LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: Grand Funk Railroad (09.04.26)
I have covered, and continue to cover, a variety of music genres. But, some of my favorites are the classic rock ones that transport me back to a time when songs told a story, painted a picture, or spoke about the feelings of the times; songs by bands that still have longevity. On Friday, September 4th, one such band returned to Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom in Mashantucket, Connecticut for a night of good ol’ rock ‘n roll.
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was formed in 1969, and achieved success as an arena band during the first half of the 70’s. Like many bands that started in the ‘70’s and are still around, Grand Funk Railroad has had its share of growing pains, but have been fortunate enough to continue on with two of its founding members; drummer Dan Brewer and bass guitarist Mel Schacher. Currently they are joined by Tim Cashion on keyboards and Mark Chatfield on lead guitar.
On this night, the ‘American Band’ Grand Funk Railroad performed a 16-song set of classic rock anthems that kept the crowd engaged and singing along throughout the show. From the opening note, GFR came out on fire and delivered an energetic blues/rock set of 5 songs that started with “Are You Ready?,” sung by Brewer and shared by Cashion’s harmony. This was followed by “Rock & Roll Soul”, “Footstompin’ Music,” “Shinin’ On,” and ending with Cashion taking lead on “Heartbreaker.” For this set, the drums were strong, with a lead guitar presence.
Brewer then took the lead with their 1974 hit, “Locomotion,” which got the crowd on their feet, clapping and singing along. With the crowd still on their feet, GFR went right into “Walk Like A Man”.
Cashion then took the lead with a high-energy rendition of “Sky High” that featured powerful drums and a funky baseline keeping the crowd engaged.
Brewer and his fast-paced drums then took on “Take Me,” with Cashion back on harmony. Brewer followed “Take Me” with a drum solo which gave the others a chance to catch their breaths.
The band then switched things up a bit with their ballad, “Mean Mistreater,” which is about a painful, toxic relationship that the person in the song can’t seem to break free from. The song opened up with a slow and mellow sounding keyboard solo, with drums soon strolling in, followed by the bass and guitar making the song more aggressive. It then slowed back down with mellow keys.
Soon it was time for everyone to step off the stage for a breather while Don went off on a lengthy drum solo. Drum solos always seem to get the crowd pumped, and Don did not disappoint. He worked the crowd into a frenzy with a little drum-taunt. Then, he got the crowd to repeat his call-outs “I wanna take you higher!” before going nuts again on the drums.
After Brewer’s solo, the band brought out the American flag, front and center, with Mark Chatfield going off with a solo of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
After “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the band pit each side of the venue against each other to see who was the loudest. Then Chatfield went into a guitar solo of “Inside Looking Out.”
With a bass guitar beat carrying the next song, Don came out and led the crowd to sing “Some Kinda Wonderful.” He was soon joined by the rest of the band.
After “Some Kinda Wonderful,” the band slowed things down a bit with “Bad Time (To Be in Love),” which then went directly into –“I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home.” The crowd fully embraced the well-known bass lick that led into this very recognizable to song. I don’t think there was a guest in the venue that wasn’t singing the chorus “I’m getting closer to my home” When the song ended, the crowd was standing on their feet.
As the band remained on stage, the house lights went up and the show closed with the band’s signature song, “We’re An American Band.”
Grand Funk Railroad continues to have longevity and a catalog that maintains a loyal fan base. With performances like this night, we’ll be seeing GFR filling venues for quite some time ahead.
Photos – Grand Funk Railroad at Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom in Mashantucket, CT on September 4th:
