Slim and the Gang - Live From Neids Hotel

Slim Forsythe (photo by Rich of Coda Photography)

Kevin "Slim" Forsythe, Lawrenceville's country institution based out of Nied's Hotel on Butler Street, has released his first pilot for what he hopes will become a televised musical series "Live From Nied's Hotel."

Forsythe may be strumming and singing to one of America's oldest genres, but he raised funds (and awareness) for the show in a decidedly 21st century manner - he started a Kickstarter campaign in the spring, raising over $10,000 to shoot the first episode.

With the seed money in hand, he brought in the Beagle Brothers and Molly Alphabet, a pair of the area's better known country acts, to share the Nied's stage this summer. Just as importantly, a crew directed by Dino DiStefano, a Grammy-winning music producer who has recorded as the sound engineer on WQED TV's "Live from Studio A" and at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild, captured the show on tape. It's a first-class effort all around.

The performances are all top shelf, with mostly original songs with some distinctive lyricism and local name-dropping. The show is nicely paced thanks to the round table vignettes between melodies.

The Beagle Brothers ("The Architects of the Bloomfield Sound") reminisce about their start from St. Mary's, from getting their name from some backyard pooches and progressing from punk to rock (Slim himself started with ATS) to country. Molly explains how her typically Lawrenceville name of Molly Szramowski was transformed into the more user-friendly Molly Alphabet by an old country singer from the Great Plains.

Slim goes through his changes - fittingly for a country singer, he's been everything from a bus driver to attorney, with a couple of City Hall stops thrown in, and lives over a bar. He picked up his name to commemorate Pittsburgh's country legend Slim Bryant, who led the Wildcats and traces his roots back to Jimmy Rodgers. Slim's dad Frank was a big band singer, working with another seminal Pittsburgh Sound personality, Lennie Martin.

So come for the show and stay for the stories; it's an entertaining and tightly played opening act for the dream of a long run.

Slim and Duke Team Up

Slim Forsythe
A little more news on Pittsburgh's cowboy troubadour, Slim Forsythe:

Last September, Mark and Maria Dudash, the owners of Duquesne Beer, stopped in for a night at Neid's Hotel in Lawrenceville to catch Slim Forsythe and the Beagle Brothers on stage. Forewarned, they sprung the song "Why Can't I Get Duquesne on this Sad and Lonesome Train?" on the pair. The Duke Dudashes liked it so much that they've taken it as the theme song for their beer's ad campaign.

It's a case of the circle being unbroken. Frank Forsythe, Slim's dad, was a jazz singer and big band crooner in Pittsburgh night clubs, radio and television back in the day. In fact, he often performed on KDKA TV's "Duquesne Showtime" sponsored by the brewery in the early 1950's. He was even one of the models for Duke Beer's "Prince of Pilsener." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, hey?

Speaking of Apple, iTunes offers the song for download, just in case the urge strikes to drop 99 cents on the Forsythe/Beagle Brothers song.


"Why Can't I Get Duquesne on this Sad and Lonesome Train?" snippet

Slim Adds Another Notch

Got a note from my favorite cowboy, Slim Forsythe:

That's right, Pilgrim!

Old Slim hits the "Double Nickel" this week. 55 years walkin' the face of God's Green Earth. And I'm throwin' a birthday party Saturday, January 15th, at Nied's Hotel with my pals, The Stillhouse Pickers. We'll serve up a hearty helpin' of old time/country/bluegrass music for starters and then we're thinkin' the whole thing could devolve into an open acoustic jam with lots of other players.

Have you got an instrument that doesn't need an amp? (banjo, fiddle, dobro, mandolin, guitar, accordion...). Bring it along and join the fun. We'll have one or two room mics available for solos and general traffic control.

Come early and watch the Steeler Game. They got four wide screen TVs!

Then, after the game, we'll play that hillbilly music all night long!

Saturday, January 15th@
Nied's Hotel
5438 Butler Street in Lawrenceville
412 781-9853

Slim Forsythe with The Stillhouse Pickers!
Music starts @ 7:30 PM No Cover
Live Concert followed by Open Acoustic Jam

Tonight's Shows

Old Mon has a couple of buds that are playing tonight. So if you're looking for someplace to enjoy a rainy Saturday evening, go catch their act:

-- Jack Stanizzo and Paul Lowe hit the stage at nine at Carnegie's Club Cefalo. There will be lots of stuff off their recently released jazz-tinged CD "Heart of the City."

-- Slim Forsythe & the Parklane Drifters will take the stage around 8:00 PM at Neid's Hotel in Lawrenceville. They'll be playing some tunes from their new CD "Bury Me Up On That Northern Tier."

Good joints and good sounds; give the bands a listen tonight.