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After more than 47 years on the East Coast music circuit, the Skip Castro Band is still filling dance floors with its enduring mix of rock, blues and boogie.
The group will return to Jammin’ Java in Vienna for an 8 p.m. show Friday, May 15. The venue at 227 Maple Ave. E has remained a regular stop for the semi-local band, whose affordable performances continue to attract longtime fans.
Skip Castro never reached the commercial heights of the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin, but its members built a devoted following by opening for prominent blues acts and touring college towns. Guitarist Bo Randall said the band played campuses extensively, particularly when the drinking age was 18.
One of its signature songs, “Boogie at Midnight,” remains a centerpiece of the live show. Keyboardist Danny Beirne sings, dances and jams through the party anthem, which became an MTV video in the early 1980s. The video embraced a 1950s-inspired look featuring poodle skirts, polka dots and saddle shoes.
The band traces its beginnings to the University of Virginia, where Charlie Pastorfield and Corky Schoonover developed the idea while attending classes. Their musical backgrounds included influences from the Virgin Islands and Berklee School of Music. The group’s name came from a stage name Schoonover had previously used.
Beirne, who also had ties to Charlottesville, and Randall joined the lineup as the band established itself on the regional touring circuit.
Skip Castro is also scheduled to perform July 29 at Burke Lake Park as part of the Springfield Nights concert series. The band has appeared there before, and its UVA roots have inspired lighthearted rivalry jokes with concert host and Virginia Tech graduate Pat Herrity, the Springfield District supervisor.
Herrity said the group has a large following among UVA alumni and East Coast fans who are now raising families in Northern Virginia. He said the free park concert gives those listeners an opportunity to share familiar music, dance and spend time with family and friends.