Southern rock Molly Hatchet to rock Creston

Molly Hatchet band frontman Bobby Ingram said it’s only fair to give Creston and the area a great show July 2 based on how the band was treated during the organization of the concert.

“We received communication from one of the nicest people,” Ingram said about Creston’s Park and Recreation Board, which is organizing the annual Party in the Park event that benefits McKinley Park.

“They were so nice about how they worded their email and when we spoke on the phone and we had a great time setting this up with them. Let’s go,” he said.

Their concert starts at 7 p.m. at the McKinley Park band shell. Gates open at 6 p.m.

For a band that goes back decades, Ingram said the show will be a musical historical tour of the band flavored with some new material.

“We want people to forget their problems for a day,” Ingram said. “Let’s bring some people together and we will play our vintage 1978, some new stuff and all places in between. With Molly Hatchet you are going to get a show of a walk-through history of our music.”

Fans can expect to hear selections from “Battleground,” it’s 2019 record, and its double live-album recorded in various places in the United States, Germany and Switzerland.

“We are having a great time with it,” Ingram said about their shows on their tour. Earlier this month, Molly Hatchet played Fort Dodge.

Creston is just one stop on the tour as it will eventually take them to Europe including France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.

Ingram credits the band’s vitality over the years to its dedication to play live.

“COVID had slowed things down,” he said about how the pandemic changed the band’s schedule and strategy. “To play these songs in front of thousands of fans is pretty awesome. It’s fun.”

Before the pandemic, Ingram said the band was honored to play at military bases in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia.

“It was like 120 degrees in the shade,” he said about the desert heat. “What made it best of all was for our troops doing what they do best by defending the U.S. It was a big deal for us.”

Molly Hatchet’s tour also included stops in Japan.

“No matter where you go, God, family, truth, honesty, friendship and the military, you do the right thing,” he said.

Ingram said the band is scheduled to go into the studio in the future to record new material for a late 2023 release.

Outside the fun and fans, Ingram said he has added another duty for the band’s operations. In May 2020, he received a law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville. With his knowledge, he will be able to better handle the legal side of the band more efficiently.

“It’s a vehicle to move forward with,” he said deflecting the idea of having something to do after the band stops playing.

Ingram said the massive growth of the internet, including use of songs under copyright, have made him pay more attention to how Molly Hatchet’s work is used.

“We are being exposed to it more, with the internet and thousands of channels on TV. The internet is still the wild, wild west. I’m bound and determined to put something together to help many musicians.”

Tickets for the concert are available at Creston News Advertiser, Fareway, Hy-Vee, Montgomery Street Pub and Jane Brown at 408 E. Taylor.