Feature Story

Rockin’ at the Iowa State Fair

By Cyote Williams

8/6/2025

Dave Moody (left) and Happy. Photo by Tommy Sommers Photography

The Iowa State Fair has many staples that fairgoers recognize or have experienced time and time again. The butter cow, the giant yellow slide, the midway, deep fried everything and Hairball performing at the Susan Knapp Amphitheater. One of those is changing this year, as Hairball will take its talents to the grandstand.

Dave Moody joined Hairball during the COVID pandemic and has been performing vocals for the band ever since — meaning he has had his share of experiencing what the Iowa State Fair crowd is like.

“We normally do two nights out there on the Knapp stage, and there’s 4,000 people out there every time we play. So why not just condense it and put everybody in the same room at the same time, and then have a big rock and roll show,” Moody said. “I think it was the perfect idea, and I’m really looking forward to it because the Iowa State Fair parties like no other.”

Moody has an extensive music background. He played bass guitar for Billy Ray Cyrus and was part of Thunderstruck, a national AC/DC tribute band. Hairball lost its raspy-voiced singer and had Moody referred to them. He says they went together like peanut butter and jelly.

“It’s just a great group of guys. I mean, we all get along. We’re all very professional. We’ve all been to the fair and seen the bear as it were. And we know what to expect, we know what to do, and we handle ourselves accordingly,” Moody said.

Just like his connection with Hairball, Moody says Hairball and the Iowa State Fair get along just as well.

“With us being peanut butter and jelly, that would make Iowa and Hairball chocolate and peanut butter. It’s so fantastic to come to Iowa, because the rock fans there are second to none,” Moody said.

Hairball’s performance pays homage to some of the greatest rock bands to hit the stage: Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey, Aerosmith and more. Hairball’s ability to replicate the icons of the genre has brought them on stage together.

“From Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley to Rob Halford to Alice Cooper, you name it, they’ve been up there with us. Many of the people that we cover have been up on stage with us, and they all give us the resounding thumbs up. There could be no greater accolade than that, than the people that you are paying tribute to giving you the OK and the thumbs up to do what you’re doing. I just can’t imagine it being any better than that,” Moody said.

Not that rock fans and potential attendees would need a better sales pitch than hearing some of the most iconic rock and roll groups all on one stage, but Moody made sure to seal the deal with his description of the group.

“We have five video walls and more pyro than a 1970s KISS concert. I wear more makeup than your aunt, your mom and your sister combined. I wear higher heels, too, and I blow fire. We play the greatest hits in the history of rock and roll. You’re going to be there with your friends, raising your beer up in the air, slapping each other on the back and having a great time. And you’re going to walk in, but you’re going to float out,” Moody said.

Hairball has been performing for the last 25 years. Moody hopes the band can continue its hair-raising, fire-blowing, makeup-wearing antics for many years to come.

“The road goes on forever, and the party never ends. We don’t stop. We’re 50 weeks out of the year. We’re touring all the time. We do about 140 shows a year. And we’re always thinking of bigger and better and faster and harder and louder. We just try to up the ante every tour,” Moody said.

Grandstand acts

Forrest Frank

Thursday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m.
$34-$64
Opener: Lecrae
Forrest Frank is a budding Christian music star. In 2023, he was named Billboard’s No. 1 Top New Christian Artist, and his 2024 song “No Longer Bound” has garnered more than 60 million streams on Spotify. The Grammy-nominated artist also had the best-selling Christian music album of 2024, “Child of God.”

Parker McCollum

Friday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.
$54-$94
Opener: Josh Abbott Band
Parker McCollum is a country music singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is currently one of country music’s biggest stars, winning the 2022 Academy of Country Music award for New Male Artist of the Year and the 2022 CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year for his song “To Be Loved By You.” McCollum was recently nominated for the 2024 CMA Song of the Year for his platinum song, “Burn It Down.”

Megan Moroney

Saturday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.
$54-$94
Opener: Kameron Marlowe
Another country music star takes the stage during the first weekend of grandstand performances. Megan Moroney has more than 1.5 billion streams to date. Her sophomore album, which was released in 2024, “Am I Okay,” debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and was the third-biggest album by a female country artist that year. Her song “Tennessee Orange” went two times platinum and reached No. 1 on the charts.

Pitbull

Sunday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m.
$59-$104
Opener: Neon Union
Rap megastar Pitbull, aka Mr. Worldwide, aka Mr. 305, brings his worldwide hits to the Iowa State Fair grandstand. His list of accolades would take a page of its own with multiple Billboard Music Awards, a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for his 2016 album, “Dale,” and many more. His total streams are more than 21 billion.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Monday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m.
$54-$94
Opener: The Outlaws
It’s been more than 50 years since the iconic rock band released its debut album, and the group is still rocking to this day. Despite originating in the golden days of rock and roll, the group’s music has proved timeless with billions of streams, more than 60 albums and millions of records sold. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rascal Flatts

Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m.
$54-$109
Opener: Neal McCoy
Rascal Flatts is one of the most successful and influential country groups since the turn of the century. Fans say lead singer Gary LeVox is so good that he could sing the phonebook and it would sound nice. Over the years, the trio has made 17 No. 1 hits with songs like “Life Is a Highway,” “What Hurts the Most” and “Prayin’ for Daylight.” The group has won more than 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, People’s Choice and more.

Hairball’s Silver Anniversary Tour

Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.
$24-$34
As we learned from our conversation with Dave Moody, Hairball’s goal is to put on an event and rock the night away. The two-hour-long performance sees the group pay homage to rock and roll icons such as Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith, just to name a few. Hairball normally performs at the Susan Knapp Amphitheater, but, this year, the group takes its talents to the grandstand.

Def Leppard

Thursday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m.
$69-134
Opener: Phil X & The Drills
Generations of rock fans have listened to and appreciated the talents of Def Leppard. The group has two albums among the best-selling records of all time: “Pyromania” and “Hysteria.” Songs such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages” and “Animal” have stood the test of time. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Hank Williams Jr.

Friday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.
$54-$99
Opener: Old Crow Medicine Show
Hank Williams Jr. won his first Country Music Entertainer of the Year award in 1987. “Hank Live” and “Born to Boogie” became platinum hits, and Hank Jr. would win CMA’s album of the year in 1988. He learned how to play the banjo from Earl Scruggs, and Jerry Lee Lewis led the way for Hank Jr. on the piano, helping develop one of the longest-lasting careers in country music.

T-Pain

Saturday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.
$44-$74
Opener: charlionnafriday
T-Pain is one of the most influential and popular hip-hop/rap stars since the turn of the century. His auto-tuned vocals ushered in a new era of the genre and continue to impress today. The artist has sold more than 50 million singles and produced 10 No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “Buy U a Drank,” “Bartender,” I’m Sprung” and more. His vocals go further than hip-hop, as his cover of “Tennessee Whiskey” has been streamed millions of times.

KIDZ BOP LIVE

Sunday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m.
$29-$44
As they have done for the past several years, KIDZ BOP LIVE takes over the grandstand for the final day of the fair to provide a family-friendly concert with kids singing the biggest bops of today. Songs this year range from “espresso,” “HOT TO GO,” and “Dance Monkey.”

Susan Knapp Amphitheater

Ty Myers

Thursday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m.
Myers takes inspiration from a wide range of artists including Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding. In 2023, his single, “Tie That Blinds,” gathered mor than 11 million streams, and his second song, “Drinkin’ Alone,” topped that with more than 26 million.

Creed Fisher

Friday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.
Fisher is a rising star in country music with more than 100 million streams on Spotify and more than 60 million on YouTube. You might recognize his songs “Rebel in the South in Me” and “I Still Miss You.”

Waylon Wyatt

Saturday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.
Wyatt could be the youngest performer for Iowa State Fair entertainment this year, outside of KIDZ BOP. Wyatt, only 18, began writing songs at 15, and his debut EP, “Til The Sun Goes Down,” has a combined 100 million streams.

The Castellows

Sunday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m.
This trio of country music singing sisters is considered “family traditional.” The group started by posting cover song performances on social media and started releasing music in 2023. Their song “I Know It Will Never End” was nominated for CMT digital-first performance of the year in 2024.

Kashus Culpepper

Monday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m.
Culpepper is known as a country crooner with his music inspired by southern country, blues, folk and rock. He sang in his church as a child, became a performer in 2020 and was named one of 2024’s top 10 need-to-know Nashville artists.

Drew Baldridge

Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m.
Baldridge has amassed more than 350 million total streams over the course of his career. His most viral song, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” has 400 million impressions on TikTok and has been streamed more than 120 million times.

Tanner Adell

Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.
If you want to listen to a fusion of country, hip-hop and pop, Adell has you covered. Adell hit the mainstream in 2024 thanks to a collaboration with Beyoncé for “BLACKBIIRD” on the megastar’s Grammy-winning album, “Cowboy Carter.”

William Clark Green

Thursday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m.
With sandpaper vocals and a country-rock style, Clark Green is described as “a troubadour of troubled souls and maestro to lyrical mischief, renowned for underdog anthems filled with sardonic wit, vivid characters and even historical curiosity.”

Brent Cobb

Friday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.
Cobb’s “southern eclectic” style earned him a Grammy nomination for his album “Shine On Rainy Day.” He is also an accomplished songwriter with writing credits for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town.

Drake White

Saturday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.
White released his first song in 2013, “Simple Life,” and his first album, “Spark,” in 2016. His story since then includes suffering a stroke on stage, recovering since, and releasing critically acclaimed albums, singles and tours since 2022.

Redferrin

Sunday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.
Redferrin’s debut EP in 2024, “Old No. 7,” was released to great success with it already accumulating more than 275 million streams. Two of the songs have gone viral and are RIAA Gold certified: “Just Like Johnny” and “Jack and Diet Coke.”

Anne and Bill Riley Stage

The Holy Rocka Rollaz

Thursday and Friday, Aug. 7-8 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Classic American rock and roll cover band.

Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation

Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.
The annual Iowa State Fair Queen competition between county queens from across the state.

Parranderos Latin Combo

Sunday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.
A group of international musicians creating original music inspired by Salsa, Cumbia, Son Montuno, Afrobeat, Plena, Joropo, Salsa Dura y mucho mas.

Six Appeal

Monday, Aug. 11 at 7 and 9 p.m.
Vocal ensemble with vibrant energy in their a cappella performance.

Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone

Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug.13 at 7 p.m.
Once dubbed “The King of the Sixties on the Internet for his pop/rock performances.

Ron Diamond

Thursday to Saturday, Aug. 14-16 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
After working as a performer and show designer for Walt Disney Productions, Ron Diamond built the show of his dreams around magic and hypnosis.

Rebecca St. James