Photos by Andy Argyrakis

In June, Tower Of Power officially turned 50 with a pair of Oakland concerts that found people flying in from as far away as Finland, Japan and tons of other countries (plus practically everywhere in America). Given the overwhelming appeal, it was only natural to take the show on the road with City Winery in Chicago also being the subject of considerable demand with four full-fledged sell outs.

The blissful ballad “You’re Still A Young Man” found a fitting home in the encore’s lead off position and “Knock Yourself Out” kept triggering the grooves in what’s already shaping up to be a significant week at City Winery with this veritable Tower Of Power.

During the residency’s opener, it was easy to grasp what all the fuss was about thanks to Tower Of Power’s world-famous horns, a funky rhythm section and soulful vocals from a ten-person cast of originals and newer additions. No matter how long they’ve been members, everyone made sure the sound was completely authentic from “Soul With A Capital ‘S’” to “You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun” and “On The Soul Side Of Town” (from an entirely new album bearing the same name), ensuring this anniversary looks just as far forward as it does backwards.

Though Tower Of Power existed long before the “jam band” terminology was coined, there was an unpredictable aspect to the 105-minute evening, including the romance of “Sparkling In The Sand,” along with the back to back brass attack of “Do You Like That?” and “Drop It In The Slot” without taking a breath. “Squib Cakes” came out of retirement after numerous requests and served as a vehicle for many members to solo and morph into an entirely different animal than the recorded version.

Outside of some seasoning, “So Very Hard To Go” mirrored the rendering immortalized on the radio and “What Is Hip?” rhetorically answered its own eternal question. The blissful ballad “You’re Still A Young Man” found a fitting home in the encore’s lead off position and “Knock Yourself Out” kept triggering the grooves in what’s already shaping up to be a significant week at City Winery with this veritable Tower Of Power.

For additional information on Tower Of Power, visit TowerOfPower.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at City Winery include Tower of Power (Aug. 9-10); Vivian Green (Aug. 11); Over The Rhine (Aug. 12); Jean-Luc Ponty (Aug. 13-14); Talisk & Doolin’ (Aug. 15); Robben Ford (Aug. 16); Ari Hest (Aug. 17); Don McLean (Aug. 19); Shelby Lynne (Aug. 20);  The Empty Pockets (Aug. 21); Alicia Witt (Aug. 22); Chick Corea & The Akoustic Band (Aug. 23); Rachelle Ferrell (Aug. 24-25); Justin Hayward with Michael Dawes (Aug. 26); The Lotus Kings featuring Cecy Santana (Aug. 27); Louis Prima Jr. & The Witnesses (Aug. 28); Jeff Bradshaw featuring Glenn Lewis & Teedra Moses (Aug. 29) and Pedro Capo (Aug. 30). For additional details, visit CityWinery.com/Chicago.

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