Diary of an Ardent Fan

I’ve been waiting for this for some time.

The great singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) has released a new solo album!!

Released on November 8 of 2024, the album is called Closer To My Home and it is a phenomenal album.

Produced by Mark and Mark Slaughter (Slaughter, The Vinnie Vincent Invasion), this album has everything you want if you are a fan of Mark or Grand Funk.

Every song is phenomenal. It even closes with a Grand Funk classic (I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home).

I can already say this is one of the best albums of 2024 and one of Mark’s best albums.

Thank you sir for making this album and for signing it too!!!!

It rocks, but is yet soulful and has tons of melody and great lyrics.

Rock on Mark Farner and thanks for giving me a shout out recently on a Facebook Live chat too (video below).

Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)

Wow I needed this!!

So did my friend John Robinette, who sadly just recently lost his job.

We both went to see Sebastian Bach in concert at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY. Just a few minutes from where I live and where I was born.

The opening act, Kurt Deimer, started off the night with a really rocking set. His debut album is out April 25 of 2025, which is his birthday. I definitely want to buy it. He does have an EP out now, though, and songs are available to stream online. Seek him and his awesome band out.

But the main event, Sebastian Bach, came next and boy as always, he rocked!!

He and his great band played almost the entire first Skid Row album (2024 marks 35 years since it’s release) and several songs from Sebastian’s great new album Child Within The Man (my favorite Sebastian solo album along with his album Angel Down), and a few songs from the second Skid Row album Slave To The Grind.

Sebastian told some funny stories about KISS (He gave a water bottle to a little kid in the audience because KISS guitarist Ace Frehley handed him a water bottle from the stage when Sebastian was 11. And he got one of KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmon’s cup of fake blood and kept it in his refrigerator for 20 years, and one day his Mom was over cleaning and she threw it away thinking it was trash.), really pumped the crowd (he even brought two young little girls on stage to rock out to Youth Gone Wild), even signed a few things for some fans, and really had a great time. Which in turn caused the audience to have a great time.

Sebastian always delivers the goods and I and my friend John thank him for all the music and for the great concert. We both needed it.

Sorry though to my friend Brandon Lange, who was going to go to the show, but unfortunately he was not able to make it. So, he gave me his ticket, in which I gave to my friend John. John thanks you Brandon and I say get well soon my friend.

Again, thank you Sebastian for everything. I love the Child Within The Man album.

We love you Baz and please keep on rocking!!

I took videos too but I can’t yet post them. I will soon.

Keep on rocking everyone.