Nicholas Schleyer

Berney
MUS106
20 December 2016
Tower of Power at Foxwoods
On the twelfth of November of this year I went to see Tower of Power perform at the
Foxwoods casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The show opened with lots of lights on stage and
funk music blaring through the speakers as the ten-piece band assembled. The band has three
saxophones, two trumpets, a guitar-bass-drums-organ rhythm section, and a lead singer. The
room was huge and packed with thousands of people. There were not enough seats for everyone
that attended. The maximum number of people for fire code was certainly exceeded. The
audience was very loud and many people had been drinking a lot. The people did not get out of
hand, but the band would only make the crowd rowdier throughout the night. The roles of the
musicians were found to be clear throughout the concert.
The singer, Marcus Scott, really connected with the audience. He was very new to the
band, having only been a member for a few months. The audience was not too excited about him
at first. He talked a lot more than singing at the beginning. Some people around me yelled out
their distaste, saying that he needed to just shut up and sing. At another point, he dragged out a
song too long and had a very long, dramatic cadenza. The audience got bored and Marcus could
tell, so he quickly wrapped up the song and moved on. The band seemed to have accepted him
graciously. They really seemed to like him and he sang the tunes very well. He has a very soulful
voice, full of power, perfect for the band. He worked to keep the morale up and got people
excited about the music that was happening in the room. He interacted with the audience in a

way that any layman could respond back and participate to have fun. Emilio Castillo, original
founder of the band, introduced the members throughout the concert by section. The audience
went wild at the most familiar names of the group. The crowd certainly seemed to be full of very
passionate fans.
Two contrasting charts that were performed were Soul Vaccination and So Very Hard
to Go. Soul Vaccination is a very funky song with lots of syncopation. It also features
rhythms that are quite complex. The music is very intense and upbeat. Its in your face and full of
power. The song is about a disease called honkypox that has symptoms of bad rhythm and bad
dancing. Tower of Power supposedly has the solution, a Soul Vaccination, that will give a person
soul and good rhythm and dance. On the other hand, So Very Hard to Go is a much more
relaxed tune. It is much more of a power ballad. It has a melody and rhythm that is much simpler.
The whole tune is quite softer and has less dynamic contrast. The song is about a guy that has
made too many mistakes and realizes he did not treat his girl right. But, he is having a really hard
time leaving her because he loves her so much and wishes he could make up for his mistakes.
Soul Vaccination is a very exciting song and So Very Hard to Go is a much melancholier
song.
I really enjoyed this concert. Sometimes the atmosphere does not quite match the music
being played. A jazz band could be playing a very upbeat, crazy tune, but some audiences just sit
back and listen. This concert had people on their feet, dancing and hollering and shouting. It was
very exciting with so many people that were passionate about the music. Marcus Scott did a lot
of work bringing up the morale of the audience. He encouraged the audience to get into it by
clapping, dancing, and singing along. Sometimes he would leave out words and have the
audience fill in the lyrics. There was also a lot more choreography within the band for the variety

of songs they played. Some bands simply stand still and play the tunes. This band is more of a
show band and so they reach out to the general audience by lighting up the stage in every way
they can.
I would most definitely attend another concert like this one. I had a lot fun with my
friends, having flashbacks and sharing memories we have had with these tunes. We marveled at
the perfected riffs we had worked so hard to master ourselves. We hollered at the trumpets in our
amazement as they brought passages up the octave, or two, just for fun. We laughed at the
comedy and jokes the band members threw at each other and the audience. It was a great
experience to see Tower of Power live for the first time. There is really nothing else like seeing
them. They are an amazing band and it is great to see they have such a huge following after all
these years, even with many young people like me. I will certainly be going out to see them
again.