Hairball at the Rust Belt -- February 14.
Friday, February 14, 8 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
A special Valentine's Day event overflowing with love for rock-and-roll and pop favorites, the combined talents of Hairball and The Pork Tornadoes co-headline the February 14 concert at East Moline's The Rust Belt, the former paying tribute to iconic bands such as Van Halen, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Journey, and Aerosmith, and the latter's repertoire ranging from Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and Beyonce all the way to Lizzo, Morgan Wallen, NSYNC, and Phil Collins.
Every year finds Hairball adding more characters, pyrotechnics, lights, sound, props, and songs to their repertoire as vocalists Drew Hart, Kris Vox, and Dave Moody lead fellow musicians Brian HBK, Happy, and Billy through a two-hour, drop-dead-accurate homage to some of the biggest arena acts in the world. In the rockers' biographies at HairballOnline.com, the sextet reveal some personal history and share some of their personal favorites.
Drew Hart (vocals) – Top Five Favorite Vocalists: Lou Gramm, Geoff Tate, Don Dokken, Joey Tempest, Bono; Top 5 Favorite Bands: Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Dokken; Favorite Character to Perform in Hairball: Vince Neil from Mötley Crüe.
Kris Vox (vocals) – Top Five Favorite Vocalists: Lou Gramm, Joe Lynn Turner, Freddie Mercury, Steve Walsh, Paul Rodgers; Top Five Favorite Bands: KISS, Foreigner, Queen, Bad Company, The Beatles; Favorite Character to Perform in Hairball: Rob Halford with a motorcycle.
Dave Moody (vocals) – Top Five Favorite Vocalists: Brian Johnson, Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Paul Stanley, Bon Scott; Top Five Favorite Bands: KISS, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Van Halen; Favorite Character to Perform in Hairball: Gotta be Brian Johnson.
Brian HBK (bass/vocals) – Top Five Favorite Bassists: John Paul Jones, John Deacon, Paul McCartney, Michael Anthony, Duff McKagen; Top Five Favorite Bands: Led Zeppelin, Queen, KISS, Metallica, Extreme; Favorite Act to Perform in Hairball: Tough call … I’ll go with Guns N’ Roses.
Happy (lead guitar/vocals) – Top Five Favorite Guitarists: Ace Frehley, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Nuno Bettencourt, Michael Schenker; Top Five Favorite Bands: KISS, Van Halen, Queen, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith; Favorite Act to Perform in Hairball: Van Halen.
Billy (drums) – Top Five Favorite Drummers: John Bonham, Alex Van Halen, Neil Peart, Terry Bozzio, Phil Rudd; Top Five Favorite Bands: Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Rush, King Crimson, Aerosmith; Favorite Act to Perform in Hairball: I love playing all of it! But I give the nod to Van Halen.
Meanwhile, as a cover band from Cedar Falls, Iowa, that originated in 2008, the Pork Tornadoes began as a group whose moniker was in constant flux until they overheard a local radio DJ describe a destructive wind event that hit an area pig farm as a "pork tornado." The quartet originated with founding members Mason Greve, Cory Talbot, Brent Estlund, and Dante Ware, the latter of whom left the band in 2012 and was replaced by Mike Schulte, who was one of 100 finalists on NBC’s The Voice in 2014. Current bandmate Jerry Lorenson, meanwhile, joined the ensemble in 2016 after Estlund departed the group. Over the past dozen-plus years, the Pork Tornadoes have played more than 600 shows throughout the Midwest, with the musicians' first official performance at The Hub, for which the performers became the permanent house band in 2010 until the Cedar Rapids venue closed in 2014.
With the group boasting more than 20 million views of their videos all platforms and in excess of 100,000 social-media fans, the Pork Tornadoes' YouTube channel features dozens of live performances, short clips, and samplings of behind-the-scenes footage. From 2017 to 2020, the band regularly performed at RAGBRAI, and in January of 2020, the Pork Tornadoes released their debut EP Beard Pop, which peaked on the Apple iTunes Pop charts at number 20 and has been streamed more than 1.5 million times. Additionally, the musicians recently achieved viral success with the fifth-most viewed cover of "Tennessee Whiskey" on YouTube, as well as with an impromptu performance of "In the Air Tonight" boasting a drum line that was featured in Rolling Stone.
Hairball and The Pork Tornadoes perform their co-headlining engagement in East Moline on February 14, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $35.75, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
