Schedule

Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 8:00 pm (Main Stage)

Just how much brass can you handle? How much funk is in your trunk? Who wants to be the first one on the dance floor? When Tower of Power, the hyper-funkified, force of nature takes the stage, the very trees in the forest surrounding our stage know exactly what is hip.

Founded in 1968 by Emilio Castillo and Doc Kupka (you’ll see them onstage along with longtime drummer, Dave Garibaldi), Tower of Power made a huge splash with its five-piece brass section, propelled by bass, drums and keys, and topped with vocals that draw from the deep well of the R&B greats. The Bay area outfit churned out hit after hit in the 1970s, including So Very Hard to Go, This Time It’s Real, What is Hip and the funk-jazz instrumental, Squib Cakes.

Rather than rest on the laurels of those heady ’70s days, the band has instead opened up the throttle with each passing year. TOP has released more than 20 albums in the US and Europe, most recently 2020’s Step Up. The record opens with Garibaldi’s snappy drum intro — a tribute to their Bay area roots — and charges into its signature brass-funk sound with a joyful onslaught of brand-new songs. This is a band that has proven that indeed, lightning can be caught in a bottle.

Tower of Power’s enduring vitality, we think, has everything to do with a band that, straight-up, loves what they do. Theirs is a dedication to the groove, a vow to keep the soulfire burning, a pledge to dig life and music to the fullest. It shines in every note. Welcome back, gents.