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Emilio Castillo had no idea his band would last 40 years. "I idolized The Spyders, a local [Oakland] soul band. They got hired to go to Sacramento and play a topless bar for a week. We were like, 'Wow, man, they're going on the road. If we could only get to Sacramento and play a topless bar, we would have made it.' "

"My vision was [only] that far," added Tower of Power's co-founder and leader. "I had no idea what I could do. I just knew I loved it, and I would do it until I dropped. I far surpassed my wildest dreams."

Saturday night, audiences can get a taste of the Oakland-based 10-piece band when it headlines the 17th annual Bump City Dance Party at the Radisson. Sammie-award-winning band Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers will open.

"Every time we play Sacramento, it's happening," Castillo said. Tower of Power recorded its first live album, Live and in Living Color, at the Memorial Auditorium.

"It doesn't matter if we're playing a topless joint, the Memorial Auditorium or the Radisson," Castillo said. "Wherever we're playing in Sacramento, it's going to be hot."

The band started in 1968 when tenor saxophone player and singer Castillo auditioned baritone saxophone player Stephen "Doc" Kupka to be in his band. Inspired by The Spyders and the "godfather of soul," James Brown, The Motowns became Tower of Power to "get hipper [and] get into the Fillmore," Castillo said.

The Motowns originally made its name as a cover band, but once Doc joined, he and Castillo began writing original material. The rest is history, all the way to the latest album, Great American Soulbook. It was released earlier this year and contains all cover songs. Tower of Power's 20th album, Soulbook features tunes originally recorded by Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, among others.

The band plans to play tunes from its latest album on Saturday, as well as its original classics. Castillo said to listen for a medley of funky Brown covers during "Diggin' on James Brown."

The band's first hit was the Billboard-Hot-100 single "You're Still a Young Man" from the 1972 album Bump City. That same year, the band added 18-year-old tenor saxophone player Lenny Pickett, a self-taught musical prodigy.

On Pickett's signature solos, "he just took off and went to the moon," Castillo said of the musician known for his use of the altissimo, or high-pitched, register. Pickett played on some of the band's most enduring hits, such as "So Very Hard To Go," "Soul Vaccination" and "What is Hip?" before leaving the band in 1981. Pickett has played in the "Saturday Night Live" band since 1985, and is its musical director. He also has reunited with Tower of Power on many occasions.

Castillo recalled one of his favorite moments in the band.

"When we opened up for Aretha Franklin at the Fillmore Auditorium, I remember standing backstage in a doorway. She came to walk through and so I turned sideways to let her slide through. We wound up wedged in the doorway, nose to nose, and she looked at me and said, 'Tower of Power, my favorite band.' "

"I just melted," Castillo said.

Even after backing musicians such as Aerosmith, P. Diddy and The Rolling Stones, and a career spanning more than 40 years, the band's funk and soul power is unchanged.

Castillo attributes the band's success to selfishness.

"We make our music real selfishly, we make it to please ourselves. When we're happy with our music, fans really dig it. It makes it easy; we're doing what we love."

Castillo said the band loves representing Oakland soul.

"We just got it in our blood," he said. "You can take the boy out of Oakland, but you can't take Oakland out of the boy."

Tickets can be purchased at Dimple Records, Ticketmaster outlets online at Ticketmaster.com or at the door. All seats are general admission, $34.

Because the concert is dance party style, seating is limited. The show, at the Radisson at 500 Leisure Lane, begins at 7:30 p.m.

Photograph credit Tower of Power.