Mark Farner Band
Wolf Den
Uncasville, Connecticut
17 July 2011
Tony Pijar

Mark Farner is a god! He and his band, Grand Funk, introduced me to the glorious world of rock n roll at the wee age of 5, and I’ve not looked back since! Grand Funk may not be a household name to our Powerplay readers, but it should be. They, along with Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Purple started heavy rock n roll – with emphasis on heavy. Back in the day in the US, Grand Funk was the most popular band running from 1971-74.
The standing room only crowd was treated to classic Funk, but unpredictably no solo material. Opening with “Are you Ready”, “Rock and Roll Soul” and “Footstompin’ Music”, this was manna from the rock n roll gods! Next, Farner played “We’re an American Band”, which, given its overt hedonistic lyrics and Farner’s overt born again Christian beliefs, was a very pleasant surprise. “Aimless Lady” from “Closer to Home” was all swagger, and “Heartbreaker”, the first song Farner ever wrote for Grand Funk, was poignant and powerful at the same time. “Shinin’ On”, from the album of the same title, grooved along on a slicing Farner riff, while “Mean Mistreater” demonstrated how proficient the man is on keys as well. One of my favorite Funk songs was thankfully added to the set in “Sin’s a Good Man’s Brother.” What a great song! Check out Monster Magnet’s cover of this old anti-Vietnam War chestnut. Then the band’s number one singles, “The Locomotion”, “Bad Time”, and “Some kind of Wonderful” were played in succession. During “The Locomotion”, about 20 or so fans formed a ‘locomotion train’ and boogied around the venue! “Inside Looking Out”, all 10 minutes of it, was a guitar-oriented juggernaut of a song, and the Vietnam Vets’ anthem in “Closer to Home” brought tears to many an eye; still an incredibly emotive song.
If you’ve not heard of the immortal Grand Funk, you must check them out. I would start with the “Shinin On” album and work backwards. It is such a shame that the other original members of Funk and Farner cannot get back on the same page and tour as an entity again…hope springs eternal!