With: 7Horse
Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA
When: Sunday, March 24, 2019
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| Mark Farner's American Band in concert at The Coach House. |
Walking around the legendary Coach House on Sunday night, I took some time to soak in the sight of some of the hundreds of signed photos of artists who have played at the venue over the past 30 years. Dick Dale – who passed away at the age of 81 on March 16 – is the latest of the countless notables whose pictures line the walls of the Coach House who are gone.
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| Mark Farner displaying a sense of fun at The Coach House. |
Flint, Michigan-spawned rocker Mark Farner was the headliner this night and his inspired performance was a powerful reminder that legendary artists are worth catching whenever possible (Farner had a pacemaker installed earlier this decade). The former lead singer and lead guitarist for '70s hitmakers Grand Funk Railroad, Farner and his excellent two-man backing band delivered a stellar 100-minute acoustic set that hit all the high points with the near-capacity crowd.
To be sure many came to hear the hits that were a part of their formative years, but were also surely impressed that the 70-year-old Farner has the energy, vocal range and sharp guitar chops of a musician half his age.
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| Mark Farner unleashing a solo. |
Opening with the apt cut "Are You Ready," Farner played the first of may snappy guitar solos that would bolster the set.
"Thank you! It's good to be back here," Farner said after the audience greeted the opening number with loud cheers and strong applause.
The next song, "Aimless Lady," found Farner pushing his talents even higher. This was a night where Farner would perform memorable versions of some of his best-known Grand Funk Railroad songs, and also share magical stories of his early days including fascinating tales of hanging out with Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King and Janis Joplin.
Among the early standouts of the set were the blues-heavy "Mr. Pretty Boy," classic rock-styled "Little Johnny Hooker," infectious "Hooked on Love" and jazzy-rocker "Creepin'," the latter which featured Farner masterfully working his Korg keyboards.
Of course the night's biggest songs were still to come, including a shimmering power-pop worthy take on "Bad Time," a joyful clap-along of "The Loco-Motion," soulful version of "Some Kind of Wonderful" and chilling home run with the night-ending "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)." And throughout the entire show, Farner displayed a genuine sense of fun – something that is all too rare at rock shows nowadays.
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| 7Horse tearing it up at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. |
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| Phil Leavitt of 7Horse on March 24, 2019. |
Opening the concert was the blues-rock bending powerhouse trio 7Horse. Comprised of dada's Joie Calio (guitar, vocals) and Phil Leavitt (percussion, vocals) and Michael "MK" Kelly (bass, vocals), the group's razor-sharp songs and performance quickly won over the crowd.
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| Joie Calio at The Coach House. |
"Low Fuel Drug Run" opened 7Horse's 45-minute epic outing; the crowd were rewarded with an intoxicating track best described as having a driving rhythm, searing slide work and sublime harmonies.
Other great originals included the melodic "Two-Stroke Machine," spirited "All My Friends (Hate Me in the End)," a cover of Johnny Cash's "Man in Black" and the ferocious set-capping "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" (the latter featured in director Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street.
Review by Robert Kinsler
Photographs by Bob Steshetz
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