For over fifty years, the Oakland jazz-funk ensemble has energized audiences, and at the Bowl, they were perfectly supported by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans.
By John Lavitt
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 07-31-2026
Some bands survive for decades. Tower of Power has done something far more difficult: it has endured as a living institution. More than 55 years after its formation in Oakland, the legendary funk and soul ensemble returned to the Hollywood Bowl, bringing back the same muscular horn lines, relentless grooves, and unmistakable East Bay swagger that made it one of America’s greatest live bands.
Sharing the evening with the magnificent Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the concert celebrated two distinctly American musical traditions—Oakland soul and New Orleans jazz—demonstrating that great music never loses its power to heal, unite, and move an audience.
Before Tower of Power played a single note, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band had already transformed the atmosphere. They did not simply warm up the crowd—they transported it. With jubilant brass, playful camaraderie, and the unmistakable spirit of the French Quarter, the ensemble made the Hollywood Bowl feel as if it had drifted straight to Bourbon Street.
The evening reached its first unforgettable peak when members of the band’s horn section left the stage and danced along the Bowl’s circular promenade with a New Orleans brass trio. Their rousing rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In” swept through the amphitheater like a second-line parade, prompting the audience to clap, sing, and laugh together.
Looking around the Bowl, where longtime music lovers filled much of the audience, it was impossible not to smile. For a few magical minutes, the aches and pains of everyday life vanished as the crowd sang the chorus with youthful enthusiasm. The music restored verve and briefly turned back the clock.
Rather than resting on nostalgia, Tower of Power demonstrated why its catalog has become timeless. The songs still breathe because the band’s heartbeat remains rooted in the musicians who helped shape its identity decades ago.
Emilio Castillo, the group’s founder and tenor saxophonist, continues to lead the ensemble with infectious enthusiasm, while baritone saxophonist Stephen “Doc” Kupka—his musical partner since the band’s earliest days—still anchors the unmistakable horn sound that revolutionized popular music.
Alongside longtime drummer David Garibaldi, whose revolutionary funk rhythms became essential to the band’s golden era beginning in 1972, these veterans reminded the Bowl that authenticity cannot be manufactured. It is earned over a lifetime.
The evening’s greatest strength was not individual virtuosity but collective precision. Every horn stab struck with surgical precision. Every rhythmic accent propelled the music forward. Bass, drums, keyboards, guitar, and brass worked as a single living organism, creating grooves so deep they seemed to rise from the pavement beneath the Hollywood Bowl.
Fittingly, the centerpiece was “Soul Vaccination.” More than five decades after its release, the song remains one of funk music’s defining statements. Its irresistible rhythm and explosive horn arrangements turned the Bowl into a massive outdoor dance floor. The title felt especially fitting.
For several glorious minutes, Tower of Power administered exactly the medicine the audience came for—a joyous inoculation against cynicism, anxiety, and everyday routine. By the time the final notes rang out, thousands of fans had willingly rolled up their sleeves for another dose.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band set the emotional tone for the evening, reminding the audience that the greatest American music is built on community, joy, and shared experience. That New Orleans spirit lingered throughout the night, making Tower of Power’s arrival feel like the perfect continuation rather than a separate performance.
Together, the two ensembles showcased the remarkable diversity of American music. One grew out of the soul and R&B traditions of Northern California, while the other emerged from the birthplace of jazz in Louisiana. Yet both shared a common purpose: to bring people together through rhythm, joy, and musicianship of the highest order.
The Hollywood Bowl has hosted countless legendary performances, yet evenings like this remind audiences why live music remains irreplaceable. Tower of Power continues to prove that great bands are measured not only by longevity but also by their ability to make familiar songs feel newly essential. More than half a century after finding their voice in Oakland, they are still delivering the cure.
Soul Vaccination? The diagnosis was correct. The treatment worked beautifully.
