The Suffolk celebrates 56 years of funk and soul with Tower of Power, performing on Thursday, June 20, at 8 p.m.
“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 its members had a specific goal in mind. East Bay Grease defined a sound that landed them with Warner Brothers. Bump City’s 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 1970s 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.
Tickets range from $79 to $115, with VIP packages available. Tickets are available at thesuffolk.org. The Suffolk is at 118 East Main Street, Riverhead.
Staff Writer on Jun 2, 2024