INTERVIEW with Tommy Castro
Follow me on my strange little journey via cell phone as I interviewed Tommy Castro, headliner for the 2008 Pittsburgh Blues Festival. I phoned Tommy as he arrived in Wichita, Kansas. We had arranged this time.
Tommy Castro: Hello?
Don Vecchio: Hi! Tommy, this is Don Vecchio from the Blues Society of Western PA.
TC: Hi, Don, you must be psychic, we just got to the hotel here and I was looking your number up on my laptop.
DV: Well, I saved you some trouble. Thanks for giving me the time for a little chat. Oh, by the way, not only am I putting this in the newsletter, but Iris from the Pittsburgh Food Bank and PR Director for the Pittsburgh Blues fest, is sending it out in her e-newsletter. So, if this does not go well, I’m blaming it on you. Ok? It’s all your fault.
TC: (Laughing) No, no, no, it’s all on you, especially if my grammar sounds bad. You just didn’t hear me right.
DV: (Laughing) OK, we better get this right then. First, I want to congratulate you on your two Blues awards this year. You deserve them!
TC: Thank you! It came as a real surprise to me. I don’t know if you know, but I had never won before. So, I was quite excited. I said it when I won and I’ll say it again because I mean it. Painkiller (CD) was a group effort. So many people made it possible.
* (At this point the sound on Tommy’s cell phone sounded like an alien spaceship)
DV: Tommy, what’s that noise? I can’t understand you. There’s some interference.
TC: We’re walking to our car and the wind is outrageous. They are calling for some nasty weather. Hang on, I’ll be in
the car in a second. We’re heading for dinner…OK, try now.
DV: OK, that’s better. You want to continue later?
TC: No, this is fine. Go right ahead.
DV: You have been playing with the Tommy Castro band for many years and always had a following. It seems like your popularity has skyrocketed in the last 3-4 years. What do you attribute that to?
TC: (Pausing) I think it’s because we’ve constantly tried to improve our sound. The band just got better the longer we played. Also, I tend to focus on the songs at the sacrifice of improving my guitar playing.
DV: Tommy, I think that I got most of that, but someone is speaking a bit too loud there.
TC: (Laughing) That’s our GPS navigation system.
DV: (Laughing) I see, well, I’ll try to ignore it. As far as your guitar playing, I like it-great sound.
TC: Thanks; I’m happy with my guitar playing, really. I play guitar to accompany my songs, not the other way around.
*At this point they arrive at Ted’s Steakhouse
DV: Hey, I see the mayor of San Francisco made October 14th, Tommy Castro Day. Congratulations!
TC: Yeah! I didn’t understand that. A day for me? It was a great honor and we used it as an excuse to party at my favorite place, Slim’s.
*Tommy asks if he can call me back after he orders. I say sure. Five minutes later the phone rings.
DV: OK, Tommy, what did you order?
TC: I got a buffalo Delmonico rib eye. I usually don’t eat meat, but you know, “when in Rome, eat where the buffalo Roam.” (Laughs) You can use that.
DV: (Laughing) Uh-huh. You may be sorry though.
TC: (Laughs)
DV: I almost hate to ask you this because I hate labels. How would you describe your music?
TC: Oh! Definitely a blues/rock/soul mix.
DV: Well, you seem to have a sound all of your own, and versatile, too. I think that’s a big reason I like listening to your CDs…it can go from an upbeat tune to a blues ballad to a rockin’ tune and all sound equally good.
TC: We try to put a common thread to our music. No matter what we play, I play it how “I” think it should be played with my style and it usually has a bluesy sound.
DV: That makes sense.
TC: By the way, I can’t wait to play Pittsburgh again. I loved playing Moondog’s. It was great playing to 400 people at the “Rex.” We’re going to try to do it again next year. People seemed to like the “Review” with Magic Dick, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Deanna Bogart. I did hear that people wanted more of the Castro band songs. We’ll add more next time. I listen to what our fans have to say. Pittsburgh audiences are fun, very enthusiastic and I share the enthusiasm hand-in-hand with them. They’re a blue-collar audience and I try to work just as hard at
giving the best show I have in me.
DV: Well, this will be the third time in a year that I get to enjoy your show and I can’t wait. I’ll let you go so you can enjoy your meal.
TC: Thank you. I have to tell you…it was great being interviewed by someone who actually knows a lot about me. I get a little upset and actually amazed at how many try to interview me and know nothing about me.
DV: Well, it was a pleasure. You take care. Please stop and see us at the BSWPA booth when you’re in town. I’ll be in touch via email.
TC: I promise to answer promptly. Bye, Don
- Don Vecchio
Tommy Castro: Hello?
Don Vecchio: Hi! Tommy, this is Don Vecchio from the Blues Society of Western PA.
TC: Hi, Don, you must be psychic, we just got to the hotel here and I was looking your number up on my laptop.
DV: Well, I saved you some trouble. Thanks for giving me the time for a little chat. Oh, by the way, not only am I putting this in the newsletter, but Iris from the Pittsburgh Food Bank and PR Director for the Pittsburgh Blues fest, is sending it out in her e-newsletter. So, if this does not go well, I’m blaming it on you. Ok? It’s all your fault.
TC: (Laughing) No, no, no, it’s all on you, especially if my grammar sounds bad. You just didn’t hear me right.
DV: (Laughing) OK, we better get this right then. First, I want to congratulate you on your two Blues awards this year. You deserve them!
TC: Thank you! It came as a real surprise to me. I don’t know if you know, but I had never won before. So, I was quite excited. I said it when I won and I’ll say it again because I mean it. Painkiller (CD) was a group effort. So many people made it possible.
* (At this point the sound on Tommy’s cell phone sounded like an alien spaceship)
DV: Tommy, what’s that noise? I can’t understand you. There’s some interference.
TC: We’re walking to our car and the wind is outrageous. They are calling for some nasty weather. Hang on, I’ll be in
the car in a second. We’re heading for dinner…OK, try now.
DV: OK, that’s better. You want to continue later?
TC: No, this is fine. Go right ahead.
DV: You have been playing with the Tommy Castro band for many years and always had a following. It seems like your popularity has skyrocketed in the last 3-4 years. What do you attribute that to?
TC: (Pausing) I think it’s because we’ve constantly tried to improve our sound. The band just got better the longer we played. Also, I tend to focus on the songs at the sacrifice of improving my guitar playing.
DV: Tommy, I think that I got most of that, but someone is speaking a bit too loud there.
TC: (Laughing) That’s our GPS navigation system.
DV: (Laughing) I see, well, I’ll try to ignore it. As far as your guitar playing, I like it-great sound.
TC: Thanks; I’m happy with my guitar playing, really. I play guitar to accompany my songs, not the other way around.
*At this point they arrive at Ted’s Steakhouse
DV: Hey, I see the mayor of San Francisco made October 14th, Tommy Castro Day. Congratulations!
TC: Yeah! I didn’t understand that. A day for me? It was a great honor and we used it as an excuse to party at my favorite place, Slim’s.
*Tommy asks if he can call me back after he orders. I say sure. Five minutes later the phone rings.
DV: OK, Tommy, what did you order?
TC: I got a buffalo Delmonico rib eye. I usually don’t eat meat, but you know, “when in Rome, eat where the buffalo Roam.” (Laughs) You can use that.
DV: (Laughing) Uh-huh. You may be sorry though.
TC: (Laughs)
DV: I almost hate to ask you this because I hate labels. How would you describe your music?
TC: Oh! Definitely a blues/rock/soul mix.
DV: Well, you seem to have a sound all of your own, and versatile, too. I think that’s a big reason I like listening to your CDs…it can go from an upbeat tune to a blues ballad to a rockin’ tune and all sound equally good.
TC: We try to put a common thread to our music. No matter what we play, I play it how “I” think it should be played with my style and it usually has a bluesy sound.
DV: That makes sense.
TC: By the way, I can’t wait to play Pittsburgh again. I loved playing Moondog’s. It was great playing to 400 people at the “Rex.” We’re going to try to do it again next year. People seemed to like the “Review” with Magic Dick, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Deanna Bogart. I did hear that people wanted more of the Castro band songs. We’ll add more next time. I listen to what our fans have to say. Pittsburgh audiences are fun, very enthusiastic and I share the enthusiasm hand-in-hand with them. They’re a blue-collar audience and I try to work just as hard at
giving the best show I have in me.
DV: Well, this will be the third time in a year that I get to enjoy your show and I can’t wait. I’ll let you go so you can enjoy your meal.
TC: Thank you. I have to tell you…it was great being interviewed by someone who actually knows a lot about me. I get a little upset and actually amazed at how many try to interview me and know nothing about me.
DV: Well, it was a pleasure. You take care. Please stop and see us at the BSWPA booth when you’re in town. I’ll be in touch via email.
TC: I promise to answer promptly. Bye, Don
- Don Vecchio
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