The Boogie Hustlers at The Rex: Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 9:00pm

Let’s just go ahead and call them “Pittsburgh’s own”—not just because they’re from Pittsburgh, which they are, but also because they seem to be on the verge of becoming bigger than their hometown.  There’s a part of me that almost doesn’t want The Boogie Hustlers to get any bigger than they are now.  Besides the fear that their music will lose its heartbeat if and when they find a major label and a producer to match, I would also miss being able to see them at The Rex Theater in Southside.

If you haven’t seen a show at The Rex Theater yet, you are definitely missing something.  As the Rex’s own website states:

Originally opened as a vaudeville theater in 1905, The Rex Theater has been a fixture on Pittsburgh’s Southside for over a century. Over the past decade, The Rex has found a new place as a concert venue with full service bar.

Over the past few months over that past decade, I have seen two shows at The Rex, one where chairs were provided for the audience, one with no chairs at all, and both shows worked very well.  It’s a nice, big room, with excellent acoustics (and Magic Hat #9 on tap).  The Boogie Hustlers are going to be there the night of Friday, May 14th.  My guess is there won’t be any chairs.

When I first heard them, I thought, “What is this, Earth Wind and Fire?”  Similarly, if I were to hear “Nine Deep,” from their eponymous third album, at random and out of the blue, I might think I was hearing some Little Feat album I’d never gotten around to listening to.  They should take both of these statements as compliments, not criticisms, by the way.  So what if none of them were born when their most obvious reference points (70’s jammer-funksters) were making music?  (I’ll go ahead and say it—so what if they’re white?)  To call them derivative is beside the point.  What counts in any form of music (rock, folk, jazz, bluegrass, whatever) is sincerity, and The Boogie Hustlers have that to burn.

Sincerity, and a whole lot of heart.  Here’s a lyrical excerpt from “Find a Way,” from their new album, which grabbed me while sitting here typing and listening through earbuds:  “No money isn’t everything / But dreams ain’t enough / It must be hard to love a dreamer / On the first of the month.”  Check it out on their MySpace page and tell me you can’t hear a heart beating.  Even though I would guess he’s spent a lot of time listening to Al Green, singer Vince Wylie isn’t trying to sound like anyone but himself.

At Rhapsody, you can hear an excerpt from their second album, ‘True Colors,’ as well as their entire debut, ’122 Ellsworth.’ (I don’t know offhand what significance the address “122 Ellsworth” in Shadyside has for them, but I don’t suggest making a pilgrimage there, at least not yet.)  You will hear more of the same—warm, relaxed grooves where nobody gets in anybody else’s way.

“Nine Deep,” a song about nine guys traveling from gig to gig in a van, is a song they may very well not be able to write credibly a couple of years from now, when they’re jetting from gig to gig instead of trusting their fate to the nation’s highways.  In the future, they may turn out to be too big for The Rex as well, so don’t miss your chance to see them on May 14th.  Look for me—I’ll be one of the few dancing people with gray in his hair.

For more information about The Boogie Hustlers, you can go either to their website, or to their MySpace page. Both of these sites do an acceptable job of tracing their path up until this point in time.  They also provide some appropriately effusive press; I’d just as soon not copy and paste bits and pieces and try to make them look like I wrote them.  What I will say is that I’m excited to see the show. Enjoy the short preview below…

Where is the show?
The Rex Theater (map)
1602 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 381-6811

When is the show?
Friday, May 14, 2010 @ 9pm – 12am

How much are tickets?
$10.50 in advance or 12 bucks at the door.
Get your tickets here

How old do you have to be?
21 and up to get in to the show

Any special guests gonna be there too?
City Dwelling Nature Seekers (myspace)

Click here for the Facebook event page

Chris Rosella

Chris moved from Boston to the Burgh about 10 years ago. He was raised a Steelers fan, but still sees Pittsburgh through the eyes of a visitor. He especially enjoys writing about music.

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