For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music.“We were aSoul band called The Motowns.”recalls Emilio Castillo.“Rocco was the bass player, I wasthere, and my brother was the drummer. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him anaudition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower ofPower.”The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind.East Bay Greasedefined their sound and landed them with Warner Brothers.Bump City,their 1972 debut for the label, was a hit on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albumschart, and netted them the hits“You’re Still A Young Man”and“Down to The Nightclub.”The 70s were a boom period with radio classics like“So Very Hard to Go”and“What IsHip?,”and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love ofthe stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.

50 years later, in 2018, they returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50thanniversary. Tower’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm forthe soul throughout their half-century existence, but the release of50 Years of Funk & Soul:Live at the Fox Theatercouldn’t have arrived at a better time.The band has long sincesurpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world,enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists including Otis Redding,Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, andcountless others. Inthe process they’ve defined an“Oakland soul”sound as instantlyrecognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations likeMemphis and Philadelphia.The future of Tower of Power is set out to be vigorous and dynamic, and willprove to be justthat for fans around the world starved for the band’s groove just the way Tower of Powerlikes it!