Live Music, Porn, UCF, and the News - Louie Castle & the Rooks #015

In this episode, you have the opportunity to meet Louie Castle and Chris Volpini, of Louie Castle & the Rooks. Louie Castle hails from Pittsburgh, PA. He has played in various venues throughout the city, coffee shops and you might be able to catch him Downtown strumming his guitar on various street corners. Chris Volpini has sworn an oath to protect and serve through the  United States Air Force, but his passion finds him slapping the bass.

Together, they start the podcast with a special recording of their song "Heaven Is Full Enough". Chris states this song is a call to action.

Louie Castle:
IG: @luisorlouie
Spotify: Louie Castle
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6V9Bl...

Chris Volpini:
IG: Chrisvolpini

Host / Editor: Kevin Stalker / @kspeaker9 /

Production Manager: Mike Kampas / @kampasm

Beats: Joe Cal / @josephj_callahan

Don't forget to subscribe, follow us on Instagram @_rawnessofreality, Snapchat @Rawnessreality, and Twitter @rawreality_

Remember, Stay Raw with Reality

Transcript

spk_1:   0:04
welcome to upset 015 For honest, I'm your host, Kevin Stocker. And I'm like the Mike.

spk_0:   0:09
And in this episode, you have the

spk_1:   0:11
opportunity to meet Louis Castle on the road. I'm talking about Louis Castle. Crystal Feeny.

spk_0:   0:15
They were both here is debuting

spk_1:   0:17
my song Live in front of us. That was a sweet performance, man. What do you think? Okay, so enough from us. Here's Louis Castle on the way.

spk_0:   0:47
So, yeah, this is the first song mean Crystal Pini? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This first song we wrote together, we're not. This increases icebox of a basement. I'm a very tropical person off. It was cold. Uh, yeah. It's called having school enough, and we're just gonna wait to play it. Cool soon. Probably Chris's favorite baseline. He actually. How long did you have this baseline? I was still living in Oklahoma City when I wrote it. When did, uh, I wrote it after sharing Jones came out with, um, man. That's their stranger to my happiness. I have one question for you. Yeah, if there's one emotion each individual motion that this song makes you think. What was that? Um, I always viewed this kind of a call to action. So whatever that emotion would be Not anger, but just, uh yeah. No, Definitely, uh, something's wrong and needs to be fixed. For me, this was more like a sympathetic song. Um, you know, it's it's about. It's basically it's a call to end violence. Yes, you know, not just for a certain type people, but for like, like dust in general humans here, you know? So it's kind of like, Oh, no, it's It's a little sad, but it is very uplifting at the end. You know, I don't even want to say too much about it. Is like, you know, we just wait. Yeah, it's a little disco, which is cool. So

spk_1:   2:52
no way. Last kiss, A hobby. You know this place lately? No way. Wait.

spk_0:   5:21
Chris came up with the ending seven years ago. You posted your first YouTube video, and it was It was a cover of daughters covers, yet daughters John Mayer on. That was your first video posted. What gave you the confidence? Supposed that seven years ago. Honestly, I won't. I won't say it like that. Gain the confidence of your like uh, yeah, I was sure I was gonna pick up some some girls. You know, I think I was in. I would like a through something like that. Yeah. I had a really cool It's hard left handed offender dread. And I put Ebony Barton thinks on it yet? Yeah, I remember. I was like, Oh, that's really cool. I was like, You know, I should I should try to, like, you know, emulate that. It was like you. I was being a wrestler. So did you play before you put that out? Yeah. She knew you had some skills and yeah, forgoing tea. All right, So you're Spider Man. Yeah, it's funny. I was a wrestler from, like, fifth grade, up until ninth grade I rest of 1 25 1 35 years. Didn't ROTC talent show with my band? I really wasn't serious. I was more about wrestling. I have defied Spider during the performance, either at the high score in my drummers basement, But I remember, like, I came to my mom's Jesus. An ingrown hair. Is there something else going on? And she was like, So just leave it alone. Just get in the shower, turn The water is hot. You can take it and let it sit on that. I did. And then the next word in my arms and I get sweetie, I got this spider, and basically I didn't go to school for that for five days, and then I never met the wrestling practice or anything. You know, um, I never would I like to stop. I think I actually stole wrestling shoes. That's like, Captain, but yeah, I just saw roughly, um, stuff got really weird. I'm gonna play my Why would band? I played in a band with a life to live alive to live way. We're on V Bono stuff. We paid like money to do this music. Video of clay, Evil incarnate spirit guys really underrated. Fantastic. But, uh, yeah, um, I played in a Christian rock band for, like, three years, and we slowly progressed Plan, sect in their music when we started playing like punk rock pick series, Punk rock. But yeah, I guess. Like spiders. Yes. Oh, wait. I don't understand how this Spider connects yet. Okay, so this Okay, So basically told him he should start playing Yahtzee. Spider bit me and told me I should just play guitar you've been doing it, but basically bit. I stopped wrestling. It was like all my focus. I I like, disconnected from everyone. And basically, when I went back to school after, like, that week there Hey, you're not a practice. Your pussy, bro. You got bit by a spider here. All right? I'm in school, like, with this leg patch on my arm. And I'm, like, always go to the nurse to change my gods and all the steps. I couldn't wrestle, you know, But a lot of people were just like, Oh, yeah, hounding you about was a freshman. And I also like, I had a free varsity spot, like my last two matches. Really, Varsity, Because the guy who wrestled my spot moved up and Carter show really moved up. And I had to. Mercy Ranch is I really thought it was the shit was kind of like a I culture shock. Yes, but it was just like you think you're something and then right when you think you got it, you don't. You know, some weird shit happens. Your arms flows up your bit by spiders, but you're following that. I ran into these. Do the lunch who have these Bibles. And they did Bible study at lunch. I was hate. Like I'm gonna show you guys like my friends. Really? Yeah. You got to get out of here. You like that stuff? My stuff. I mean, it was cool. I'm so grateful for it because, you know, I played in this rock man and it was a Christian rock band. And I really like top man in places like Get a rehearsal with the guys that please Ralph Cinema Hall in a. Basically I would just go play lead guitar because like, they wouldn't teach me the court What they teach with court judge would play the court. I'll just noodle around and it made me like improviser from that. And from there we kept playing and I eventually quit. That's why you said, you're more like a jam band. It, like, naturally happen. But playing worship music, it's really cool because it's super emotional. You know, Chris out actually played Cem. Where should music to his life. But that's what really got me into it. And that was shortly after that. Daughters cover video. Uh, sure, they have to get my spade, But music's always been around my mom. My mom is a singer. She toured of High five. She's been Tokyo's in Amsterdam high fives, his nineties R B group that likes a couple tragedies. My mom, my mom, was the keyboard player in one of the background singers, and she traveled with them, paid and, you know, obviously like that talent transited transcendent meat. My dad was a pro boxer. That's why I was trying to do the rest of the wrestling. Yeah, yeah, the music's always been like, heavily involved in my family like my my great uncle. His name's Carl Black. He's like one of Pittsburgh's legendary funk guitar players. He lives around the West End, and he's like still, you know, to the state plays a Roger Humphries knowledge stuff, and he's like, he's like one of those guys, you know, And he actually, we don't get along too well because when I was 14 he was like, You shouldn't play the top left hand. He's like, you're gonna have a hard life. He was right, because, like, it's so hard to find a good guitar, you know? So, yeah, but did you ever you ever start playing music while you were in the Air Force. I never did it for the Air Force. I mean, I was already playing for I joined a 25 and I was I'd already been playing for almost 10 years when I joined we. No, I mean, not in the I never did anything for the Air Force playing wise. We did. You know, we were deployed a couple times. We would there, there, little music room, and we would have little jam sessions and stuff, but never anything in any official capacity with them now. Now. But, I mean, they they they have that stuff. Yeah, I could be a recruiter for a second. You could do music in the Air Force. Just wasn't Just wasn't for you. Well, I mean, it was I was What did you What did you do in there for? I was a flyer. I was. So I was on the operational side, so it was, uh, we're always critically, man. So you couldn't really do stuff like that, like the music stuff on all that stuff. Like you have to get approved to this things. And I never tried to get approved. They may have done it, but it never interested me. It's It's just I was happier just sitting in that little music room on deployment with with my buddies, you know? So I never I never really pursued it or anything e I saw. You know, I saw the way that I saw how that all operated and just I would rather do the operational stuff. What's your favorite part about a live performance? Uh, no, I don't know. It's just it's a, uh, you know, it's a very much It's a two way thing, like you can play dead room and it's it's really hard, like those Those days were hard when you play dead room and when you still play through that, you played three. Got that job. You always gotta do your job, but you know, it's just not as fun when you know it's It's very and, you know, I've played awesome in front of a dead room, and I've played like crap in front of a room that, you know, it was jumping and and they're both, you know, you're always good as your audience says you are, and so it doesn't matter. It didn't matter that I was awesome. That night the crowd didn't get into it. It didn't matter. And it didn't matter that I sucked the night that the crowd got into it because they were happy. So it's like, uh, it's Ah, it's very much a service thing. You know, you're you're serving whoever's in that establishment. Um, so, you know, I think the crowd reactions a good gauge of what kind of job you're going. But no, never anything with the Air Force? No. So what goes in the life of locations that you shot like past music videos? Oh, so more recently, it seems like they, uh they're a little bit more strategically picked out, but when you were a younger, it seemed like they weren't a strategic. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it might just be luck. I'm gonna play Chrissy you. You're in you? Yeah. Yeah. Chris, you horn tress urine. Chris, you're No, no, you horn. You might want to pronounce his name. Right? Way. His name is Christy Cliche on Instagram. But this guy we met on the street I started street before then. Um, ninth grade. Let all this stuff. I saw you on the street the other day. Yeah, Yeah, um, shoot before me was, like, the best thing for me. But Chris found me on the street, the other Chris Christie cliche, And he was like, Hey, man, he's like you to shoot you. Do you have any songs out I did at this time? And he was like, Can I, you know, give you one of those? Like they see the ones from so far, He's the guy from Super Dude, and he's been awesome. He basically has picked out the cool locations for me, and I just came up and played, but yeah, like Chris said, it kind of has been luck. You know, it's a good energy coming off of Yeah, but when Chris met you, you have one of these right quarter. That's really paid the money he paid me. You guys playing I know gets hard picks and skinny jeans. That's all to say. Doesn't make because you pull out your wallet. Guitar pick follows out. You don't even hear it. So always had quarters and quarters. Is probably why this Martin looks like this with no lacquer on it. But yeah, I mean, sometimes I wouldn't even use 1/4 when I had the cheap strings, wouldn't use accords and wouldn't be able to play for three hours on the street. Yeah, the location. Kind of Davin strategy. Yeah. Yeah. Like the tiny desk was my backyard. Yeah, I It's just it's Did you guys enjoy doing the tiny Destin area that you put on YouTube? Yeah. Yeah, I like it. Last night. A little stage fright with videos I don't like. I always get weird. Video your video. Right now. I'm aware it's just I don't know what it is. I can I can do a 5000 person show, but there's something about video. Just We'll see if you do like a 10 person shape, you know, someone's got their phone recording. Yeah, but nowadays you're welcome. You know, that doesn't bother me either, because I think it's just, like, far enough removed. Okay, camera shy. There's a gig switch with Chris. You know, Chris could be super pissed off with me before getting right. Yeah, I think you drink too much, and then, you know, I'll be I'll be like, Yeah, okay. And then as soon as gave such Chris is in it and you saw it? Chris has always been solid. So could you talk about what? That divine energy is? Divine energy. Oh, yeah. So, yeah. You were checking out the YouTube? Yeah. Wow. I'm on the spot here now because I'm like, I think you've been on the spot. Him here, that life. Like I remember it was traumatic. So God be honestly, okay, I'll see you. All right. So, as above, so below. Okay, you as within So so without. So, yeah, that video is literally about me, like and my my spiritualism was going there because I was like, you know, really, um, I really liked religion. I would love it because I feel like that's what fuels people. But there's symbolism in our daily lives. You see, an elevator that's an up there on a doubt, obviously means up and down. But if there are history, there's there's been this thing with alchemy and the symbolism, like peeking through and like their daily lives. So there is a microcosmic and a macro cosmic thing going on at all times. That's what I really personally I saw. Like I'm a Christian. I guess you can say like I believe in, you know, Christ, I do not like the Christian religion that much, you know. But I like Jesus Christ. Think that's person. You should look up Thio, maybe like do what you want but like me and leave split up Yeah, the as above so below thing is just like it's kind of like what your mind can conceive will achieve. You know what I mean? If you think negatively in your daily life, you'll get that If you look at someone and you have, like, fear, they feel that just like a pit bull. If you like a pit bull, you're scared this pit bull was gonna fuck you up. Yeah, you know. But if you if you like cool, you know, give you a lift in my number one, because that happens. But that's nice. Animals. Yeah, that's pretty much the divine energy. That's what I was trying to convey in that video. It is a macro cosmic and Michael Cosby idea, because I feel like everything that's in our reality is from our own perception, you know? Okay, because it's like you might look at me right now. See me one away. I would see myself another way, and that's like it goes into the as above so below thing. It's like, you know, what is outside of you is a reflection of what's in you. So I feel like the divine energy is basically what you put out there coming back, you know, mentally physically. Have you heard of the secret? Yeah. Yeah. OK, so it's kind of somewhere. Yeah. The law of Attraction. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. That's exactly what it isyou know. And like I said, the symbolism it comes through in our lives, you know? Um, yeah, my one of my closest friends is really I guess she's like my mentor. He's actually the guy who had the Bible like I played in a band with, but like, he's the one who's kind invested that knowledge into me that applied to certain things in my life. You know, You see me on the street, you know, street performing and like, I'll be honest. It's really hard out there to do it because it's just like I get calls from my parents and hey, be careful out there. They see you out there with a water money and all this stuff because it looks like a lot you know what it's really like. 60 bucks, like, you know, that's what I make. On average, it's pretty cool for 60 day. Yeah. 60 day, Uh, and it's basically a bunch of ones. And you get lucky and you get some fives and whatever. Yeah, Yeah, that's that's, like my second. Did you just play? Is that with? No, I played. I've been working. I'm greased That Still interested? Which Awesome. So people should come check you out over there gets way. We do an event called first Friday. Who's thing? It's growing. First Friday was just two days ago. Yeah. What was that like? It was pretty cool. We had an artist named Super No. J so can Okay. And he does. You know, he did a Spiderman piece? Yeah. And he did a supposed to defuse. Okay. Yeah, on those, we're gonna be right there. Yes, there's there. There's and it's not raining today, so they're They're Well, they're right here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, they're they're out there, but yeah, that's that's what I do that fuels my my creativity. The caffeine are weak creatures of consumption. Yes. Go. Yeah. You are what you eat. You are going to be inaudibly there visually, you know, for this. What do you think? Um I mean, we're the weeds for me, but I look at it like being creatures of consumption. Mean you have the choice to consume whatever. But as you are a creature of consumption, you're continually consuming at all times. So even though you have the choice, regardless of your choices where you choose to be, what you choose to be around, what you choose to consume is, yes, your choice. But it's also a choice. That is a reflection. Past choices that put you into the situation then. Yeah. Yeah. So that's think that I think you're seeing that now with, like, the current state of things. I don't want to go down that road too far. But what radio? Uh, like what's going on politically and things. But like, you know, they, um, I saw an interview with the former President Obama. That was really interesting about it. Like they're talking about how they had three people essentially and like across the political spectrum and like the way that, like the social media algorithms and things work like that, each person was being shown like things that kept them in their bubble. So that's what you to your question, I think it can. I think I think that if you're just like I think it's another way of saying is nature versus nurture. I think if you're constantly nurtured by a certain thought process or a certain thing that you're gonna idle at that, you're gonna naturally go to that. Um, okay, and I don't think it's always a bad thing, But I think it can be. I get ads. I just feel I feel like that's why you have to watch you surround yourself with and what you listen to, what you have. You You know, since we have political, I'll just say like a lot of people watch like porn, you know, like, yeah, okay. And that could possibly be harmful for you. A lot of people watch. You have seat. You know, A lot of people watch the news, and it's like it's all what you take in. You know, Would you say there's a lot of people who do only those three you have See porn Anthony's Yeah, yeah, I mean, you're saying that is harmful. If you're choosing certain he could be. I guess what I'm saying is, it all hasn't effect on you when you take in, you know, like I don't know. Sometimes I wake up and I'll go downstairs and, you know, the TV's on from last night, and that's, you know, the news or something, or it's whatever. And it's like that sets the tone for your day. So it's like, I want to hit on what you just said. Sometimes you wake up. Yeah, but we all wake up hopefully every day until we don't. And then, uh while Mike and I, uh, Mike's every Hey, you guys didn't know everything. Uh, yeah. Mic the mic guy s o Mike and I were talking on the podcast. It's Episode five I want to say about when you wake up and you look at your phone. Yeah, and right away you look, your father and I fall victim to that. Probably like Ford five days out of the week. The first thing I do sometimes is I look at my phone and automatically I'm choosing to consume. Thanks. My phone. Yeah. And I think the days I don't I wake up with a mindful attitude but the days I do choose my phone, it takes me a little bit longer to get out of that rut and get, like, get to get to focusing on what it is actually beneficial to my life at the same time, that could be helpful. You know, Wake up. Look at your phone. Because I swear me as a street performer, I've woken up and not even taken my phone outside the house. Get this guitar. Came home to get to score. When we get out of town, barely do my thing. And you don't look at the weather. Yeah, and you get down there. That's 12 55. I think that what that that entails is it's, uh It's good to have a daily routine. Yeah. Yes. And some something within the morning routine to be Tia had a formed habit in which you then have some type of structure so that things like simple things, like checking the weather, being prepared for what? The day has to come. You're prepared, Thio acknowledge. Yeah, yeah, I also play. It's a good balance that they're having a good bounce. Yeah, yeah, What comes down to you because like I don't know. I mean, some people are hyper productive and they wake up, they get on the phone, he said, replying Instagram. But I'll be honest. Like, uh, one of the most hardworking people. Plug him again is actor writer. I know this deer is up in the morning, you know, and he's getting stuff happen. And he's probably messaging people. Is like I talked to Zach sometimes seven. In the morning, and I'm like, Hey, I'm like, but, uh, I don't have data on my phone. So, you know, I could hear from me for a while. You're not there and he's on it. And that's why this guy's making money, you know? So it's like it's all about having a balance that I feel like it's finding your niche, you know? So would you say, as Louis Castle in the rocks, You guys have found your niche? Yeah, we're definitely like we're moving in this awesome direction. Like things have happened from the start. We're open for Stanley Jordan. We're recording every John Hamilton this. And you're doing that in West Virginia, right? Yeah. Okay. So the thing with Ezra is when I was coming up a long time ago when they first invented the bass guitar. There was this guy like I was a young kid, but there was this guy I would always go see. Um and it was he was a little bit older than me. I think he was like, he's in his forties, so I think he's on. He's almost 10 years older than me, but, like, he would always just blow my mind when I would see him. And, um, it just I got So when you enlist in the Air Force at the time, you automatic. I put in this delayed enlistment program because they had too many people at that time. So you would you you know, you would swear in all that and then you might wait. Some people waited, you know, years I waited, I think six months and I finally I saw this. He was looking for a bass player, and I'm like, Oh, my God, I'm nail this and met up with him and I did the audition, got the gig, and we're supposed to play her for a show, got canceled by the venue, and then he had me slated for the next show and then I got the call to leave. It's never actually got to play with other than a couple of rehearsals and stuff. And, uh but, you know, I got back into it. I actually I went to see him play. He's from Wheeling, but he plays a lot around here, so he's very much plugged into the Pittsburgh music scene. Do you still Would you like to play with him? Yes, but he has a great bass player. And you know the only thing if he can't make it, you know, it's gonna be like Tide meeting Coach E. I'll give him his name's Luke Dollar. He is also an M J C ironworks. Artest's first time. First time. This isn't the first time from British time, but here we are. That run. It did. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna put two minutes on the on the clock. All right? Okay. And I'm gonna ask you guys questions as three questions each. We're just gonna eat service. There's no rush on eating this, Sim. Please don't rush eating. But if I eat but if I do rush, I could eat more of them in two minutes. Yes, Yes, I'm gonna send it here. There is an outside lemonade. Strawberry water, my lawn. All right, um, so I'm gonna hit it. And then once I hit it, you can open it up and just stay inside rates. All right? So All right. Favorite musician John John Guy favorite musician. I since I'm under the gun with your Jamerson James Jamerson. Okay. Favorite paintings. Favorite painting. Exactly. Right. Yeah. Gonna be pleased If you would choose a book to read and a handmade What book would be the Odyssey? The office is love And if you could think of one quote that encapsulates your life what would that quote be? I'm a grandma. I don't know if she came up, but whatever the mind can t Well, she she told me that. And it's true. I'm hyper contract. I've always been afraid. The lake? Well, no, I mean your poison, but I'm, like, afraid of random shit Like pigeons, which is reared them always downtown pigeons freak me the fuck out. So I was like, That's how people could sit, Got slapping your ways. What does rawness of reality means to you? Um being really in the moment caught me off guard today. Asked you about video. I'm like my mind is completely like, you know, im Yeah, well, but yeah, I feel like I'm being really, you know, I feel super comfortable. You think I'm talking to you guys saying we're talking from my mom? Yeah. Which is this? Yes. Huh? Glimpse into my life made my mom really intimate relationship to point words like talk or whatever. Yeah, so feel that. So I think it's I think we just saw it. Yeah. So it's It's, you know, you're describing like, how when you get to true reality and not necessarily what is portrayed as reality. What's that front? Well, it's like it's it could be raw on. This is That's what you're trying to capture. And you you got you got any, like show. Is there anything coming up? Yeah, well, the U s. So this is the plug face. I don't know when anything's happened on a day to day thing. Chris knows this wasn't Yes, I did. Yeah. So look around festival that we were talking about, put on by a super monkey and others dressing entertainments and on it remembered one on. And there's other people, too. But they that's gonna be on September 7th Saturday and they're getting They got a great headliner on dhe. It's gonna be a really great festival. We're I mean, just to be on the ticket. You know that roof quick. I didn't know dress yet. Anything to do with this? This is really cool. When I was 16. Wait, you just found out this just now. I'm out there. I like you know, I for my five times problem. Yeah, Chrissy Chris is my home. You really sold me on a lot of getting together because he's got the skill set. And, you know, uh, he's he's a good dude, but yeah, I have banned from the Rex theater when the exterior was right. You remember the Rex Theater and South Side? It's still there. Yeah. I'm not the exterior. I'm sorry. Across the street. Well, Skybar No, diesel diesel. Yeah, I think so. I have banned from diesel because I completely I sold 12 tickets to a show 16 to ST and I just could not show up to the show. And then they called me and I was just like, yeah, I was like, you know what I have broken up with. Actually, I was like, Yeah, I was like, I'm having a mental breakdown. I'm 16 is like, you know, I didn't say that, but yeah, but that was a dressy show. And I remember him saying, booking you again, you know? And here you are getting booked for addressing you. Also, my name is maybe don't remind. I used to be a movie's. Cast it. Well, this is a Roman. I used to be. Luis Castillo. You are still? Yeah. Yeah. I just recently was able to change the face of Paige Louis Castle with solo one. Yeah, that's that's all

spk_1:   34:11
I have for you guys. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Louis Castle in the woods today. I hope you guys enjoyed listening. Thank you guys for watching. Please remember to, like, comment and subscribe. It helps us grow. Helps the artists are episodes can only get better. I want to give a big thank you to my car. My guy and Joe cow on with beets. And remember, stay wrong with react