Homer on board with Grand Funk Railroad

By JOHN BENSON

entertainment@vindy.com

Known for ’70s hits such as “We’re an American Band,” “I’m Your Captain [Closer to Home],” “The Loco-motion,” “Shinin’ On” and “Some Kind of Wonderful,” rock act Grand Funk Railroad didn’t fully receive its due in drummer Don Brewer’s mind until decades later when a certain doughnut-eating, beer-drinking cartoon character championed the band to his kids.

Naturally, the animated person is Homer Simpson, who was shocked to learn that his children Bart and Lisa had never heard of the mighty Grand Funk Railroad. To this day, Brewer can recite the scene perfectly.

“Homer says, ‘You don’t know Grand Funk Railroad’ as ‘Shinin’ On’ comes on the radio,” laughed Brewer, calling from his home in Jupiter, Fla. “He says, ‘The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner. The bone-rattling bass of Mel Schacher. The competent drumwork of Don Brewer.’ It’s like he inducted us into the American consciousness. I thought it was a great endorsement. Blue-collar Homer Simpson loves Grand Funk Railroad.”

Such love of Grand Funk Railroad will be on display when the band (sans Farner, who left the group in 1999) performs at the 2010 Moondog Coronation Ball on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena. Also on the bill are Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Turtles and Paul Revere and the Raiders.

“I haven’t seen The Turtles in years,” Brewer said. “I remember back with my old band Terry Knight and the Pack in the ’60s, we opened up a show for The Turtles. We stood backstage and watched them. They were almost like a comedy routine, as a lot of bands were back in the ’60s. They put on a comedy show with rock music. So I’m really looking forward to seeing them again.”

Brewer said he’s also looking forward to returning to Northeast Ohio, where Grand Funk Railroad recorded its first six studio albums. Though the band was from Flint, Mich., it couldn’t find the right rock sound in the Detroit recording studios at the time due to the heavy Motown influence. So instead, it traveled a few hours to Cleveland Recordings with producer Ken Hammond to find the right feedback-friendly power-trio vibe.

As for a new album from Grand Funk Railroad, Brewer said the current make-up of classic-rock radio not playing contemporary music by legendary acts along with the tricky record business means there are no plans to release anything anytime soon; however, the band does have a few new songs in its repertoire. Fans who want to hear the R&B-sounding “Bottle Rocket,” the epic “Sky High,” the vocal-percussion-based “Lightning and Thunder” and the ballad “Who Took Down the Stars?” will have to come see the band live in action.

“I like to tell everybody when they come to see Grand Funk Railroad they have to be ready to smile and be ready to sweat,” Brewer said.

The one thing they won’t see is this Michigan band invoke any reference to the bitter rivalry between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.

“That’s never been an issue for us, and of course we’ve never walked onto an Ohio stage and yelled, ‘Go Blue,’” Brewer laughed. “We’re not fools. We may be idiots, but we’re not fools.”