Beaverstock Line Up So Far…

April 25, 2014

The fun and excitement never stops here at Castoro Cellars and this week in particular has been very exciting! After a lot of anticipation we started rolling out our Saturday Line Up so far for Beaverstock. You never know how people are going to react or even what they expect but we couldn’t be happier with the line up of musicians we’ve got on the bill.

Our Saturday headliner, Allen Stone, is an artist I am particularly excited about and feel very fortunate to have gotten. Although you may not have heard of Allen, his talent is once in a generation and because of that he has been featured on David Letterman, Conan O’brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live at Daryl’s House, Ellen Degeneres and more. He is often compared to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield and many other great soul singers from the 60s and 70s. Growing up in Eastern Washington, Allen is the son of a minister and began singing in the church at a young age. Now 27 years old, he tours worldwide and his live version of his song “Unaware” has been viewed over 3,000,000 times on YouTube! After performing on the Conan O’brien show, Conan exclaimed, “That was phenomenal, good God! Really that was just crazy…” In short, we are in for a treat as this young man is on his way to the top.

Another band I am very excited about on Saturday is a band from Austin Texas by the name of the Band of Heathens. I was fortunate enough to open for them at SLO Brew a couple years ago and was blown away by their blend of Americana, classic rock, folk and blues. With two lead singers and great harmony vocals it’s tough to not fall for these guys. The band also features keyboards/organ, drums, bass and great guitar playing. Their sound is authentic and their live show is not to be missed!

Now on to Eric Bibb, a tasting room/SLO Folks favorite, blues legend and powerful troubadour with one of the most touching stage presences I have ever experienced. Eric has played Castoro many times over the years and I have been fortunate enough to see him play at Live Oak, Laxson Auditorium in Chico amongst other great venues. Not only is his music wonderful, his presence will make the hairs on the back of your neck tingle. Some people have this gift and Eric is one of those people.

Like last year, the two opening acts will feature some of the best local talent, something I feel very proud of. We have great musicians in our local community and it is important to support and encourage their journeys. A band by the name of Próxima Parada out of San Luis Obispo is one of these bands and I’m very excited about the path they are on. Currently recording their debut album, Próxima Parada has taken the local scene by storm and will definitely put on a great show at Beaverstock. Blending funk, soul, folk and rock you will have a hard time staying off the dance floor for these guys.

Eager Beaver discounted tickets are on sale now for a limited time and more bands are TBA with our Sunday line up to be released soon. I hate to keep you waiting, but trust me, Sunday is looking really good! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Luke

Castoro Rocks the Big Apple!

April 21, 2014

As some of you may have heard, Castoro Cellars wines were featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony this year (along with other great central coast wines) and our very own Greg Phifer and his wife Marsha attended the event. Below is Greg’s first hand rendition of the experience. Enjoy!

Last Thursday evening my lovely wife Marsha and I attended the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame Induction Awards in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was an honor to go there and represent Castoro Cellars Winery and their sponsorship of the ceremonies. It was also an evening of musical performances that I will never forget. Peter Gabriel opened up with “Diggin in the Dirt” and then killed it with “In Your Eyes”. Cat Stevens’ voice sounded as youthful as ever as he nailed “Wild World” and “Father and Son”. Hall ‘n Oates rocked out with “I Can’t Go For That”, “She’s Gone” and “You Make My Dreams Come True”.

Bruce Springsteen inducted the E Street Band and performed a soulful “The River” and then tore up the place with “Kitty’s Back in Town”. The survivors of Nirvana (the band that single handedly ended the Metal Glam Band run in the late 80’s and started the grunge/ garage band era) honored the late Kurt Cobain with great renditions of “Smells Like Team Spirit” and “All Apologies”. But I think for both my wife and myself we enjoyed the Linda Ronstandt tribute the most. Glen Frey ( whose band The Eagles were Linda’s first backing band) along with Stevie Nicks, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris put together five part harmonies on “You’re No Good”, “Blue Bayou”, “It’s So Easy”,”Different Drum”, and “When Will I Be Loved”. That was chilling. Linda did not attend because of her battle with Parkinson’s.

Thank you Niels and Bimmer for making this dream trip come true. Castoro Cellar’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 was front and center at all the artist and VIP’s tables. And according to Joel Peresman,(President and CEO of the HOF Foundation) our wines were the favorites of the night.
This show will be broadcast on Saturday May 31 on HBO. Do not miss it.

Cheers,

Greg