Starting off the 21th annual Sundays in the Park concert series will be the electric vein-popping blues of Tommy Castro & the Painkillers.

Ever since he first picked up a guitar, Tommy Castro believed. He believed he would not only be able to make a living playing music, but could develop his own signature sound, fusing blues with R&B and roots rock ‘n’ roll. And he has done just that.

Since forming his own band and relentlessly touring the world, he has become one of the blues’ top drawing artists and best-loved performers, known worldwide for his impassioned vocals, forceful guitar work, striking songwriting and galvanizing live show. Castro’s contagious, boyish energy and his uncanny ability to connect one-on-one with his fans – who often travel great distances to watch him play — have made him and his horn-fueled band among the blues world’s busiest, most popular acts.

In the mid-1990s The Tommy Castro Band served as the house band for three seasons on NBC Television’s Comedy Showcase (airing right after Saturday Night Live), bringing him in front of millions of viewers every week. In 2001 and 2002 the legendary B.B. King asked Castro to open his summer concert tours. Castro received an open invitation to join the King Of The Blues on stage for the nightly finale. For the last 15 years, Castro has rarely been off the road, playing over 150 shows a year, each one a spontaneous and exhilarating testament to the power of live music.

Castro, among the hardest working musicians in any genre, won the coveted 2008 and 2010 Blues Music Awards for Entertainer Of The Year. His 2009 debut Hard Believer earned the #1 spot on the Living Blues Radio Chart, was #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Chart, and it even crossed over to rock radio where it was the # 2 Most Added Record at the Adult Album Alternative (AAA) format the week the album was released.  All of this attention helped land Castro on the cover of the January 2011 issue of Blues Revue, who called Castro “the most dangerous man in the blues.”

Free

The City of Ukiah Community Services Department is now accepting applications for concessionaires wishing to sell food or non-alcoholic beverages at this year’s Sundays in the Park Concerts, and the All American Picnic in the Park.  Vendor applications are now available on-line at www.cityofukiah.com and at the Community Services Department at 411 W. Clay St.
 
Concessions will be screened to avoid duplication.  The best vendor spaces fill up fast.  Hurry and call the Community Services Department at 463-6231 for more information. If you, your club or business would like to sign up as a food vendor for the 2012 Ukiah Sundays in the Park 21st year, now is the time!