Rockin' at Nied's Hotel

John Vento, best known as singer and guitarist of the Businessmen, has teamed with Buddy Hall & Friends to release "Nied's Hotel," a two-disc set packed to the rafters with a mighty 28 songs.

Vento has a gritty voice a la Grushecky and Springsteen and a no-nonsense bar-rock approach as he raises a glass to old-time rock 'n' roll.

A fan favorite is bound to be "Never Too Old to Rock," on which Vento pays tribute to his rock heroes, singing, "Now I saw Mick, Keith and all the Stones on the HBO/I watched intently with so much satisfaction/A real rock-n-roll show/But at the Super Bowl, I saw Janet Jackson, Nelly and P.Diddy/What the hell was that/I'll take Tina Turner, Sly and James Brown/Over all that trash."

The title track is about a long-running Lawrenceville bar and all the colorful characters who can be found there drinking Iron City Beer. Vento refers to it as "an imaginary place that actually exists."

Guests on the record include the likes of Kenny Blake, Tom Bellin, Scott Anderson, Reb Beach, Pete Hewlett, Norm Nardini, Kelsey Friday and B.E. Taylor.

Vento and Buddy Hall & Friends celebrate with a release party at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrenceville Moose, 120 51st St. The $5 admission benefits Lawrenceville United. Sales of the CD benefit the Lupus Foundation. For more details, go to www.niedshotel.com.

Acoustic Challenger

The winner of the Rhythm House Acoustic Challenge is Jack Erdie, a literate singer-songwriter whose latest release, "When the Hurricane Hit," finds Erdie fleshing out his sound with fiddle, saxophone and trombone on songs that range from haunting ballads to flat-out rockers. Often found performing with the Little Wretches' Robert Wagner, Erdie wins $1,000 cash and eight hours of studio time at Mad Mark Studios in Wexford.