The much-awaited Manila performance of Tower Of Power is finally happening September 7, 2018 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to be mounted by Ovation Productions. The triple bill event also features Dennis Lambert and Kalapana.
Tower’s musical odyssey actually began in 1968 when Emilio Castillo met Stephen “Doc” Kupka in July of that year. When Doc auditioned during a band rehearsal at Emilio’s house, Emilio’s father called him into the kitchen and offered the following advice: “Hire that guy, he’s got something.” This was how Doc and his signature baritone sax came to be a major part of the band’s sound, and on August 13, 1968, Tower of Power, as we know them today, began playing gigs, and soon became very well known in the area.
Many other bands came out of the San Francisco Bay area in the late 60’s. Bands like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Journey, and others all helped to define the “San Francisco Sound.” Tower of Power has always claimed Oakland, California as their hometown, playing area venues and making a name for themselves.
Tower of Power was signed to Bill Graham’s San Francisco records and their first album was East Bay Grease. All of the compositions were original tunes written by Castillo and Kupka. Their next album, Bump City, led to a string of hits and memorable albums that include many of the songs that TOP fans come out in force to hear, even to this day. Over the years, the Tower of Power Horns have recorded with hundreds of artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart, and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with Tower’s musical DNA.
Since the beginning, Tower of Power has never stopped touring and recording. Always in demand, the band never fails to entertain and amaze their fans. Tower is truly blessed to have a dedicated following that often travels to see the band, and in many cases fans will plan their vacation or work schedule around an appearance of TOP. New generations of fans come to see them perform as their timeless music continues to excite fans of all ages.