September 2003

Savage City & Blues BBQ
Live: Tommy Castro Band

Galaxy Theater
Santa Ana, CA
July 3, 2003

... Just when the audience thought they had seen enough stellar music for two nights, Tommy Castro strode onstage with his Strat and nodded to his drummer, bassist, and sax player. For over an hour the Galaxy felt like it was in another one. With the first verses of "Lucky In Love", the entire front of the theater came alive with people dancing. Later on even Deanna Savage was ringside at the stage enjoying the atmosphere. Castro's look as a Bluesman affects a black muscle t-shirt and black leather pants and tops it off with a matching black Stratocastor with dark rosewood neck. The ladies seemed to notice, as the dance floor was now about 10-to-1 women to men. His guitar work on "Serves You Right To Suffer" was a highlight. Castro said that he simply "listened to the right records growing up: B.B. King, Ray Charles, and James Brown". Well, listening to Castro's CDs should also be included in "listening to the right records".

For those of you who were there, it was definitely the place to be in California as our country slipped into another birthday.

Pete Sardon

Southland Blues