Tommy Castro is one of those guys who's been around so long and has so many incredible affiliations it’s astonishing he’s not a household name. The San Jose, Calif., native began playing guitar at 10 and drew inspiration from every permutation of the Blues (Chicago, electric, Soul, West Coast, as well as classic ’60s Rock), citing guys like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Mike Bloomfield and B.B. King as influences. Castro got his chops playing with Bay Area cover bands in the ’70s, leading to his membership the Retro Rock band The Dynatones in the ’80s.
In 1991, Castro set out on his own and has been padding his press kit with impressive accomplishments ever since.
After three decades of playing professionally, 2009 might well stand as one of the best years of Castro’s career. He signed to Alligator Records this year and released the blistering Hard Believer, which has deservedly garnered some of the best reviews in Castro’s dozen-album catalog. Melding his incendiary guitar playing to an amalgamation of the styles he loves best (Soul, R&B, Southern Rock and every kind of Blues), he's poised to become a 30-year overnight sensation any day now.
He plays the Southgate House. Get show details here.
