You Got Bluegrass in My Reggae! No, You Got Reggae in My Bluegrass!

What has two thumbs and didn't even make it TWO WEEKS

with 'posting new remixes'? THIS GUY.

• • •

I made a bluegrass/reggae crossover record.

What started out as a one-off goofy project for 4/20/20 eventually blossomed into a full half-hour of old bluegrass tunes recast as reggae, along with three original dub tunes to create Red, Gold, Green & Bluegrass with musical partner-in-crime Joe Dep. We released it July 1 on Bandcamp. ($7, get your copy today!)

I can trace the deepest roots of this project back to a cassette tape of Puerto Rican reggae. That's what was playing — specifically, a band called Gomba Jahbari — when I walked into one of my now-best-friend's dorm rooms, and it was immediately captivating. Partly because it was Spanish-language reggae, which I'd never heard before, but also because they were using a synthesizer that I always referred to as "the Wubbly." It's just a certain way of filtering and tweaking a square-wave synth that gives it this nice, fat, round sound that works great in a reggae context. Gomba Jahbari uses it a lot, as well as my other favorite PR reggae group, Cultura Profética. 

With the banjo originating in Africa, and its use in the Caribbean dating back to the 1700s — and its general percussive nature — Joe and I figured there was no reason it wouldn't fit right in with a reggae soundscape. And I think it does, very well. It works as a sort of melodic substitute for the hand percussion common in rocksteady reggae.

Anyway, it turned into a real labor of love, we had a great time putting it together, and hope that you might think it's worth checking out.

Snag a copy at patrickvarine.bandcamp.com.

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.)

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.)

Mo' Grass! Fall/Winter Setlists

'Shelter me from the powder and the finger...'

Fall into winter has been a pretty awesome run for Charlie Hustle & the Pickers, our bluegrass offshoot of Charlie Hustle & the Grifters. We got put on for two bluegrass festivals, the Butler Ice Jam in January and the Oil Country Bluegrass Festival in February, and we've kept plenty busy in the months leading up to Christmas. As much as I'm itching to get back together with our drummer to bang out some serious electric mayhem, this has been a ton of fun and we're looking forward to more bluegrass gigs as well!

Click the links to download/stream any of the shows below, courtesy of Archive.org!

11/18/16, Stand Up for Standing Rock Benefit, Hambone's, Pgh., Pa. 

(performed as Covered in Grass)

Powderfinger (N. Young)

Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover (P. Simon)

Hotel California (D. Henley)

Laid (James)

Loser (Dead)

Riders on the Storm (Morrison/Manzarek/Krieger)

Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Dylan)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

Blackjack County Chains (D. McCoury) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.)

11/26/16 American Legion Post. No. 980, Plum, Pa.

Deep River Blues (D. Watson)

Honey Babe (E. Bishop)

Blackjack Molly

Hang Me Oh Hang Me (D. Van Ronk)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

Dark Hollow (B. Browning)

Come On In My Kitchen (R. Johnson)

Big River (J. Cash) >

New Mexican Shuffle

That's It

Angel Band (Stanley Bros.)

Powderfinger (N. Young)

Ophelia (The Band)

Junko Partner (M. Rebennack)

You Better Get Right (Stanley Bros.)

Friend of the Devil (Dead) >

Ol' Slew Foot (J. Horton)

Midnight Flyer (P. Craft)

In the Pines (Leadbelly)

Mean Ol' Bedbug Blues (B. Smith)

Foggy Mountain Top (L. Flatt)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

Blackjack County Chains (D. McCoury) >

Eat My Dust (D. Grisman)

Casey Jones (Dead)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Roving Gambler (Stanley Bros.)

Maggie's Farm (Dylan) >

Cherokee Shuffle (Trad.)

Streetlight Mama

Feelin' Alright (D. Mason)

Loser (Dead) >

St. James Infirmary (Trad.)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

Fox on the Run (T. Hazzard)

12/9/16 Club Café, Pgh., Pa.*

Blackjack Molly

I Know You Rider (Trad.) >

Whiskey For Breakfast (Trad.)

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

Dark Hollow (B. Browning)

Big River (J. Cash)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney) >

Powderfinger (N. Young) >

Casey Jones (Dead)

*Opened for the Rusty Haywhackers; performed without Trish; full set feat. Danny Rectenwald, mandolin

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

Last Month's Setlist: 8/27/16, Oaks Theater, Oakmont, Pa.

'Bayou moonlight, got me wanderin'

Off Dauphine Street again...'

We found some awesome kindred spirits in Greensburg-based rock/funk band Habatat, who joined us for a double-bill at the beautiful Oaks Theater. Unfortunately, the crowd was kinda small, but we still had a great time. 

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

One set:

Big Bad Blues* (Furthur)

Blackjack Molly*

Strange Moon

Casey Jones** (T.L. Seibert)

Ophelia (The Band) >

Dauphine

Gravel Road* (M. Slim)

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Somebody Changed the Lock*** (C. Weldon/M. Rebennack arr.)

Les Brers in A Minor (D. Betts)

Funky Werewolf >

Drumz > Space >

Stone Soup >

Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad (Dead) >

Don't Let Go (J. Stone)

*Not recorded

**Not that one

***feat. Josh Covert of Habatat, trumpet

Thursday's (Solo) Setlist: 8/11/16 CoCo Coffeehouse, Leechburg, Pa.

Counting Crows cover...? Check.

After playing with a full band for the past four years, I'm never really fully satisfied playing solo shows. I have fun, and it's a great opportunity to road-test new material and pull out some of the slower, more-emotional tunes that don't fit very well into the Charlie Hustle repertoire — and I do occasionally find something that makes me go, 'Huh, that was pretty cool' on the tapes — but for the most part, I just find myself wishing there was at least one other person there playing alongside me.

That said, this is probably the most varied solo show I've played in a while, which probably made it a little less coherent for the crowd, but whatchagonnado?

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

Early set:

Hearts and Bones (P. Simon)

You Can Keep It

Incident on 57th Street (Springsteen)

Madam Will You Walk (J. Davis)

Midnight Moonlight (P. Rowan)

Western Wind* >

Southwest Sky

Anna Begins (A. Duritz)

Dire Wolf (Dead)

Cyprus Avenue (V. Morrison)

Somebody Changed the Lock (C. Weldon, M. Rebennack arr.)

Late set:

Loose Lucy (Dead)

Row Jimmy (Dead) >

Streetlight Mama

Blackjack Molly

Passing Afternoon (S. Beam)

Casey Jones (T.L. Seibert)

Catfish John (McDill/Reynolds)

Man of Constant Sorrow (D. Burnett)

On a Foggy Night (T. Waits)

Spanish Ladies (Trad. sea shanty, Varine arr.)

I Can't Wait to Get Off Work (T. Waits)

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

*First time played

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)