By Rick Zeigler—
MUNCIE, IN –Blues Music Award winners Tommy Castro & the Painkillers will be returning to Muncie to perform a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County and will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 29th at Canan Commons (500 S. Walnut Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. Muncie’s own Lovesick Moan will open the show.
Whether he’s squeezing out the deepest blues or playing the funkiest soul grooves, legendary blues and soul giant Tommy Castro knows how to ignite a crowd. Over the course of his still-unfolding career, the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has released 16 albums ranging from horn-fueled soul and R&B to piping hot blues to fiery rock ‘n’ roll. He’s performed all over the world, earning countless fans with his legendary, sweat-drenched, exhilarating live shows. Castro’s band, The Painkillers—bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown, and keyboardist Michael Emerson—have now been playing together over seven years.
After hundreds of live shows, they have coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, making them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today. “This is the best band we’ve ever had,” says Castro. We really got something going on beyond just being good musicians. Every song we play live now has that right feel—all the dynamics. It allows us to jam out more on stage.”
No Depression says “Castro plays gritty, string-bending blues like a runaway soul train…a glorious blend that rocks the soul and lifts the spirits,” while Blues Revue simply states, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”
Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Tommy Castro first picked up a guitar at age 10. Castro formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1991, releasing his debut album in 1996 on the Blind Pig label. During the 1990s and into the 2000s, Castro recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums for various labels, then hooked up with Alligator Records in 2009, releasing Hard Believer to massive acclaim. In 2022, hot on the heels of his latest release, A Bluesman Comes to Town, Castro and his band snagged Blues Music Awards for Album of the Year, Band of the Year, and, for the third time, the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (considered by many to be the very highest award a blues performer can receive). His relentless road-dog approach—gig after gig, night after night—has won him loyal, lifelong fans everywhere he plays. We are happy to welcome Tommy Castro and the Painkillers back to the Muncie Three Trails stage.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
Complete information about the Three Trails series can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com
