Sweet Tunes Thursday: Concert List Archive
I’ve had this post in my drafts for SO LONG. I started this archive draft when my friend Steph made a list of all the shows she’s attended, prompting my desire to put together my own list. I began by listing bands I’ve seen, but I wondered…how do I put this list together? Do I include supporting acts? (How can I even remember all the supporting acts?) Do I include county fair concerts I attended on blankets we threw on the hill in the wee hours of the morning to save a spot? (Obviously, yes.) What about the shows I had tickets to and didn’t attend? (Sure, for the ones I still regret.)
This post took even longer than I had planned because I got nostaglic looking at setlists and decided to include pictures for the shows I photographed (“photographed” in the loosest sense of the word given some of these were taken with my Motorola Razr).
I know I forgot some shows, but here’s a list of the concerts I remember with links to where I found the mention of the show, location, and date.
1997
- Leann Rimes at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
- Smashing Pumpkins at the Five Seasons Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Didn’t go. This is the infamous Smashing Pumpkins show I wasn’t allowed to go to. In fairness, I was in 8th grade and the person who invited me didn’t have the best track record with my parents. Also, the 6th song in the setlist is “Fu©k You”, so I guess I can see mom’s point now…
Most memorable 1997 concert moment:
What do you think? 🙂 Not getting to go to Smashing Pumpkins at the height of their fame! That setlist is a dream, but they only played 14 songs, which is really short compared to the setlists from recent shows.
2000
- Kenny Chesney at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
2001
- Styx at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
2002
- Korn, Puddle of Mudd, and Deadsy at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Lynyrd Skynrd at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
- The reference list has Lynyrd Skynyrd as 2002 but I know for a fact this was in 2005 because I have photos from this show that are dated 2005. Makes me wonder about the rest of the dates for the GJCF on that reference list, but oh well.
- Everclear at Wartburg College (Waverly, IA)
Most memorable 2002 concert moment:
It’s a tie!
- The Korn, Puddle of Mudd, and Deadsy show was my first real concert (i.e. I paid for tickets and didn’t sit on a blanket on the side of a hill) and I met the guys from Deadsy after and they signed my ticket.
- I still snicker when I think of this Everclear show. I found out the day after that a high school classmate went with the band to their hotel after the show. Turns out they were up all night talking politics—the frontman is a liberal political activist and this classmate was (is) a hardcore conservative.
2003
- Meatloaf at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
- Nickelback at the UNIDome (Cedar Falls, IA)
- Evanescence and Seether at the UNIDome (Cedar Falls, IA)
2004
- Aerosmith and Cheap Trick at the Hilton Coliseum (Ames, IA)
- Slipknot and Slayer at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Green Day at the US Cellular Center (Madison, WI)
- Korn, Snoop Dogg, and The Used at the Projekt Revolution tour (Somerset, WI)
- To get to Somerset, I went through downtown Stillwater, MN and past the building where Mark and I eventually held our wedding reception.
Most memorable 2004 concert moment:
It’s a tie!
- Seeing Slayer open for Slipknot when I had no idea who Slayer was. A drunk middle-aged dude tried to explain that “Slayer’s where it’s at, girly girl!”
- Snoop Dogg! He came out of a literal dog house in a puff of smoke.
- Hearing Korn play their horrible cover of “Another Brick in the Wall” for the first time.
2005
- The Used, My Chemical Romance, and Killswitch Engage at the Taste of Chaos tour at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- Motley Crue at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium (Des Moines, IA)
- Battle of the Bands at UDA Springfest (Ames, IA)
- Slipknot at the Hilton Coliseum (Ames, IA)
- REO Speedwagon at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
- REO Speedwagon wasn’t in 2005. Maybe 2003? That reference sheet says so, so I’m going with it.
- ZZ Top at the Iowa State Fair (Des Moines, IA)
- Local H and Detachment Kit at the M-Shop (Ames, IA)
- Slipknot at the Mark at Moline (Moline, IL)
- Norma Jean at Gabe’s Oasis (Iowa City, IA)
Most memorable 2005 concert moment:
It’s a tie.
- Actually getting to be on stage instead of watching a show.
- Some random drunk lady following me around all night at Motley Crüe because she thought I was with the band since my shirt matched their set.
2006
- Nine Inch Nails and Dresden Dolls at the Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, IA)
- Korn and Mudvayne at the Eagles Ballroom (Milwaukee, WI)
- Wednesday 13 at the Reverb (Cedar Falls, IA)
- Disturbed at the McElroy Auditorium (Cedar Falls, IA)
- Breaking Benjamin at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- Avenged Sevenfold at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- Black Label Society at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- Disturbed, Stone Sour, and Flyleaf at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Most memorable 2006 concert moment:
Being one of maybe five people at the Wednesday 13 show and him shooting me with his giant fake foam gun at the end of “Viva Los Violence“.
(In case you’re wondering where all the photos of the shows from 2006–2007 are: These were pre-Facebook albums and I deleted all of my College Boyfriend photos from my hard drive in a roommate “delete all photos of exes” pact 2 years ago).
2007
- Saliva at VEISHEA (RIP) (Ames, IA)
- Tool at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Jimmy Eat World at the Pabst Theatre (Milwaukee, WI)
- Alice Cooper and Blue Öyster Cult at the Iowa State Fair (Des Moines, IA)
Most memorable 2007 concert moment:
Getting stuck in the front row for Saliva and having to crowd surf out (I didn’t want to see them!). I was there to see my friends’ band, Caligra, perform in the VEISHEA Battle of the Bands, and they were the last act before Saliva. I have a memory of Mark (my Mark before he was my Mark) and our friend Drew finally making it to the front row with a backpack full of cold beer right as I was leaving. Mark remembers this and claims that this was the most brazen public drinking he ever did and that there was a 30-pack of beer in that backpack. Long live VEISHEA memories.
2008
- Boston at the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello, IA)
- Megadeth, In Flames, and Children of Bodom on Gigantour at the Myth (Maplewood, MN)
- Nine Inch Nails at the US Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Jimmy Eat World and Paramore at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- The Faint at People’s Court (Des Moines, IA)
Most memorable 2008 concert moment:
It’s a tie!
- The bassist from Jimmy Eat World handing me his pic and setlist after the show.
- Being in the front row at Gigantour and getting less torn up than I did a few weeks before at Jimmy Eat World. Minnesota’s crowds are much friendlier than Iowa’s.
2009
- Dethklok and Converge at the Val Air Ballroom (Des Moines, IA)
- Didn’t go. Bought tickets with College Boyfriend who dumped me a few weeks prior and I wasn’t about to go and have to see his stupid face. I pleaded with him to sell his ticket but he held strong, so I sold mine. I still regret not going. I remember running while listening to Dethklok while the concert was happening, thinking smugly to myself “This is just as good!”—it wasn’t.
2010
- Firehouse at the Seven Flags Event Center (Clive, IA)
- Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament on the American Carnage Tour at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium (St. Paul) [blogged here]
- Murderdolls at the House of Bricks (RIP) (Des Moines, IA) [blogged here]
- Children of Bodom and Clutch at the Seven Flags Event Center (Clive, IA) [blogged here]
Most memorable 2010 concert moment:
Telling Joey Jordison that he used to be my idol and holding up the meet-and-greet line by talking to Wednesday 13 for far too long. (Holy crap, I just watched some videos from this show and it’s still one of my favorites.) Mark and I wanted to play “Die my Bride” as we cut into our wedding cake but decided it wasn’t appropriate.
2011
- 3 Inches of Blood at the Vaudeville Mews (Des Moines, IA) [blogged here]
- Kesha’s Get Sleazy tour at the Starlight Theatre (Kansas City) [blogged here]
- Wednesday 13 at the House of Bricks (Des Moines, IA)
- Jeremy Messersmith at the M-Shop (Ames, IA)
Most memorable 2011 concert moment:
Literally taking off my pants at the Kesha show. It was 120° heat index and my shirt was in the negotiable length between a dress and a shirt.
2012
- Cannibal Corpse at People’s Court (Des Moines, IA)
- Doomtreet at the M-Shop (Ames, IA) [blogged here]
- The Faint at Wooly’s (Des Moines, IA) [blogged here]
- Smashing Pumpkins at Roy Wilkins Auditorium (St. Paul) [blogged here]
- The Faint at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) [grammed here]
Most memorable 2012 concert moment:
It’s a tie!
- Getting to see The Faint twice on their Danse Macabre 10-year anniversary tour.
- FINALLY getting to see the Smashing Pumpkins (sort of—it was just Billy). At least they played “Zero“…
2013
- Andrew WK at the Vaudeville Mews (Des Moines, IA) [blogged here]
- Postal Service at Roy Wilkins Auditorium (St. Paul) [grammed here]
Most memorable 2013 concert moment:
Getting on stage to party with Andrew WK and holding his keyboard so he could play while we partied.
2014
- Jeremy Messersmith at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN)
- Didn’t go. I-35 was closed. Jeremy offered to get me into the 2nd night of the show, but, alas, I-35 was still closed.
- The Faint at Wooly’s (Des Moines) [blogged here | grammed here]
- Arcade Fire at the Target Center (Minneapolis, MN)
- Jimmy Eat World and the MiniBosses at Woolys (Des Moines, IA) [blogged here]
- Har Mar Superstar at Des Moines Social Club (Des Moines, IA)
- The Faint at the Fine Line (Minneapolis, MN) [grammed here]
Most memorable 2014 concert moment:
Har Mar Superstar getting mostly naked a few inches in front of my face. I can’t erase those images out of my brain.
2015
- Doomtree at Wooly’s (Des Moines, IA) [grammed here]
- Andrew WK at the Vaudeville Mews (Des Moines, IA) [grammed here]
- Electric 6 at the Vaudeville Mews (Des Moines, IA)
- Smashing Pumpkins at Hoyt Sherman (Des Moines, IA) [grammed here]
- Smashing Pumpkins at Pantages Theatre (Minneapolis, MN) [blogged here]
- CHVRCHES at the Myth (Maplewood, MN)
Most memorable 2015 concert moment:
Billy Corgan graciously offering to get me into the sold-out Minneapolis show after I complained about how the rude Des Moines crowd ruined the Des Moines show. I went and sat in the 3rd row. 1997 is (almost) redeemed!
2016
- Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair at the Civic Opera House (Chicago) [grammed here]
- Kesha at the Dubuque County Fair (Dubuque, IA)
- Blink 182 at the XCel Energy Center (St. Paul)
- Crystal Castles at the Varsity Theater (Minneapolis, MN) [blogged here | grammed here]
- The Faint and Gang of Four at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) [blogged here]
Most memorable 2016 concert moment:
It’s a tie!
- Getting to see James Iha playing with the Smashing Pumpkins for the (2nd) time since 2000. (I’ve since Googled “Smashing Pumpkins reunion” at least once a week.)
- Seeing the WORST opening act of my life: That Poppy.
2017
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Joe Walsh at the XCel Energy Center (St. Paul)
- In October: Pixies at the Palace Theater (St. Paul)
- In November: Foo Fighters at the Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, IA)
WHEW. That’s a lot of concerts!
I might make this a page and keep adding to it as I go to more shows.
Do you like live music? OR Who’s on your “must-see” list?
My must-see list (including those I can’t see anymore, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some):
- Bowie
- Prince
- MJ
- David Byrne
- Foo Fighters
- Courtney Love (and/or Hole)
- Pixies
- Babes in Toyland
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