August 25, 2005

Bye-Bye Blues: Tommy Castro Caps This Round of Shows Downtown

As his most recent album puts it, Tommy Castro was a "Soul Shaker" Wednesday night -- and a handsome one at that. Very cool in his shades, the established California bluesman had his WLAV Blues on the Mall crowd of 5,000-plus fans bobbing their heads and grooving in their lawn chairs for the summer's closing installment of weekly blues acts.

The dancing fans proved Castro is, indeed, a "Soul Shaker," the title of his February CD on Blind Pig Records. But for Georgi Hall, celebrating her 54th birthday Wednesday, there was a reason other than his musicianship that she and her friends Roseanne Gregels and Betty Alexander made the trip downtown. "He's good to look at," Hall said, laughing. She and her girlfriends make a point each summer to hit Castro's Blues on the Mall show, she said.

Late start with a purpose

The headliner stepped on stage a little late, however, opening with "Right As Rain" at about 7 p.m., after a 15-minute opening set by local singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles, who is stage manager for Blues on the Mall. and local musician. According to Bowles, Castro asked him to open the show because the band wanted to play a single, longer set rather than the event's usual pair of shorter ones. Castro later told the crowd there wasn't enough time allotted to play as it was, whether in one set or two. "So we're not takin' no break," he proclaimed midway through the night, eliciting cheers.

Drawing the dancers

For many, the draw of Castro's music seemed to lie in its rhythms, judging by the many people dancing around the less congested outer edges of the standing crowd.
Grand Rapids residents Don and Carole Therriault, 76 and 72, respectively, there wasn't enough room to move, but they managed to boogie down for a couple songs. Their impressive dance moves and natural rhythm were noticed by many, and the had their own appreciative audience around the back rim of the concert area. One fan even took snapshots of the couple with his cell phone.
Carole Therriault was more than happy to entertain folks.
"There's not too many things we don't dance to," she said. "We try to dance every weekend."
The couple, who started dancing together about 20 years ago, said they really enjoyed Castro's rhythms.