Hoobastank rocks on after 30 years

8/5/2026

When Hoobastank hit the music scene in the mid-1990s, one question followed them everywhere.

“Interviewers ask, why such a stupid name?” co-founder Dan Estrin said. “We never said we love that name. We never walked around thinking we’re super cool and we came up with this brilliant name. There’s no reason for it. For better or worse, it is what it is.”

Despite the unconventional name, Hoobastank has been a mainstay in the alternative rock genre since forming in 1994. Hoobastank’s No. 2 hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004, “The Reason,” cemented the band’s popularity in the alternative rock genre. 

Hoobastank sold more than 10 million albums and earned three Grammy nominations. “The Reason” is embraced by a new fan base on TikTok, thanks to a Netflix movie and other shows that feature the song. 

“It has these moments where people are reminded, ‘Oh, yeah,’ and then they’ll go to Spotify and add the band,” he said. “They are more inclined to listen to our other songs and then come out to the show.”

Hoobastank is currently on tour this summer and is the opening band for Staind at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 17. 

The band has toured off and on since its inception and recorded albums for about 20 years. They stopped making albums as “life got in the way,” although Estrin was continually writing music while the band toured off and on. 

Two years ago, the music ideas flowed again, and he and co-founder Doug Robb exchanged song ideas. They recently released a “punk-rock vibe” single, “How Do You Sleep?” 

With a three-decade history of performing together, Estrin knows groups often break up. He cites “logical conversations” as the key to staying together. 

“Maybe that’s the reason right why we stayed together. The stereotype of most bands is not making it, and we wanted to be different,” he said. “We can bug the shit out of each other. But we’re extremely grateful to be at this age and still have a career and do what we love to do and set out to do when we were kids — and that’s play music for a living. Some of it has been beautiful, some of it has been kind of ugly, but we appreciate all of it because it gives us a lot of perspective and gratitude. And it’s really, really cool.”

Estrin hears their music played in the dentist’s office waiting room or at the grocery store. One time in India during a tour, the band was driving from the hotel to the venue. Their car sat next to a crowded bus at a stoplight, and a man on the bus stood, playing their song on his violin. 

“He had no idea we were in the car next to him. It was random to us, but at the same time, it was a cool experience,” he said. 

Estrin says social media has increased their visibility, yet all types of public comments emerge. 

“We read stuff that’s extremely positive — we’ve changed people’s lives, and our song helped them through this or that,” he said. “I’ll also read very negative things about how shitty we are. We have our own threads between the band, and we’re sending each other merch ideas that are beyond stupid and over the top. We don’t take things seriously, and we’re always looking for that laugh.”

When connecting with fans over the years, he has met people who tell him how their music has impacted them. 

“It’s something that you created out of thin air with your best friends, and it’s changed their lives in ways that it didn’t change my life,” he said. “I know how I feel when other songs or other artists have done that for me.”

Estrin is excited to perform in Des Moines. He says getting up on stage at a concert and seeing people in the crowd singing along with their songs is why they keep performing. 

“It’s kind of like a drug and feels like a high. It’s a euphoric feeling,” he said. “It makes us happy to see people enjoying themselves. It’s fulfilling and cool.” ♦