Article Contributed by Champagne House Media
Published on November 21, 2025
TOWER OF POWER MAKES THEIR TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO YOSHI’S FOR A FOUR-WEEK 12-SHOW RESIDENCY AT YOSHI’S IN OAKLAND
Oakland’s living legends, Tower of Power, will kick off 2026 with a four-week, 12-show residency at the beloved hometown jazz club, Yoshi’s. Running across four consecutive weekends beginning January 16 and closing February 7, the residency is a full-circle celebration for the horn-driven band that has cemented themselves as one of the most iconic bands in the world and the return to their stomping grounds of Oakland, California. The shows mark the band’s return to the venue for the first time in nine years after a devastating train accident nearly took the lives of two band members in 2017.
“So grateful to be coming back to Yoshi’s in Oakland starting Jan 16; three nights a week for four weeks in a row,” says Tower of Power’s founder and bandleader Emilio Castillo. “This residency is a first for Tower of Power and Yoshi’s is the perfect venue; right there in Jack London Square where we got our start back in 1968. It’s been nine years since the train wreck that very nearly killed two of our members so it’ll be a triumphant return and we’re very excited.”
In January 2017, just minutes before taking the stage, Tower of Power’s drummer David Garibaldi and bassist Marc van Wageningen were struck by a train in Oakland as they were crossing Embarcadero before their scheduled performance at Yoshi’s. They both sustained life-threatening injuries and spent significant time in intensive care. The band, venue, and fans rallied quickly to support their recoveries through benefit concerts and fundraisers. Luckily, for all of the Tower of Power fans, the guys continue to share their legendary music with the world!
Just over a year later on May 31, 2018, the City of Oakland declared May 31st as Tower of Power Day, honoring the East Bay legends 50 years later in the city where they got their start in 1968 and helped cultivate their signature horn-driven sound. An intimate celebration took place at City Hall in front of about 100 fans and the proclamation was presented by Mayor Libby Schaaf (2015-2023).
OAKLAND 2026 – The legacy lives!
Aptly titled “Back to Oakland,” Tower of Power’s residency celebrates the revitalization of Oakland’s vibrant arts scene and the city’s commitment to authenticity and resiliency, says Yoshi’s Director of Marketing Marc Zuazua. “Oakland has always succeeded in finding the light through music, arts, and community. The Back To Oakland residency will be a testament to the Oakland we all know and love—a fruitful, no nonsense, beautiful place to live, work, and play.”
The four-week residency will offer a special VIP Experience package that includes the following:
Tickets are now available HERE.
For 57 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. “We were a Soul band called The Motowns.” recalls Emilio Castillo. “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.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind.
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.
50 years later, in 2018, they returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. Tower’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, but the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
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.
The future of Tower of Power is set out to be vigorous and dynamic, and will prove to be just that for fans around the world starved for the band’s groove just the way Tower of Power likes it!
