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.

Tonight's Setlist: 2/2/13, Graham Jam, Dive Bar & Grille, Wexford, Pa.

"It's dark as a dungeon, way down in the mines..."

Had another blast at this year's Graham Jam. Sat in with the Grifters for their last two tunes, "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (Dylan) and "Lil' Red Rooster" (C. Burnett) but didn't record 'em. Supposedly the entire Jam is being recorded this year, so if I get a link to that, I'll toss it up here. Plenty of good players were doin' their thang tonight.

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

One set:

Dauphine*

Dark as a Dungeon (M. Travis)

Strange Moon*

I Like It*

Alligator (Dead) >

Craney Crow (M. Rebennack) >

The Other One (Dead)

*Original

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.

This is the Greatest Sports-Related Comedy Sketch, Maybe Ever