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originally published: 12/30/2021

(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts presents an evening with Grand Funk Railroad on Friday, January 7th at 8:00pm.  Known for hits like "We're An American Band", "The Loco-Motion", "Some Kind of Wonderful", and "Bad Time", the band is celebrating its 53rd year in 2022.

Originating from Flint, Michigan in 1969, , the high-energy five-piece group will play forty shows all over the USA this year. Grand Funk Railroad includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, “We’re an American Band”) and bassist Mel Schacher, “The God of Thunder”. Joining Don and Mel are true “All Stars.” Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special. Max penned and sang 38’s biggest hit “Second Chance,” and was co-founder of California’s legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Don refers to Max as “the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet.”

Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and also has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called “Dr. Tim”, his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.

Grand Funk laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape fifty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power. The band's ega-hits still receive continuous airplay on Classic Rock radio. “We’re an American Band” has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie sound tracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney’s animated feature film The Country Bears and was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film Radio, and also in the swashbuckler Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey.

Tickets range from $39 to $79 and are available for purchase online. This Count Basie Center event is being sold to full legal capacity, subject to local, state and/ or federal restrictions in place at the time of the event. If any show needs to be rescheduled and you cannot make the new date, you can request an account credit or refund.

 

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The Count Basie Center for the Arts is located at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey.

COUNT BASIE CENTER COVID-19 ENTRY POLICY

The Count Basie Center for the Arts requires patrons to present one of the following to attend events at Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, The Vogel or Basie Center Cinemas: Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of door time

In light of new concerns regarding the Omicron variant, the Count Basie Center for the Arts is currently requiring patrons to remain masked during performances.

For more information, visit http://www.thebasie.org/covid19