A note to touring managers and management in the music industry, never ever schedule a tour date in Iowa when the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game is going on. A note to bands and recording artists, if the audience size isn’t what you expected it to be, play that show as if you sold out a major festival. Everclear with special guests Hoobastank and Wheatus did just that in front of a pretty intimate audience at Wooly’s in Des Moines on September 11th, 2021.
Wheatus was crazy good! I mean I only knew them from their instant classic “Teenage Dirtbag”, however they just killed the audience, figuratively not literally. I love the tongue-in-cheek vibe that Wheatus put on and the humor and sarcasm that the frontman had. In all seriousness, if you get beyond their “nerd rock” vibe, they’re serious musicians. I especially appreciated how each musician seemed to serve the song. The crowd was loud for “Teenage Dirtbag” as well. I was expecting a couple more songs from Wheatus but they did well to where I might do a series of reactions to the music of Wheatus. Hoobastank was the next band to take the stage.
Hoobastank was the surprise of the evening. Honestly, I was in the mindset that I had to get through this band to get to Everclear but Hoobastank was a pleasant surprise. Doug Robb and company are great musicians for their genre of nu metal meets alternative rock. They went through their bangers of the 2000’s and really expressed appreciation for those behind the scenes and the fans who come out to the shows for their smash hit “The Reason”, that was a very classy touch that Hoobastank had. They saved my favorite song of theirs for last “Crawling In The Dark”, it was just a great performance by the band.
Everclear was the last to take the stage. They are just a solid band live! Art Alekakis was wearing a “I’m Not Drunk I have MS” shirt, which raised awareness for those that are battling multiple sclerosis. At the end of the review, I will provide resources on how we can donate for multiple sclerosis. Everclear rocked out and played the hits that we are all familiar with. I loved the crowd reaction when they played “Heroin Girl”, “Wonderful” and other hits from “Sparkle and Fade.” Art has a unique charisma about him that keeps the audience engaged. The band played just as hard for the intimate audience as if it were a sold out festival.
It was a very enjoyable night of nostalgia, and good vibes. If anything, there’s a newfound sense of appreciation for live music. Please stay safe so we can all enjoy live music again!
To donate to a worthy cause in the fight against multiple sclerosis check out Rock Against MS here.
There are a few dates of the Summerland 2021 tour featuring Everclear with Living Colour, Hoobastank and Wheatus. Check out the tour dates below:
Friday, September 24th- Levvitt Pavilion in Denver, Colorado
Saturday, September 25th- Barnato in Omaha, Nebraska
Wednesday, September 29th- Saint Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, Michigan
Friday, October 1st- The Amphitheater at Dant Crossing in New Haven, Kentucky
Saturday, October 2nd- Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth, Virginia
Sunday, October 3rd- Mabel House Barnes Amphitheater in Mableton, Georgia
For tickets and further information, click here.
