Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Raymond Castronovo originally hails from Brooklyn, but currently calls Riverhead his home. He heads up the critically acclaimed band Streetwise, which is slated to headline the Unity for Veterans benefit concert, a fundraiser this upcoming Saturday, November 2nd at The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, NY.
“About a year ago, I held a concert to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and we sold out the Suffolk Theater and raised $45,000 for them,” Raymond said. “Fast-forward to 2024, and I had a friend, Chris McNamara, who is involved with Paws of War, which trains service dogs for military veterans. I asked Chris if there was anything I could do to help the vets, and he put me in contact with a woman named Shannon Boyle from an organization called New Ground, which helps veterans and their families on Long Island struggling with homelessness.”
It was at this point Raymond discovered that Long Island actually has a shockingly high degree of homelessness amongst its military veteran population, and that revelation is what fueled his desire to put on the upcoming benefit concert for this vulnerable population.
“I didn't realize that Suffolk County has the highest homeless veteran rate in the entire country,” he said. “I said to myself, ‘how can this happen when this country gives so much money away, and these guys can't even get a meal or a roof over their head?’ We have to at least try to help them, so I partnered up with New Ground, and all the proceeds for the Unity for Veterans benefit concert are going to them to aid in their mission.”
The show will also feature special guests patriotic singing group American Bombshells, who will belt out the national anthem as well as some of their most popular songs.
The Unity for Veterans benefit concert will start at 6:30 pm with doors opening at 5:30 pm. Sponsorship packages and individual tickets for the concert are available for purchase online HERE.
Music has been in Raymond's blood since an early age; he noted that his first real exposure came when he was still growing up in his native Brooklyn, and he knew it would remain a part of his life forevermore. However, eventually fate stepped in, and he was forced to put his dreams on hold in order to become a responsible husband and father.
“When I was 12, a friend of mine played guitar, Warren Cuccurullo – who would later go on to play with Frank Zappa – and whenever he played, it always had an attraction for me,” he said. “So, I went to the same guitar teacher as Warren, and as time went by, I began writing music and I started my first band and we began touring. We were eventually approached by a record label, but as a young Italian in Brooklyn, I had a child coming and that's when I decided to put everything on hold because I had to raise a family.”
Raymond would go on to start his own successful construction company, but unable to shed the impact music had had on his soul, he started playing numerous side gigs over the years, continuing to forge his reputation in the field.
As his children grew older, Raymond's thoughts drifted back to his semi-aborted musical career, and the idea of it never being too late to pursue your dreams took hold of him. Purchasing a large building in Riverhead provided the impetus for him to embrace his passions once again.
“It was a building that I had purchased from a fraternity, and when I saw that there was a large ballroom on the third floor, I told my daughter Cassandra that I was going to give it another shot. I had done it once before, and I'm going to do it again,” he said. “I started my own label, Dayquest Records. I went into that ballroom and I started writing music, and then I reached out to the original recording studio I dealt with in my youth, The Hit Factory in Manhattan – responsible for countless platinum and gold records – and I ended up forming my current band, Streetwise, and recording a lot of material there.”
For Streetwise, Raymond hand-picked a variety of talented musicians, and the group released their acclaimed debut album, Crossing Bridges in 2021, followed by three equally well-received EPs, The Other Side in 2022, The Road Ahead in 2023, and Appetite for Unity this past June.
In an industry where bands normally stick to one musical style only, Streetwise is known for tackling a diverse array of genres, reflecting the many different artists that have had a strong influence over Raymond throughout the years.
“I learned from the Legends. Growing up, I learned from B.B. King, Freddie King, the old Blues guys, and then Motown kicked in, and so on,” he said. “When someone asks what kind of genre Streetwise plays, I don't have an answer, so I made up my own genre: 'Music Stew.' We have a touch of Blues, a touch of Motown, dance music, ballads...it's a mix of all of them, because I love all music. I just don't focus on one genre.”
Ultimately, Raymond has no regrets about setting aside his music career in his youth in order to raise his family, but he is now relishing this second opportunity to once again fully embrace the passion for the art form that has gestated within his soul for all these years.
“It's one of the best addictions anyone can have. I run a construction company, but I'm up every morning at 4:30 a.m. and the first thing I do is my music,” he said. “I break that guitar out, and while the rest of the world is sleeping, I just create and practice and I work on that instrument, because there are endless possibilities. I strive for success, and I always work hard at what I do, and I just want to keep getting better and better as I get older.”
To find out more about Raymond Castronovo and Streetwise, please visit their official website at https://www.streetwiseny.com.
For tickets, sponsorship packages and more info on the Unity for Veterans benefit concert at The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on November 2nd, please visit https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/Ge9L4Q?vid=18kjk7.