Chris Castino with Chicken Wire Empire

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Tyler Hellbeck

Chris Castino with Chicken Wire Empire

The Big Wu emerged from Minnesota in the early Nineties and went on to become one of the biggest jam bands in the world. More recently, founding guitarist Chris Castino teamed with Milwaukee jamgrass heroes Chicken Wire Empire to reimagine some of The Big Wu’s material and make those songs sound the way they originally were written — as basic bluegrass tunes. The result of this effort can be heard on Fresh Pickles, the collaborative’s tasty new album that sounds as vintage as it does refreshing. Bring your barn-dancing shoes.

media release: Chris Castino, the primary songwriter for The Big Wu, recently took the opportunity, while sitting through COVID-19 lock-downs in 2020 and 2021, to arrange some of his catalog into impeccably fitting bluegrass tunes with the incredibly talented band Chicken Wire Empire from Milwaukee, WI. With many of Chris’ lifelong musical heroes collaborating, including several GRAMMY winning artists in the bluegrass and Americana: Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Andy Hall, Vince Herman, Nick Forster, Keller Williams, and Adam Greuel, this feels like a classic bluegrass album and sounds instantly familiar. 

Met with critical acclaim, including premieres in The Bluegrass Situation, Relix, and Glide, as well as significant radio airplay and on the air in over 25 states—the album hit #4 on the Alt Country Chart, landed in the top ten at #7 on the Relix/Jamband Radio Charts, and is on the rise in Americana and Bluegrass radio. 

Bluegrass Today’s Lee Zimmerman calls it, “an album for the ages” and Americana Highways’ John Apice writes, “These musicians must enjoy what they do because their joy translates through their instruments. The energy, fingering techniques, are all proponents that deliver substance with a modicum of joy. There aren’t any low points, missteps, loss of heat in any of these melodies.”

Fresh Pickles is a light-hearted, down-home concept that plays with the idea that although some of the songs were written many years before, they now feel brand new. Fresh. The album highlights some of his most beloved tunes with a classic 70’s and 80’s alt-bluegrass sound; it features stomping rippers and sweet, harmonic ballads, as well as a taste of genre-shifting psychedelic rides. Fresh Pickles was independently released February 4 and is now available to stream and purchase → https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/chriscastinowithchickenwireempire/fresh-pickles.

Chris says, “What turned out to be just something to occupy our time while we weren't touring, became something outstanding. It brings me joy to hear how these songs in particular have been given new life. For music lovers who are unfamiliar with my songs I truly believe that this record will be a fresh experience for them. It's not essential to understand the history of these songs to appreciate them.” 

Album co-producer Adam Greuel (Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, The High Hawks) says, “I've always heard and felt the influence of bluegrass music on Caz's songwriting. Lyrically, his content and themes seem to occasionally draw from that tradition, while the music has hints of that bluegrass drive or perhaps the sweetness of a traditional waltz. When Castino gave me a ring and explained that he was interested in breathing some new life into some of his more loved Big Wu classics by way of bluegrass, my initial reaction was raw excitement.”

Fresh Pickles can be seen as a retrospective and reexamination of Castino’s music through a bluegrass lens. The album features 11 original songs penned by Castino. All of which, but one, were first released on four of The Big Wu’s five studio albums spanning from 1997-2019. The Big Wu is a longtime popular Minnesota-based rock’n’roll jamband who formed in 1992. The band’s momentum was driven by Castino’s catchy songwriting and the band’s hefty tour schedule in the late 90’s early 00’s, which launched the band into becoming a mainstay in the national roots and jamband scene as a full-time touring commodity for years. They had quickly ascended from the comforts of the local club scene to playing H.O.R.D.E Fest, Bonnaroo (being the first band to perform at the inaugural event), Gathering of the Vibes, High Sierra, and the list goes on.

Castino’s early passion for bluegrass music was cultivated by his father, a professional singer of standards, who was captivated by that plaintive, lonesome vocal style. He says, “I learned all he could from the weekly dose of bluegrass served, like some foreign cuisine to the northern city folk of Minneapolis who knew not the traditions of the southern hill folk, by host Phil Nusbaum and his 35+ years long running radio show Bluegrass Saturday Morning on local community radio: to this day.” Captivated, he began to steer his composing down this road. 

Fresh Pickles aims to satisfy your cravings and is just the beginning of Castino’s heartfelt and fulfilling voyage into bluegrass. Always true to the tradition and authentic in presentation, Fresh Pickles is packed with great music. 

Watch Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire Perform “Rhode Island Red” → https://youtu.be/tQ3rObJaq-o

What folks are saying:

“With Fresh Pickles, Chris Castino has remade himself in the guise of a personable picker, one who’s adept at plying personality, skill, and satisfaction in equal measure. It may be his first bid for bluegrass credibility, but he can also lay claim to the fact he’s made an indelible impression in the process.” —Bluegrass Today, Lee Zimmerman

“Chris Castino made his name with his jam band The Big Wu. Chicken Wire Empire is a progressive bluegrass band from Wisconsin. Together, they’re a match made in musical heaven. They teamed up to rework 11 of Castino’s songs into full-blown bluegrass tunes on Fresh Pickles.

—Outsider, Clayton Edwards

“Some tunes are firecrackers & others are dynamite. ‘Red Sky,’ is a workout that smokes. Guest fiddle-player Sam Bush provides the drive on this splendid tune. What makes Castino special is his ability to keep the bluegrass recipe spiced up with genre-shifting. He adds hints of 60s psychedelia, harmonic ballads, yet keeps it true to the tradition. This isn’t a novelty record; the songs are serious & well-played…”—Americana Highways, John Apice

“This album is a collection of eleven beautifully complex and wonderfully arranged songs that highlight the lyrics and vocal abilities of Chris Castino. As the Big Wu fans have come to expect from him, he has delivered a masterpiece, a guided tour through a rootsy tapestry of sound that will make them all feel at home, even if in a slightly different musical environment… This is definitely an album for all Bluegrass fans ... a triumph of technical ability bonded perfectly with the accessibility of the songs. An excellent addition to any country or bluegrass playlist… some astonishing music.”

—Alan Cackett (UK)

“...the energy from the stage was powerful…the room even had a similar festival feel as The Big Wu show… the best part was standing near fans, who would shout within seconds of the song starting the title of the new Jam turned Bluegrass song and the delight of fans of Chris and the Chicken Wire Empire. It’s fun to get a new look (or listen) at music.”

—Mostly Minnesota, Ann Treacy (Live show review Hook & Ladder 1/28/22)

“The Big Wu play a fairly large role in my high school and college days. I grew up in Aberdeen, SD, which seemed to be a common tour stop for the band. We even got a shoutout on the song 'Red Sky' (‘from Butte to Aberdeen’) and a nickname from the band, the Aberdeen Army… Each of these songs brings me to a place of nostalgia in the best possible way. That said, they are reimagined in a way that is still familiar and at the same time totally fresh pickles.”

—KAXE, Kari Hedlund

“…don’t worry if you’re not familiar with The Big Wu, for this album can certainly function as an introduction to the band’s music. As long as you like good songwriting and appreciate some fine bluegrass playing, you’ll enjoy this album.”

—Michael Doherty’s Music Log

“It is so great to hear Chris playing and singing with some of the best in the ever-expanding bluegrass world. To go from one of the seminal jambands of my young adult life to a bluegrass outfit is a testament to his versatility. Always loved Chris's voice!”  —Adam Ajala (Yonder Mountain String Band)

“Castino is one witty and wild loon. His lyrics tell a vivid story and his chord progressions are often that lovely balance between familiar and boundary-pushing.” —Adam Greuel

"It’s fun to collaborate with old bros. This direction seems to make sense for Chris. Storytelling and quick picking is right up his alley." —Keller Williams