Tommy Castro & the Painkillers at the Redstone Room -- October 10.
Thursday, October 10, 8 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
With Living Blues praising the artist for his "sizzling, slow-burning, gritty blues and rock" and "shimmering, swampy, downright funky vibes drenched with ... pure and crisp lead runs and fluid, jet-fueled solos," Tommy Castro and the ensemble the Painkillers headline an October 10 concert event at Davenport's Redstone Room, Blues Revue simplifying the plaudits by declaring, "Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”
Also lauded by the Washington Post for his “aggressive, inspired attack on vocals,” Castro began playing professionally in Bay Area cover bands in the 1970s, joining the Warner Bros. Records band The Dynatones the following decade. Since 1991, Castro has led his own bands and released his Blind Pig debut Exception to the Rule in 1996, which won the 1997 Bay Area Music Award for Outstanding Blues Album and Castro himself the citation for Outstanding Blues Musician. The Tommy Castro Band also served as the house band for three seasons on NBC's Comedy Showcase in the mid-'90s, and in 2001 and 2002, B.B. King asked Castro to open his summer concert tours. His 2007 recording Painkiller won the Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, and two years later, for Castro's Hard Believer, the Blues Music Foundation awarded Castro multiple Blues Music Awards, including recognition for Blues Male Artist of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, and, with his ensemble, Band of the Year. According to Blurt magazine, “Castro has a soulful voice, searing guitar, and is an excellent songwriter and vocalist. If you close your eyes, you will be convinced that you are listening to Otis Redding singing in 1967.”
For Castro’s new album, a roots music odyssey entitled Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, he tells a timeless story. This special project was composed by Castro along with Grammy Award-winning producer Tom Hambridge. Through its 13 songs, A Bluesman Came To Town tells the tale of a young man working on his family farm who gets bitten by the blues bug. He masters the guitar and heads out on the road seeking fame and fortune, only to find what he’s left behind is the treasure he’s been looking for. Each memorable song – from the blistering title track to the pleading "Child Don’t Go" to the hopeful "I Caught A Break" to the emotional "Blues Prisoner" – stands on its own, as well as contributing to the larger story. As Blues Music Magazine stated, "Castro is one of the brightest stars in the blues-soul genre," delivering "voracious blues energy and ultimate soul power" along with "impassioned vocals and pure inventiveness in his stellar guitar solos.”
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers headline their Redstone Room concert on October 10 with an additional set by the Nick Moss Band, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $30-35, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 and visiting CommonChordQC.org.
