Hugh Bob and The Hustle, still riding the success of an eponymous debut disc, kicks off a tour this week. The schedule includes stints with Sturgill Simpson and Nikki Lane.
The first date of the tour for the band – which also includes Quinn Scharber on guitar and vocals; Nicholas Stuart on bass and vocals; Bradley Kruse on keyboards and vocals; and Justin Krol on drums – is at Chicago's House of Blues on May 15 with Simpson.
The band shares the stage with Simpson again in Appleton on May 17. After a break, the group joins Lane for a week in June. In July, there are a string of dates in Wisconsin and Michigan.
That last leg includes a performance in Hugh Bob Masterson's hometown of Butternut, population 300.
"It’s the kind of place where the silence is deafening and the stars are so bright you can feel nothing but humbled," says Masterson.
The complete itinerary is here:
May 15 – Chicago – House of Blues (with Sturgill Simpson)
May 16 – Mequon – Milwaukee Area Technical College
May 17 – Appleton – Anduzzi’s (with Sturgill Simpson)
With Nikki Lane:
June 11 – Lawrence, Kan. - Replay Lounge
June 12 – St. Louis – Off Broadway (no Lane)
June 13 – Chicago – Schubas Tavern
June 14 – Minneapolis – 7th Street Entry
June 18 – Milwaukee – Cactus Club (Hugh Bob solo)
July 9 – Wauwatosa – Tosa Tonight at Hart Park
July 10 – Lansing, Mich. – Common Ground Music Festival
July 18 – Kimberly – Paperfest (Hugh Bob solo)
July 26 – Butternut – Pioneer Days
July 30 – Spring Green – Sh*tty Barn
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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