Tonight's Setlist: 5/17/13, Penn Hebron Garden Club, Penn Hills, Pa.

"You keep foolin' around on me,

You're gonna walk on down that gravel road..." — Magic Slim

It was a bumpy evening, what with us having to go head-to-head against Pens-Sens Game 2 in the NHL's best media market (thanks, Gary Bettman and the GD-mother-f'n NHL Scheduling Committee). But the folks who turned out got a real treat. We were in high form tonight, kicking things off with a tune we'd never even rehearsed (G. Love's "Kiss and Tell"), adding a brand new improvised verse to the ever-evolving "Stone Soup," and generally speaking, shaking the walls at the 180-year old National Historic Landmark that is the Morrow Barn, home of the Penn Hebron Garden Club. Hopefully we gave Miss Emma Morrow a good night of music.

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

Early set:

Kiss and Tell (G. Love)

Not Fade Away (B. Holly)

Meet Me in the Morning (Dylan)

Gravel Road (Magic Slim)

Dock of the Bay (O. Redding)

Big River (J. Cash)

Stealin' (Trad.)

Third Street Woman (J. Reynolds, Varine arr.)

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

All Along the Watchtower (Dylan)

Late set:

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Feelin' Alright (S. Winwood)

Mother's Meth Head Blues*

I Like It* >

Soul Serenade (King Curtis) >

Good Morning Lil' Schoolgirl (J. Williamson) >

Jam >

Stone Soup* > Jam >

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

*Original

Tonight's Setlist: Charlie Hustle & the Grifters, 5/9/13, Verona Park, Verona, Pa.

Photo by Patch.com

Our third guitarist got sucked into the madness of municipal politics, so we were man down on short notice, but it worked out alright. 

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

One set:

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

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

Feelin' Alright (S. Winwood)

Rain (Lennon-McCartney)

Big River (J. Cash) >

New Mexican Shuffle*

Lil' Red Rooster (C. Burnett)

Gravel Road (Magic Slim)

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

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

Jam >

Stone Soup* >

Not Fade Away (B. Holly)

*Original

Tonight's Setlist: 5/8/13, Penn Hebron Garden Club, Penn Hills, Pa.

"Come on in my kitchen..."

Had a nice warm-up gig for tomorrow's Verona Park show at the Penn Hills Coffeehouse Songwriter's Showcase tonight, playing a half-hour set between Tom & Carolyn and tremendous British singer-songwriter Rupert Wates. I think I have "Factory" to a place now where we could potentially try it out in Charlie Hustle. "St. Mary's Jail," on the other hand, needs some work.... something better to move from line to line and definitely something more cogent leading into the chorus.

The Archive.org link will be up ASAP.

Strange Moon*

Rubber Bullets (10cc)

Factory*

Come On In My Kitchen (R. Johnson)

Mother's Meth Head Blues*

I Like It*

St. Mary's Jail*

*Original

CHARLIE HUSTLE LIVE DATES! May 9 (FREE!) and May 17

Charlie Hustle & the Grifters have two gigs coming up, for those of you down with the Hustlin'. We're playing a free all-ages show in Verona Park on May 9. But the humdinger is coming the following Friday, when we shake the walls at the historic Penn Hebron Garden Club in Penn Hills. Built in 1834, the club is actually an old barn, outfitted with an old-school wooden dance floor and an open ceiling that shows off the gigantic oak beams that run the full length of the building. It's a $10/BYOB/21+ show, so leave the kiddies at home and bring yer dancin' shoes!

Last Night's Setlist: 3/22/13, Blind Pig Saloon, New Kensington, Pa.

The view from up top at the Blind Pig...

Tried out plenty of new tunes tonight, and they all went well. Thanks to everyone who came out. "Mother, apple pie and methamphetamine... I think that's gonna replace 'Show Me' as the Missouri state motto" ... line of the night, courtesy of Pete.

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

Early set:

Feelin' Alright (S. Winwood)

Gentleman of Leisure (J. Winchester)

Dock of the Bay (O. Redding)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

I Like It* >

Soul Serenade (C. Ousley) >

Good Morning Lil' Schoolgirl (J. Lee Williamson)

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

Althea (Dead)

Cumberland Blues (Dead)

Cold Rain and Snow (Dead)

Late set:

Mystery Train (J. Parker)

New Mexican Shuffle*

Garden of Eden (New Riders of the Purple Sage)

Stealin' (W. Shade)

Deep Elem Blues (Trad.)

Mother's Meth-Head Blues*

Magnolia (J.J. Cale) >

All Along the Watchtower (Dylan) >

Jam > Stone Soup* >

Craney Crow (M. Rebennack) >

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

Big Bad Blues (Further)

*Original

Tonight's Setlist: 3/13/13, Penn Hebron Garden Club, Penn Hills, Pa.

'Down in the St. Mary's Jail...'

Played a short set at the Penn Hills Coffeehouse music series, now being held at the historic Penn Hebron Garden Club. It's a pretty awesome spot, an 1800s-era building with open, big, wooden beamwork and an old-school wooden dance floor. I think we're probably gonna try and get Charlie Hustle & the Grifters in there if possible.

Didn't record the set, much to my wife's chagrin, especially since I debuted a brand-new tune, "St. Mary's Jail." It went alright, but probably still needs a little work:

Dauphine*

Factory*

St. Mary's Jail*#

Dark as a Dungeon (M. Travis)

Gravel Road (M. Slim)

Junco Partner (Professor Longhair)

Deep Elem Blues (Dead)

*Original

#First time played

COMING UP! — CHARLIE HUSTLE & THE GRIFTERS, 3/22/13 at the Blind Pig Saloon

Two of us spent several of our formative guitar years at the Pig. I spent many a Thursday honing my chops at the open stage that is still going on today. This time we're gonna light it up on a Friday night with an opening set from The Grifters, then it's time to get our Hustle on. Hope you'll join us — $5/21+

Check out the Blind Pig Saloon here.