Former Contestant Jason Castro to Host AMERICAN IDOL Viewing Party in NYC, 1/16

Internationally-renowned recording artist and "American Idol" alum Jason Castro is set to release his Word Entertainment debut album, Only A Mountain, on January 15, 2013. On January 16, fans can join him for "An Evening with Jason Castro Benefitting MusiCares' Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund" in New York City. The event will include an acoustic set by the singer featuring his new music and a special viewing party for the premiere of the 12th Season of "American Idol" on FOX. At the start of the year, Castro is set to embark on Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the world's No. 1 tour (first quarter), alongside headliner TobyMac.

"An Evening with Jason Castro Benefitting MusiCares' Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund" will take place on January 16 at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. At 7 p.m., Castro will kick off the event with a 45-minute acoustic set with music from his new album, Only A Mountain. At 8 p.m., fans will have the opportunity to watch the new season of "American Idol" with the former contestant.

"I am elated to be spending the week of my new album release in New York City, one of the absolute most amazing cities in the world" said Castro. "At the same time, the wonderful people of that area, including many of my own friends, have recently suffered some very hard times at the hands of Hurricane Sandy. I am especially looking forward to making a contribution to the relief efforts during my album release week. I'll see you on January 16 at Rockwood Music Hall."

A limited number of tickets are available at www.rockwoodmusichall.com and are $40-$100. 21+. Proceeds benefit the MusiCares' Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

On January 4, Winter Jam Tour Spectacular gets underway at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, WV. The three-month tour is scheduled to stop at Chicago's Sears Centre Arena, Philips Arena in Atlanta, Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena and Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena among other venues, before concluding March 30 at San Antonio's AT&T Center. Admission is $10 at the door. For further information and a list of dates please visit www.jamtour.com.

Internationally-renowned recording artist and "American Idol" contestant Jason Castro has topped radio charts in multiple countries, including: Norway, Singapore and The Philippines. His self-titled debut album entered the Billboard Top 200 Album chart at No. 18. Throughout his career, Jason has appeared on television shows such as "TODAY," "The Ellen Degeneres Show," "Access Hollywood," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "The Bachelor" and has appeared on the pages of Rolling Stone, USA Today and The New York Times. Castro's Word Entertainment debut album, Only A Mountain, will be released on January 15, 2013. For additional information on Jason Castro, visit www.jasoncastro.com.