Tower of Power has shaped funk and soul with their signature “Oakland soul” sound and, for nearly six decades, the band has toured all around the world, recorded a number of hit songs, and collaborated with noted musicians. The legendary band perform the final shows of their residency at Yoshi’s, this weekend. This four-week, 12-show residency at the beloved hometown jazz club is a first for the group, and in some ways, it’s a homecoming.
In 2017, the band’s drummer, David Garibaldi and bassist, Marc van Wageningen were struck by a train crossing Embarcadero on the way to perform at the venue, leaving them severely injured. While the band continued to perform, this string of shows marks Tower of Power’s triumphant return to Yoshi’s.
Ahead of their performance on February 5, Tower of Power’s saxophonist and bandleader, Emilio Castillo and lead vocalist, Jordan John chatted with Lorisa Salvatin about the accident, returning to Yoshi’s, and the band’s signature soul.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
You're all on the last leg of shows as a part of this month-long residency at Yoshi's. How does it feel and what has been your favorite part about it?
Emilio Castillo: For me, I'm just, really pleased that it was so successful. I figured we'd do pretty good, but I didn't know we would sell out every show. You know, the response has been…they're so excited. The crowds are so loud and excited.
The last time you were supposed to play here at Yoshi's, your members David Garibaldi and Mark van Wageningen were in a terrifying accident. So, coming back here after the accident and a hiatus from being at this venue, what was it like?
EC: Even still today, you know, they pick us up at the hotel and Andrew–the driver, beautiful guy–he's driving this van and we pull up here to the side and he always goes over the railroad tracks and makes a U-turn really slowly, you know? And every time he does that, I'm just thinking about when I was standing on this side of the tracks, looking at Mark VW on the ground.
The fans were like, you know, what's going on? Where are they? Then they made an announcement and people were really upset and some people were uptight. It was really weird. So, we were just in a circle in the dressing room, praying.
It was a tough time! But what a redemptive arc that came from it. To come back here and play a string of shows?
EC: Unbelievable!
Jordan John: And Mark VW, who is playing bass on this run too–I mean that’s a very triumphant full circle for him. It means a lot to us, deeply, just personally and musically, to be back here.
And sold out shows just like in the past, as well! On that note, you've performed in a number of different settings and all around the world,from The Fillmore to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. But as you've noted, this is the first time the band has participated in a residency, yes?
EC: My manager called me and said, “You know, I have an idea but I don't wanna pursue it until you tell me to do so.” I go, “What’s that?”
He says, “A residency.”
And I immediately go, “You know, Ivory, I don't think we're able to do a residency in Las Vegas!”
And he goes, “I didn't say Las Vegas…I mean Oakland, your hometown, at Yoshi's. I believe that we can get a great deal there. I believe you'll sell it out every night. And I think it'll be a seminal moment in your career.”
I didn't know that I believed all that, but I was like, “Go for it!”
I'm curious, what has felt special about this residency as opposed to the other bigger shows you’ve played around the world? What felt special about playing here at Yoshi’s?
JJ: I think just the very intimate personal interaction with the fans and in particular the fans from Oakland. It's like playing to our family. It's a lot of fun to play theaters and festivals. I've done a lot of those throughout the year. When you are so close in proximity you can just feel the people. You can reach out and touch the people. You can really joke around and have a good time with everybody. And high five them, they're all within reach, and, you know, you can see just the reaction on their faces.
EC: You know, we played the Fox and we played bigger venues and all kind of were like,”Wow! We miss playing Yoshi's.” It was a good look for us to play different venues, but like he said, to come here and it's packed. And a lot of the people in the audience are old friends–some people all the way back to 1969 and ‘70 when we were at On Broadway. Greg Errico, the original drummer of Sly Stone, came to see us. Ross Valory from Journey came to see us.
We did a VIP session the other day and these people are like, “We're here from Baltimore!”
You have fans from all over the place wanting to come and see you! And throughout the years, you’ve received so many accolades. Your music is almost…bewitching. Where do you feel that Tower of Power's magic comes from and what keeps it going?
EC: Well, it's definitely the music! As Jordan was saying, the family atmosphere. We're very close, we're with each other 200 days a year. Another thing is we don't chase trends. We don't try to be like somebody else. We learned a long time ago that we have a very distinct voice. It belongs only to us. Other people pay homage to it, but we can't do anything but make our signature voice, you know?
To bounce off that, Jordan, you just joined in 2024. You're following in the footsteps of some of the most renowned vocalists. As the band's new vocalists, how do you hope to move Tower of Power into this new era of funk while still keeping their signature voice?
JJ: Just honoring the tradition and respecting the vision of the future. One of the wonderful things, creatively and artistically, about being in this band is that they encouraged me to just be myself. There are certain criteria and certain standards that have been imparted to all the lead vocalists as part of their duties and responsibilities over the years. And I'm told those things. But I have plenty of creative runway and learn from people like Emilio and the people who've been here for decades. I find it enriching to be able to carry on the torch.
And you do it beautifully!...But, let's go back to thinking about Oakland. Befittingly, this residency is named “Back to Oakland.” So I'm curious, how has Oakland influenced your music?
EC: Well, Oakland has always had, like us, its own sort of signature when it comes to soul music. Now, I grew up in Detroit ‘til I was 11 years old. My parents were nightlife people. They always played music and they played the greats, you know, Diana Washington, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn…But then my parents were like, “We're moving to California!” I left all my friends. I got here. I was lonely. I missed my friends. But here, my friend was the radio.
And it's like, I'm listening to music here in the Bay Area and I'm loving it. There was KSOLl, KDIA, and then, later on, KSAN Radio. They've always had really great soul music and great radio here, they kind of got their own voice.
JJ: I mean the sound of the East Bay, you know, reached all the way to Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where I grew up. And you know, I was hooked on it the same way, as a young teenager in junior high school, just feeling a bit awkward and weird that I loved all this music from Detroit and the United States. And man, when I heard Tower Power for the first time, it just seems inconceivable to me now that a kid from Oakville–who fell in love with the sound of the Bay–could be in this band. It’s just the power of inspiration and music and also the flavor, the culture, and the soulfulness of it.
We're gonna wind this down, but I'm gonna say that this will be my first time seeing you live! What should I expect?
EC: Expect to leave sweaty, excited, and emotional.
JJ: Yeah. Couldn't have said it better.
Tower of Power closes out their residency with two SOLD OUT shows, tonight and tomorrow! For more details on the shows, visit https://yoshis.com/events/sold-out/tower-of-power-residency/detail
