One of the vital iconic lyrics in rock and roll history magically appeared out of thin air.
Within the early Seventies, the opening line of “We’re An American Band’s” chorus popped into Grand Funk Railroad‘s drummer and singer Don Brewer’s head.
“The band was going through a fairly rough time period,” Brewer told the Latest York Post. “We had left our former manager, Terry Knight, and he was suing us over rights to the band name. We were in search of a success song because Knight had taken all of our money,”
“And so we’re on an airplane, flying right into a town to play. I’m looking down at the bottom and swiftly, ‘We’re coming to your town, we’ll assist you to party down’ involves me and I wrote the song around that line.”
A half century later, the classic rockers are still comin’ to your town to assist you to party down as a part of their ‘American Band fiftieth Anniversary Tour.’
From September 2023 through March 2024, Grand Funk Railroad — which is now made up of members from KISS, .38 Special, Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band and ? and the Mysterians — will hit 13 venues throughout North America celebrating their classic song and more at every gig along the way in which.
That features huge shows at Waterloo, NY’s The Vine at Del Lago Resort and Casino on Friday, Nov. 10 and Atlantic City, NJ’s Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday, Dec. 9.
Interestingly, the band had a surprise probability encounter at a show out in Waterloo.
“John Ellison, who wrote ‘Some Form of Wonderful,’ which we cover, got here to the show. He was within the front row and yelling to our roadie, ‘I wrote that song!’”
“We brought him backstage after the show and had a fantastic time. He told us his inspiration for writing ‘Some Form of Wonderful’ was driving around along with his girlfriend on this old beat up automobile where you could possibly see the bottom under your feet because a floorboard fell out.”
As wild as that story is, don’t expect too many spontaneous crazy things to occur at these shows though.
Grand Funk is usually coming to your town simply to assist you to party down this yr and next.
Wish to party down with the band that sold out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles?
You possibly can catch the enduring group on the road all the way in which up until March 2024.
All the main points you wish concerning the exciting anniversary tour may be found below.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Grand Funk Railroad 2023 tour schedule
A whole calendar including all upcoming Grand Funk Railroad tour dates, venues and links to purchase tickets may be found below.
Grand Funk Railroad tour dates |
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Sept. 23 on the The Riviera Theater in Charleston, SC |
Sept. 28 on the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO |
Oct. 13 at The Showroom on the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, NV |
Oct. 20 on the Raising Canes River Center Theatre in Baton Rouge, LA |
Nov. 2 on the Hard Rock Casino in Gary, IN |
Nov. 4 on the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert, OH |
Nov. 10 at The Vine at Del Lago Resort and Casino in Waterloo, NY |
Nov. 16 on the Yaamava Resort and Casino in Highland, CA |
Nov. 18 on the Gila River Resorts and Casinos in Chandler, AZ |
Nov. 30 on the Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, SD |
Dec. 9 at Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City in Atlantic City, NJ |
Dec. 14 on the Peoples Bank Theatre in Marietta, OH |
March 8, 2024 on the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, MS |
Grand Funk Railroad band members
The present iteration of Grand Funk Railroad has been together for 23 years and counting. Over their near quarter century together, the quintet has settled right into a nice groove.
As expected, Brewer had nothing but nice things to say about his fellow bandmates.
“Our lead singer Max Carl, formerly of .38 Special and Jack Mac and the Heart Attack, might be one among the last blue eyed soul singers on the planet and just a fantastic fit for Grand Funk,” Brewer told the Post.
“He’s from Omaha. I’m from Flint, Michigan and we’re Midwest boys with a love of R&B.”
Other members of the group have legendary resumes as well.
We’ve got Bruce Kulick playing lead guitar. Bruce played with Kiss for 12 years back after they took their makeup off.”
“And Tim Cashion from Bob Seger’s band is playing keyboards and singing backup with us.”
That’s not to say the group’s other original member, bassist Mel Schacher who’s been fiddling with Brewer since 1969.
“Mel and I read off one another. He knows I’m going to be there doing my part. If either of us are ever a bit bit off, we don’t need to give it some thought. We’re two peas in a pod.”
“We’re An American Band” song history
After Brewer had his opening line to the now immediately recognizable earworm, he had loads of work to do.
“I didn’t have the ‘We’re an American band’ part yet. However the “we’re comin’ to your town, we’ll assist you to party down,” that’s what this band is. That’s what we do.”
With that in mind, he used the three or 4 chords he knew on guitar and got here up with the lyrics about sweet, sweet Connie, Little Rock and staying up all night playing poker with 4 young chiquitas in Omaha.
Still, they didn’t have the now unmistakable song title.
“Someday I’m sitting in my apartment jamming, and singing the song. Then it just got here out of my mouth since it sounded good to sing ‘We’re an American band.’ And that was it.”
As for the remaining, all of it got here naturally.
“I used to be listening to stuff on the radio at the moment and I’m going, it looks like the entire hit records have a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus out. In order that’s what I did.”
Before it was released, Brewer had a sense the only was a success.
“My first inkling that the song had legs was once we were within the studio in Miami ending up the album. Capitol Records was just dying to get this next record. So a few of their people got here from L.A. to Miami to listen to a number of the material.”
“I’m within the studio and so they’re listening within the control room and when it ends, they begin jumping up and down, screaming and high fiving one another. I remember walking in from the studio and going, ‘You guys really like that song?’”
“They usually were like, ‘That’s a primary hit.’”
Soon after, Brewer heard “We’re An American Band” on the radio while driving to Mel Schacher’s house. He pulled off to the side of the road, cranked up the radio and listened to it on his automobile speakers.
“It gave the impression of a success record,” he smiled.
Soon after, the song skyrocketed to the highest of the charts.
Still, it isn’t his favorite song to play continue to exist the road.
“For me, I like to perform ‘Some Kind Of Wonderful.’”
“I get out to the microphone, start singing and see persons are on their feet having a fantastic time no matter age. Whether it’s playing at a festival or fair with grandkids and youngsters and oldsters, they’re all singing along.”
Grand Funk Railroad at Shea Stadium
Brewer and fellow original member Mel Schacher have quite a little bit of Latest York history in them.
In 1971, Grand Funk Railroad headlined at NYC’s Shea Stadium and reportedly sold out the venue faster than The Beatles.
“We flew in on helicopters from the Upper East Side to get to a sold out, packed Shea Stadium and were escorted to the stage. It was all surreal like, ‘Pinch me, is is that this really happening?’”
As for the show, it was something else.
“The audience was totally separate from the band. We were at home plate and there was no person on the sphere. Your complete baseball field was empty.”
Classic rockers on tour in 2023
Many great “American Bands” (and a few British stars) from way back when are on the road this yr.
Listed here are just five of our favorites you won’t wish to miss live these next few months.
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
• The Eagles
• Aerosmith
• Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band
• Billy Joel with Stevie Nicks
Who else is on the road? Try our list of the 22 biggest classic rock groups on tour in 2023 here to search out out.