It was just heartfelt rock music, and I think that’s what people pick up on. Grand Funk Railroad’s classic rock has connected so strongly with audiences for more than 50 years now, Brewer says, because “it’s just very honest. Or where you see families all singing the words.” I love watching the expressions on people’s faces when we do “Closer to Home” because they all have some sort of history with the song. “You get tired of going onstage and playing these songs and watching people go crazy because they know and love those songs? Really, you get tired of that? I mean, come on ,” he says. Regardless of the lineup, Brewer says he’s always enjoyed hitting the road with Grand Funk Railroad and playing their most beloved songs such as 1973’s “We’re an American Band” (on which Brewer sings lead vocals) and 1974’s “Some Kind of Wonderful.” He’s baffled by artists who complain about having to play their hits at every show. That’s what Grand Funk is, is a combination of R&B and rock.”)
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Grand Funk’s current lineup, which has been in place for 22 years now, still includes Brewer and Schacher, as well as guitarist Bruce Kulick (who previously played with KISS and Michael Bolton), keyboardist Tim Cashion, and co-vocalist Max Carl (who Brewer says is “probably one of the last blue-eyed soul singers on the planet, and he knows how to rock. So we stole him from them.” Grand Funk Railroad 2022 (Image: GFR) They were powerhouse trios.vMark and I said, ‘Let’s put together a trio.’ We knew this kid, Mel Schacher, who was playing with Question Mark and the Mysterians at the time. Cream and Jimi Hendrix and Blue Cheer were big. So we looked around in the music business and what was happening at that time. Those bands went kaput, and we were broke and needed to put a band together. “Terry Knight later on became our manager. “The way Grand Funk came about was, Mark Farner and I had been in another band called The Pack, and before that it was Terry Knight and the Pack,” Brewer says. That closely connected Michigan scene came into play when Grand Funk Railroad first formed in 1969. They’re competitive, yes, but it’s not cutthroat.” (Though he’s proud of his Michigan roots, Brewer now lives near West Palm Beach, Fla., where he’s calling from today.) “Michigan has always had a pretty good music scene – the groups know each other, and they play different shows together. “He lives down just south of Flint, and we’re from Flint,” Brewer says. For one, Kid Rock likely grew up listening to Grand Funk Railroad, since both acts came from the same area in Michigan. Touring with Kid Rock seemed like a natural partnership, Brewer says, for several reasons. “There won’t be any masks or restrictions there!” Brewer agrees with a laugh. (Kid Rock has been a particularly outspoken opponent of vaccine requirements and other restrictive measures at music venues). This refusal to let the virus dictate plans will most certainly be the case when Grand Funk Railroad joins Kid Rock’s “Bad Reputation” tour from April through June. We’re going to have to learn how to deal with it.”
“Everybody’s just going to have to get over and get used to it. “It’s been a little up and down and riding a little roller coaster here – but now it looks like live shows are going to continue,” he says. Still, Brewer admits that the COVID-19 variants have made the band’s re-entry into live concerts rather unpredictable these past few months.
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and will continue through the summer – see full list below.) (Their next string of shows start on March 4 in Atlantic City, N.J. He’s referring to the high-energy arena concerts that his band has played since the late ‘60s, and which they’re finally able to resume now that the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are easing. “We’re still out here, we’re still doing it, and there’s still people that want to hear us,” says Grand Funk Railroad drummer and co-vocalist Don Brewer. Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad (Image: eBay)
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