(SOLD OUT) Jason Castro + Camera Can't Lie + Michael Castro May 13, 2010

In August 2007, Castro decided to try out for American Idol (an experience he calls "an awesome boot camp for singers") when the auditions were held in Dallas. "I had watched Chris Daughtry do something different on the show and I started scheming, like, ‘There hasn't really been anyone on Idol like me - a serious singer-songwriter who plays guitar.'" After impressing the judges, he made it to Hollywood. Week after week, he won over audiences with a number of memorable performances ("Over the Rainbow," "Daydream," and "Hallelujah" to name a few) accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and ukulele (the show's first-ever contestant to play an instrument onstage). Castro's rendition of "Over the Rainbow" hit No. 1 on iTunes, while "Hallelujah" proved such an audience favorite that Jeff Buckley's cover of the song hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart the following week, selling an astonishing 178,000 digital singles, and propelling the song to platinum status. After the season's conclusion, Castro hit the road, performing on the hugely successful "American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008."

When the tour ended, Castro moved to Los Angeles and began writing songs, eventually signing a deal with Atlantic Records, because he felt the folks at the label understood his desire to make an authentic artistic recording. "Some people come off of Idol and sing what's given to them, which is cool, but I sing because it's an outlet for me to express the things I want to say. Atlantic understood that and wanted to help me take my writing and performing to the next level." Castro went into the studio with Eric Rosse in June 2009 to start recording his first album. "Overall our focus was to keep it really natural and not lose the magic of the voice," Castro says. "When you play with a band, the vocals can sometimes get washed away, so we tried to pull back whatever wasn't necessary. Eric has a history of making really organic, but still commercially appealing records. I couldn't have done it without him."

The result is a truly heartfelt record about love that relays what Castro calls a positive message of love and acceptance. "That's really the common thread running through the songs - loving somebody and accepting them for who they are." Though many of the songs are personal to him, Castro doesn't mind giving listeners a view into his world.

http://www.myspace.com/jasoncastromusic
http://www.jasoncastromusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cameracantlie
http://www.myspace.com/michaelcastromusic

Official Website: http://www.jamminjava.com/