Tower of Power – Hampton Beach, NH – May 27th – Review – Dick Beach

Tower of Power Review.

What kind of band do you think would have players nicknamed MiMi, Iron Mike, Triple Threat, Big Love and The Funky Doctor?  Well, if you guessed the Mighty Might Tower of Power you either know who they are or read the title (which camp are you in).

For the uninitiated, Tower of Power is a funk and soul band playing East Bay Grease since 1968.  You got it right, as of August the heart and soul of TOP will have been together 55 years and on the road most of it.

Emilio Castillo (MiMi) met Stephen Kupka (The Funky Doctor) at a rehearsal for Emilio’s then band at his house – MiMi’s Dad heard the sound and told him to hire the man with the baritone sax (the inside baseball on that ax is that it is a very special Yamaha with, as memory serves, an extra low E-flat).

After 55 years, one would imagine a band might have lost a step or two.  Oh no – not this bunch.  Even a man short (guitarist Jerry Cortez missed a few dates having a stint replaced) this is the funkiest, coolest, smoothest and in pocket band I have ever seen.  If possible, they are better than the first time I saw these guys at the old Skyway in Scotia (yup – that old).

While you may never have been to a TOP show, you have heard them.  Likely the most famous sit in was on Little Feat’s Waiting for Columbus live album.  That ought be enough to get you to go.

As for this show – brilliant as usual.  They ran the gauntlet through history.  From the first song Doc and Emilio wrote, Your Still a Young Man Baby, to later material like Soul with a Capital S and Diggin’ on James Brown.  If you ain’t movin’, yer dead.  Those of us who know the band well, know where the guitar parts ought be, however, Roger Smith on Hammond B3 with the obligatory Leslie, filled in all the gaps without missing a beat.

For nearly 2 hours in a single set, it was a different world.  If you want to catch them, and plan on going to the Jazz Fest at SPAC – they will be doing a set on the main stage at 3:30.  We drove nearly 4 hours to see them as a single act – and would do it again in a heartbeat.

As Emilio says – For 55 Years, the Tower of Power has been a Funk and Soul band.  Hell Yeah!