Resonating with warm, nostalgic charm, The Holiday Hustle Club channels the magic of old-school holiday songs to keep the season festive and merry. Led by songwriter, pianist and vocalist Bart King, the quartet includes Jeremy Raj on electric guitar, Chris Enghauser on bass and Louis Romanos on drums. Joined by guest singers, the Holiday Hustle Club will debut new tunes alongside secular classics.
King’s name may be familiar to the Athens community for a variety of reasons. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Georgia, Bart received a MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. He found his niche as a writer specializing in environmental and sustainability issues, and launched his own business called New Growth Communications. He is the author of several children’s books—The Girl Who Kept Night In Her Closet, Juniper Gets Wet, Do Not Read This Book at Bedtime and Robot Soup—all of which were illustrated by local artist Jacob Wenzka. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also founded the Forest Heights Blueberry Festival and Community Blueberry Project to help bring people together.
Though King kickstarted his musical journey very young in life by singing in choirs and taking pianos lessons, music gradually moved to the back burner as he built his business, grew his family and pursued other creative projects. Still, he would make it a point to warm everyone up around the piano during private Christmastime parties.
“Even when I wasn’t playing much music the rest of the year, I always played a lot around the holidays,” says King. “My mother is a piano player, and my family always sang Christmas songs around the piano when I was growing up—and we still do. I get affected by the dark and cold during winter, but playing holiday music combats that and puts me in the spirit.”
Now, after roughly a decade of relatively little activity in the music scene, he’s hit his stride making holiday music, joining the likes of the Good Grief Trio and Athens Symphony Orchestra in providing popular annual traditions. Honoring the likes of Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé and other iconic artists of the Great American Songbook, the Holiday Hustle Club also spotlights talented local artists.
Invigorated by last year’s public performance under the previous moniker Stardust Holiday Lounge, King wrote three new original holiday tunes before his vacation was even over. The resulting EP, Snow Day!, was then recorded with Jesse Mangum at The Glow Recording Studio with Zack Milster of Night Palace contributing guitar. The five-track EP was released on streaming platforms Dec. 8.
Led by Claire Campbell of Hope for Agoldensummer, the title track “Snow Day!” is a playful Vince Guaraldi-esque tune full of joyful anticipation towards taking a day off of school or work to enjoy the winter wonderland. Campbell is joined by an excited chorus of children including Lucille King, Miriam Silk, Charlie Wallace and Maypop Wren. Sung by Betsy Franck of Bloodkin, the blues song “Secret Santa” leans into the trope of naughty-but-nice innuendos for a more adult audience.
On “My Favorite Holiday Song,” King lyrically conveys how his love for holiday music is perhaps less about specific melodies and more about its ability to bring people together. He sings, “It’s the one about moments when dreams come true/ Where our hopes and fears all belong./ Joy and magic in the hard times too/ That’s what makes my holiday song.”
The EP is rounded out by two covers of popular tunes: a ballad rendition of Jolly Old St. Nicholas and an instrumental version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas that alternates between the original waltz time and an energized New Orleans-style beat.
“I really enjoy performing as a way of expressing myself and having shared experiences with other musicians and audiences,” says King. “To me, holiday music, like a cover band, is more about a shared love of the songs, rather than a focus on a particular musician or band. And that feels right for the kind of experiences I want to create for myself and others.”
The Holiday Hustle Club will perform two different shows this season. A family-friendly concert at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens will be held Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., and a second appearance will follow at Hendershot’s on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. The first show will star guest vocalists Kate Morrissey and Lisa Cesnik Ferguson, while the second show spotlights Campbell, Franck, Knowa Johnson, Tracy Brown, Nony1, Chloe Floyd and King’s daughter, Lucille. UUFA suggests a $10 donation for adults, while children are invited to attend for free. Tickets to Hendershot’s run $15.
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