Mark Farner's American Band and Molly Hatchet

Mark Farner’s American Band with Molly Hatchet will make a stop at the Brown County Music Center in Nashville, Ind., on Thursday, November 12, 2026. This is a Veterans Day benefit show where a portion of proceeds will benefit the Brown County Veterans Affairs Department. Legendary all-American frontman and guitarist Mark Farner was the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad repeatedly to the top of the charts, and today he’s a platinum recording artist 30 times over. At age 70, Farner commands the stage with the same intensity and outpouring of love as he did during the summer of ’69 and his fans are still flocking to see “the Captain.” The rock patriot’s synergy and open heart still come through in epic hits that defined a generation including “I’m Your Captain” (Closer to Home),” “We’re An American Band,” “Heartbreaker,” “Bad Time To Be In Love,” and recut covers of “The Loco-Motion” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.” Being viewed as a “Rockstar” is only one facet of the legacy of this Michigan-born son. Mark is as real as they get: he’s a husband, a father, and grandfather, and in his fourth decade of marriage to wife Lesia. He’s a true family man. The son of a World War II veteran, four-time bronze star recipient and career fireman, Farner also knows the importance of brotherhood and commitment. On his mother’s side, he champions his Cherokee heritage and the fact that his mother was the first woman welder in the United States to weld on a tank during World War 2. It just so happened to be the same type of Sherman tanks his father drove. Farner’s work on and off the stage is focused on honoring service personnel and veterans and offering support to American farmers, individuals with disabilities, and downtrodden populations. Farner works tirelessly to honor our nation’s service personnel and veterans wherever they are stationed. He wants everyone to remember the huge sacrifices our men and women in the armed services freely give; all to protect our amazing country and freedoms. In the early 1970s, a new genre of music was emerging in Jacksonville, Florida. A mixture of blues, country, gospel, and the English invasion of rock and roll that later was to be coined the phrase “Southern Rock.” The music was filled with style and emotion and with bands in the forefront such as the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and a band from Jacksonville, Florida called Molly Hatchet. Their self-titled debut album was released on Epic Records in 1978 and reached multi-platinum status as the band established their reputation of working hard, playing tough, and living fast through intense touring with such bands as Aerosmith, Bob Seger, The Rolling Stones, and many more. The band has continued performing classic hits such as “Flirtin’ with Disaster,” “Gator Country,” “Whiskey Man” and “Dreams I’ll Never See,” as well as the current hits in the true spirit and southern tradition of Molly Hatchet. Fast forward to today, and Molly Hatchet’s tradition and legacy keep developing the common bond of southern rockers. Molly Hatchet is a band that after 40 years is always workin’ hard, playin’ tough, livin’ fast, and still Flirtin’ with Disaster!