Tower of Power (TOP) brought their unique soul sound to the Chumash Casino for Valentine’s Day and put on a master class in high-energy, precision showmanship. Celebrating 57 years as a band, they are as tight and propulsive as ever, and they still have that great East Bay vibe.
Gestating in the same Bay Area scene as Sly & the Family Stone and Santana (among so many others), Tower of Power forged a distinct sound that encompasses a big five-man horn section and a radically funky rhythm section. They take James Brown–style funk to another level in their upbeat songs, while their ballads have the warmth of a summer day at Oakland’s Lake Merritt. It’s not Philly soul, it’s not Motown, and it’s not Memphis. It’s all Oakland. On Friday night, they hit the stage with “We Came to Play,” and they never let up. Over the years, band members have come and gone, but key band-founders saxmen Emilio Castillo and Stephen “Doc” Kupka still anchor the front-line horn section, and the band’s signature sound is totally intact. I’ve long said that Tower of Power has the Cadillac of horn sections. It seems they can cruise all day, and they’ve got power to spare, with Doc’s baritone adding the appropriate rumble of a big V8. Yet it’s the rhythm section that’s in the driver’s seat, and they capably brought the intricate, super syncopated snap and crackle of TOP’s records to life. While the players have changed, the level of musicianship in the band remains extremely high. Horn soloists Santa Barbara’s own Adolfo Acosta on trumpet and flugelhorn and tenor saxman Tom E. Politzer’s technical mastery was evident, while noteworthy alterations of TOP’s sound include the edgier rock tone of guitarist Jerry Cortez, and new vocalist Jordan John’s impressive scat singing while duplicating his lines on guitar à la George Benson, bringing new dimensions to TOP’s sonic brew.
Tower of Power at the Chumash Casino, February 14, 2025 | Photo: Zeb Norris 
Tower of Power at the Chumash Casino, February 14, 2025 | Photo: Zeb Norris 
Tower of Power at the Chumash Casino, February 14, 2025 | Photo: Zeb Norris 
Tower of Power at the Chumash Casino, February 14, 2025 | Photo: Zeb Norris 
Tower of Power at the Chumash Casino, February 14, 2025 | Photo: Zeb Norris
“Soul With a Capital ‘S,’” “You Ought to Be Having Fun,” and “Soul Vaccination” set the mood and shone with the polish of obvious rehearsal. To say the band is tight is an understatement; they play like a single entity. Unison playing is spot-on, while the band’s sophisticated harmonic sense, including their tasty harmony backing vocals, sets them apart from other funksters. I was pleasantly surprised by the choice of “You Got to Funkifize” from their second album, Bump City, with an ebullient Castillo taking the mic to urge the “too-comfortable, lazy people” in the crowd to their feet. It took a little while, but eventually the admittedly older crowd were indeed on their feet and Funkifizing to the instrumental “Squib Cakes,” the sing-along “Don’t Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream),” and the homage “Diggin’ on James Brown.” By the time of the encore of signature songs “What Is Hip?” and “You’re Still a Young Man,” it was clear why they’re still out on the road. On Valentine’s Da,y we all knew why — Tower of Power loves to play.
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