(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Tower of Power, known for their iconic horn-led funk and soul sound, is celebrating 55 years of touring and comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) on Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $40-$80.
“55 years have flashed before us in the blink of an eye, and this year has been extraordinary,” shared Emilio Castillo - founder and bandleader for Tower of Power. “From a late night Jazz Fest performance in New Orleans with the Symphony to festivals and clubs across the UK and Europe, we couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate this moment with our fans across the globe. Here’s to 55 more!”
For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. “We were a Soul band called The Motowns,” recalls Emilio Castillo, founder of Tower of Power. “Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met ‘Doc’ Kupka back in 1968 and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” East Bay Grease defined 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 Albums chart 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 Is Hip?”, and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.
The band has long since surpassed 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, and countless others. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia.
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) is located at 100 South Street in Morristown, New Jersey. MPAC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2023-2024 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres, and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.
