Tommy Castro on Protein Shakes and a Favorite Non-Music Day Job

Photo credit: Laura Carbone

Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?

I have a 1999 Prevost XL Entertainer coach. Must be 1,000,000 miles on it. We replaced the transmission about ten years ago. The radiator was replaced about five years ago. The exhaust manifold recently. It runs great. The last time it broke down on us on the road was in New Mexico. We have friends in the area so with a couple of vehicles we made the gig in Santa Fe. Our driver Jake made the repair himself and we were on the road next day. We take good care of it. It has all the comforts of home.

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

Well, it’s hard to do both. But we stop at grocery stores along the way and load of on healthy food items. I make protein shakes every day with all kinds of nutritional ingredients.

Fresh fruit and whole grain cereal. The venues usually provide a hot meal on show days, and we tend to eat well on our days off.

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

Just a few. I have a deal with GHS strings and I change them fairly often.

Where do you rehearse?

I have a small studio in my house but I live in Southern California and my Band is in Nor Cal so we rent a space in San Rafael, CA from a friend of mine. It has everything we need to rehearse the band. Not much goes on besides playing music.

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

That would be “Nasty Habits”. “All my Nasty Habits just won’t let me be.”

Describe your first gig.

Wish I could recall but it was probably playing for beer at a house party.

What was your last non-music day job? What was your favorite day job?

Installing window coverings. Blinds and shades etc. I was self-employed so I could gig whenever I wanted.

What was your favorite non-music day job?

Guitar Center

How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?

It’s gotten much better for us. We sell more tickets these days. What do I expect it to look like 5-10 years from now? I think it will get better.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

The blues has become guitar music. I didn’t know that was going to be the case.

Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Tommy Castro first picked up a guitar at age 10. He fell under the spell of six-string stars like Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal and Mike Bloomfield. Almost every major rock and soul act, from Ike and Tina Turner to Janis Joplin to Tower Of Power, toured through the area, and Castro was at every show. He saw John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and Buddy Guy and Junior Wells at a local club, JJ’s Blues Bar. Castro often jammed at JJ’s, dreaming of busting out and making a name for himself. He created his own personal sound and style by mixing the blues, R&B and funk music he loved into his own, instantly recognizable brand of uplifting, soul-healing music.

As his reputation spread, Tommy played in several Bay Area bands, quickly making a name for himself as a hotter-than-hot live artist bursting at the seams with talent. In 1985, he became lead singer and guitarist for the regionally popular blues band NiteCry before joined popular Warner Brothers’ artists The Dynatones, gigging all over the country. He formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992 and has not stopped touring since. In 1995, soon after releasing their first album on Blind Pig Records, The Tommy Castro Band were selected as the house band for three seasons on NBC Television’s Comedy Showcase (airing right after Saturday Night Live). The show brought Tommy in front of millions of viewers every week and cemented his reputation as a not-to-be-missed live performer.

After a series of successful releases on the Blind Pig, Telarc and 33rd Street labels, Tommy Castro joined Alligator Records in 2009. His label debut, Hard Believer, launched to massive popular and critical acclaim. 2011 saw the release of the raucous Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue—Live!. In 2014, Castro & The Painkillers released The Devil You Know, followed by Method To My Madness in 2015, Stompin’ Ground in 2017, and the irresistible Killin’ It—Live in 2019. With 2021’s A Bluesman Came To Town, Castro told the story of a young musician’s journey through the blues world. AllMusic said the album was “a towering achievement.”

Castro received his fourth prestigious and coveted Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year in 2023. He’s taken home a total of 10 Blues Music Awards and is among the genre’s most decorated artists. Castro’s relentless road-dog approach—gig after gig, 150 nights a year—continues to earn him loyal, lifelong fans everywhere he plays.

Closer to the Bone, his latest album, will be released on 7 February 2025. Connect with Castro online and on the road.