Penn’s Peak sits on top of a mountain in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, with a 50-mile view across the Poconos — and on Saturday, October 24, it’s hosting one of the most storied voices in American rock. Mark Farner, the guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter behind Grand Funk Railroad, brings his American Band to the mountaintop for an 8:00 PM show. Molly Hatchet opens.
About Mark Farner
If you were anywhere near a radio in the early 1970s, you know Grand Funk Railroad. Farner co-founded the trio in 1969 with drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher, and they went from unknown to unstoppable in a single summer — their Atlanta Pop Festival set before approximately 180,000 people remains one of the great origin stories in rock.
What followed was a run few bands can match. Grand Funk sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles. The hits came in waves: “We’re An American Band” reached #1 in 1973, “The Loco-Motion” hit #1 in 1974, “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Bad Time” each cracked the top five in 1975. Farner wrote over 90 percent of the music through all of it.
He’s kept moving since — including a tour with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band — and performs today as Mark Farner’s American Band, mixing Grand Funk classics with his solo catalog. Molly Hatchet, the Southern rock institution, opens the night.
About Penn’s Peak
Penn’s Peak is not a venue you stumble into — you drive up a mountain to get there, and the 50-mile panoramic view at the top earns the trip before the first note plays. The 1,800-capacity room has lofty ceilings, a spacious dance floor, and a rustic interior that delivers on what the Poconos promise. Penn’s Peak has built a reputation as the premier entertainment venue in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains.
Plan to get there with time to spare. Roadies, the full-service restaurant and bar on site, means dinner before the show is a real option — and on a night like this, you want to settle in early.
Tickets
Mark Farner’s American Band with Molly Hatchet plays Penn’s Peak on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Find more Hudson Valley shows on Upstate Concerts, and get your tickets before this one fills up.