Frontman: Richard Castelli of Poor Richard and the Almanacs

COURTESY PHOTO Richard Castelli, on guitar, performs with his band, Poor Richard and the Almanacs with Bob Jones, right, on bass and Bret Hendersot, on drums. Richard Castelli has the appearance of one who is wise. Kindness emanates through his lenses. His beard - well trimmed; his head - hairless. A literate, picky music lover, he's witty, charming and writes his own songs.

About four years ago, Richard Castelli, 43, formed Poor Richard and the Almanacs, an act that has been playing locally with some fanfare. These included spots at several Art Royale festivals and various shows downtown. He played by himself before forming the band, his work often set to an acoustic guitar and folk-inspired. Some of the clubs the band once played have closed. These include the Liquid Café and Euphora's, both of which were once on Main Street, downtown.

"If you turned around and it was gone," Castelli said of Euphora's ill fate.

The band, which includes Castelli, Florida Weekly music critic Bob Jones (bass) and Bret Hendersot (drummer) will be playing Art Royale - the fabulous outdoor art exhibition put on by the Alliance for the Arts - again this year.

Castelli spoke about the band and his song writing.

"I met Bob years ago when I was just playing around," Castelli said. "I put together a band called Carmichaels and we were together for about a year and we broke up. A few years after that...Bob and I sort of drifted back into playing together. And the three-piece was good and we were enjoying ourselves and just sort of kept going."

Asked to open up about himself, Castelli kept things tight.

He did share that he was single.

"I'm a helluva catch, though, mention that," Castelli said.

Castelli has lived in Lee County for 32 years and it comes as close to home as possible, though he was born in Des Plaines, Illinois.

"We moved around a lot before I was 9," Castelli said.

Castelli has had many day jobs, most of which involved two of his key interests: books and music.

"I've done a little bit of everything," Castelli said. "I ran a book store. I ran a comic book shop for a couple of years. I've mostly worked in record stores. I worked in Rainbow Records for 10 or 12 years...when I wasn't working I spent a few years in college."

His interest in music and playing it goes back even further than he can remember.

"I started playing...I think I always played something," he said. "I played clarinet in school. I played trumpet in school. I didn't pick up a guitar until I was 14 or 15...My father was a musician. He always encouraged everybody."

It was established that you were going to learn to play in Castelli's family. Castelli also learned to appreciate music from playing his older brother's and sister's records. Castelli took his musical abilities and applied them to songwriting. When asked what makes a song good, Castelli provided some insights into his artistry.

"I think there has to be a level of honesty," he said. "Beyond the melodic hook, there has to be something that's catchy about it. There has to be something melodic, too...if there isn't something intrinsically honest about it, you know, people can tell. Whether they do it subconsciously or not, they'll realize you're not really inhabiting the music you play."

And the band has found fans.

"We've slowly but surely built up a following," he said. "Which is good...we don't have any expectations about who our fans should be. We just play and hope that it's enjoyable."

¦ If you go

>>What: Poor Richard and the Almanacs >>When: Friday, Sept. 21 >>Where: Yabos, 11355 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers >>Upcoming: A show with Potato Gun will be announced soon. Art Royale-begins Nov. 17 >>Info: www.myspace.com/poorrichardtheband