-Jam

Jammin'...

Our drummer hosted a massive jam session this weekend in his rehearsal space. It was glorious. 

One thing about jam sessions: there's always too many guitar players. So I strummed for the first 45 minutes or so, then took the opportunity to jump behind the second drum kit and proceed to go all Rhythm-Devils-crazy with Dave the remainder of the night. It was a blast. Besides, too many of the songs I wanna play on guitar have some little tricky part that no one wants to take the time to learn (for evidence, see the "There's Actually a Third Part Jam," which goes nowhere fast!).

Taki the Mad Keyboardist was our leader for the most part, subtly guiding us through changes in the shape and feel of the jams. There are plenty of influences at work, and what comes out is a heady blend of hard-driving funk, R&B and blues, with just a touch of psychedelic madness courtesy of some well-timed guitar effects, Taki's insane Moog acumen and our double-drumming pushing and pulling the jams back and forth.

What a gas. Enjoy!

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

Setlist (bearing in mind that I'm randomly naming most of the jams):

Jam

Let Him Go (Wailers)

Jam*

Sweet Jane (L. Reed)

All Along the Watchtower (Dylan) > Whipping Post (false start)

Whipping Post Shuffle Jam

Lil' Red Rooster (C. Burnett)

Soul Jam

Taki's Spacey Jam

Phishy Funk Jam

Free Your Mind Jam* >

Second Line Jam** >

Breakdown Jam >

Superstitious-ish Jam** >

Jam

Blues Jam >

Monster Moog Jam >

Get On Up Jam** > Fame tease

Kyle's Low-End Warm-Up Jam >

Groovin'

Stretchy Funk Jam >

Kyle's Jam I** >

Hurricane Funk Jam

There's Actually a Third Part Jam

Just Pick Four Chords Jam

Chunky Funk Jam

*Billy T., improvised vocals

**Kyle Lawson, improvised vocals

From Charlie Hustle:

Dave Varasse, drums

Patrick Varine, guitar/vocals (through 'Soul Jam'), drums (rest of set)

Other players:

Kyle Lawson, guitar/vocals/bass

Taki Batis, keys/Moog

Billy T., vocals/congas

Will the Bass Player, bass

Several Other Fine Gentleman Whose Names Escape Me at the Moment, guitar/bass

VIDEO: 'Meet Me in the Morning'

Here's some more stills from our 12/7 show, with our cover of Dylan's "Meet Me in the Morning," from the Blood on the Tracks album, performed at our 1/12/13 late set at St. James Place in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood.

Tonight's Setlist: Charlie Hustle & the Grifters, 1/12/13, St. James Place, Pittsburgh, Pa.

"Meet me in the morning, 56th and Wabasha..."

We had to play the game down a man tonight, but we made due. Our third guitarist and vocalist couldn't make it, but we still managed the shake the walls a little at The James. Thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate our boy Shady's birthday in fine style — particularly to Tim Bruno from Erie's North Town Station, who opened with a typically excellent acoustic set. Be sure to like North Town Station (and Charlie Hustle & the Grifters!) on Facebook and catch a set if you're in northwest PA.

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

Opening set (Tim Bruno):

Setlist forthcoming

Early set:

New Mexican Shuffle*

Stealin' (A. Guthrie)

Cold Rain & Snow (Trad., Dead arr.)

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Dylan)

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Third Street Woman (J. Reynolds)

Nobody Knows (L. Armstrong)

Althea (Dead)

Deep Elem Blues (Dead)

Feelin' Alright (S. Winwood)

Late set:

Meet Me in the Morning (Dylan)

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

Franklin's Tower (Dead) >

Rosin the Bow (Trad., Varine arr.) > Franklin's Tower

Big River (J. Cash)

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

Jam >

Garden of Eden (New Riders of the Purple Sage)

Lil' Red Rooster (C. Burnett)

Junco Partner (Professor Longhair) >

Not Fade Away (B. Holly) > Junco Partner

Fire on the Mountain# (Dead)

*Original

#Tim Bruno on lead vocals, Pat on electric guitar

VIDEO: 'Jam > Stone Soup > Jam'

Just a quick few stills from the 12/7 show overtop the jam in and out of "Stone Soup," an original made up on the spot by guitarist/vocalist Kyle Lawson.

Tonight's Setlist: Charlie Hustle & the Grifters, 12/7/12, Club Café, Pittsburgh, Pa.

"Always bet on Charlie Hustle..."

The first Charlie Hustle show was a gas. This one was a BLAST. We were having so much fun that Kyle straight made up a song in the middle of the late-set jam!

Click here to stream/download the set, courtesy of Archive.org — I also recorded the Grifters' opening set, it will be up soon as well!

One set (Grifters opened):

Floating Bridge (J. Estes)

Nobody Knows (the Way I Feel This Morning) (L. Armstrong)

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

New Mexican Shuffle*

Don't Look No Further (B.B. King)

Dock of the Bay (O. Redding)

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

Shoot Me Down#

Third Street Woman (J. Reynolds)

Warrior with a Bottle#

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

All Along the Watchtower (Dylan) >

Jam > Stone Soup# > Jam >

Soul Serenade Jam >

Good Morning Lil' Schoolgirl (J. Williamson)

*P. Varine

#K. Lawson

Charlie Hustle & the Grifters are:

Kyle Lawson, electric guitar, vocals

Peter Flynn, electric guitar, vocals

Trish Imbrogno, bass

Dave Varasse, drums

Patrick Varine, acoustic/slide guitar, vocals

Come check out the debut of CHARLIE HUSTLE!

So we were the Varine/Lawson Project for all of about 72 hours before we settled on an actual band name... so come check out the debut of CHARLIE HUSTLE, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. at The Hideout, 45 Bates St., in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.