Tommy Castro & The Painkillers with Wreckless Strangers

"The hardest thing to do," says internationally beloved soul-blues rocker Tommy Castro, "is be yourself, take some chances and bring your fans along with you." Throughout his long, constantly evolving career, guitarist, singer and songwriter Tommy Castro has always remained true to himself while exploring, growing and creating new music, and he has taken his thousands of devoted fans right along with him. Since his solo debut in 1994, he's made 16 albums--the last seven for Alligator--each its own unique chapter in the book of Tommy Castro. Ranging from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues to fiery, stripped-down rock 'n' roll, each release is solidly built upon Castro's unshakable musical foundation--a dynamic mix of 1960s-influenced guitar-fueled blues, testifying Memphis-soaked blue-eyed soul and Latin-tinged East San Jose funk, all driven by Castro's grab-you-by-the-collar vocals and passionate guitar work. Blues Revue declared, "Tommy Castro can do no wrong."
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.

Wreckless Strangers is a collective of six seasoned Bay Area musicians known for their collaborative songwriting and high-energy live shows, performing an infectious blend of music they call "California Americana Soul." The band features Amber Morris (Premier Bay Area vocalist and voice coach - members of Journey, Eric Martin Ban
d) on vocals; David Noble (Poor Man's Whiskey, Pardon The Interruption) on lead guitar, vocals; Joshua Zucker (The Jones Gang, Rowan Brothers) on bass; Austin de Lone (Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) on keys, vocals; Mick Hellman (The Go To Hell Man Band) on drums and vocals; and Rob Anderson (repeat world champion cyclist) on guitar. Over the course of their six years together, the Wreckless Strangers have released two records and become fan favorites at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Their latest album, When the Sun and a Blue Star Collide, was produced by GRAMMY-winning artist/producer/guitarist Colin Linden (Bob Dylan, Emmy Lou Harris, Keb' Mo', Alison Krauss & Robert Plant).