reno blues music

Multiple award-winning, California-based blues and rock sensation Tommy Castro is the guiatar slinging, soul-singing leader of the telepathically tight and wildly raucous Tommy Castro & The Painkillers. He’s released 17 previous albums over the course of his four-decade career. Each release features its own individual sound and style, ranging from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues and soul to fiery, stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll . With his new album, Closer To The Bone, Castro has returned to his roots, delivering what he calls “a real blues record, the way they would have made them back in the day.” Closer To The Bone is the most unvarnished, straight-ahead blues release of Castro’s career, one that bristles with every ounce of his dynamic energy and raw emotion.

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. The Washington Post says Castro is “phenomenal and funky” with “soulful vocals and inspired blues guitar.” Famed guitarist Joe Bonamassa says “Tommy has always been top of the heap among blues guitar players. He always puts on a great show.”