What is hip? It's funny to think that Bay Area funk band Tower of Power, which performs Jan. 13-15, had its finger on the pulse of the anti-establishment hipster scene in 1970 right before the group signed to Bill Graham's San Francisco Records for its debut East Bay Grease. Only three years later came the lasting hit single "What is Hip?" on the band's third release, an eponymous record that solidified the group's importance in the horn-fronted world of '70s funk.
The band climaxed early, though, and was forced into a supporting role to keep its relevance. Over the years, Tower of Power backed superstars to keep its name out there -- everyone from Elton John to Paula Abdul, Santana to Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville to Michael Bolton. (Imagine Bolton's "When a Man Loves a Woman" with Tower of Power's horns blaring away.)
Now the band is back as a solo entity, and yes, longtime fans, tenor sax band leader Emilio Castillo -- the heart of the group, and one of its founders -- is still running the show, playing what he calls "urban soul music." The lead vocalist is now Lenny Braggs, who was born and raised in Chicago and joined the group in 2000.