Residents of the Iowa River Landing might have been shocked at the smoke and noise coming out of Xtream Arena on Nov 14. From an outside perspective, it might look like Van Halen had come to play. Metal cover band Hairball’s concert was a spectacle that included more than one band.
Paired with pyrotechnics, lights, and a large speaker system, Hairball took the audience back to the classic age of rock and roll.
The American cover band is known to perform songs from metal bands from the 70’s and 80’s. The band took on the role of major rock and roll icons whose hits helped shape the classic rock scene. From Aerosmith to KISS, Hairball attempts to replicate the music that helped shape their love for music.
Dave Moody, one of the lead singers, said being in this band is playing out his childhood dream.
“We would stand in front of our mirror and pretend to be Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, and now we actually get to do it for real,” he said.
Looking around the concert, the effects Hairball’s music has had over the decades can be seen in the makeup of the audience. The audience ranged in age from couples in their late 50s to 20-year-old college students with their friends — all of whom are singing along.
Patrick Stone, another singer in the band, said it still astonishes him the number of people touched by this music.
“It’s such a huge level of joy that happens with this music. I’m seeing six-year-old kids in KISS makeup, silver-haired white guys in the crowd, and college and young kids that all force themselves up to the barrier,” Stone said. “The entire front row is just young kids to the point where if I forget a lyric, I can just look out and copy off of them.”
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John Prochaska, a Coraville resident, came to see Hairball perform for the first time and defined it as a once in a lifetime experience.
“I absolutely loved it, probably a top five concert for me, I’d never seen the costume changes, the lights, everything was just amazing,” he said.
A touching moment during the concert happened when Michael “Happy” Schneider, the lead guitarist and backup vocalist, brought two veterans on stage as part of a tribute to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Hairball has made it a mission over the last couple of years to partner with the Wounded Warrior Project to honor the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for their freedom. Following their shoutout, he performed the national anthem on his guitar, causing the entire audience to sing along.
For many audience members, this concert is extra special in light of events earlier this year. The music community lost multiple legends, including Ozzy Osbourne and Ace Frehley, both characters that Hairball takes on in their act, an honor they don’t take lightly.
“We’re at the age now where we’re starting to see our heroes disappear, and it’s completely heartbreaking. We can’t remember a time when they weren’t releasing music or performing for us.” Moody said. “But it’s one of those things where it’s a celebration. We get to go out there and perform as these people and maybe make the music come back alive for them.”