How Wayland the band speaks to your soul

Iowa: More than a “flyover state”

It seems pretty rare when here in Iowa, we get to see a band on a weekend right?

Iowa is considered by bands as a ‘flyover’ state as the big bands are on their way to Madison, WI, Chicago, IL, or Minneapolis, MN. So when a band is on tour and set to hit the big cities, they may as well make a stop in Iowa while they are at it and sell a few shirts.

But then there are those bands that have created a following in the area, and they make sure that they make a stop in Iowa cause they have to cater to those fans, and if we are lucky? We’ll get them on a Saturday!

Wayland: country-infused rock at its finest

If you listen to Rock 108, you’ve likely heard about a band named Wayland. Wayland is a 4 piece country-infused rock band hailing from Wayland, MI.

They are the composers of such songs that you’ve probably heard like ‘Ghost’ and ‘Get a Little,’ which is hailed as the weekend kick-off song on Rock 108 every single Friday at 5 pm. The station has been playing it for some time now and it’s created its own following.

As you can imagine, Wayland has gained a bit of a following here and in Iowa, and they made their way to Chrome Horse Saloon in Cedar Rapids….ON A WEEKEND!!! That is a rare occasion!!!

Going way back with Wayland

A little backstory, the guys in Wayland are personal friends of mine. When I was starting in radio in 2007 in Michigan, my boss at the time was starting to discover this band named Wayland and their song ‘Shopping for a Savior.’ He started spinning the song on radio and it quickly caught fire, and Wayland was off to the races! As a REALLY young radio guy, I wanted to get to know the rock stars of course, and as the years when on, guitarist Phil Vilenski and vocalist Mitch Arnold have become really good friends over the years, even outside of the radio world…it’s been a friendship that has been going on for over 10 years now.

Wayland rocks The Chrome Horse

It was a chilly night in Cedar Rapids, so the show was moved indoors and the few times that I have been able to see Wayland in Iowa, there are a few people that show up… I’d say maybe 50 to 60… but this night at Chrome Horse on weekend? There were around 170 to 200 people there! It was amazing!

The band started up the night with a set loaded with their classics like Bloody Sunrise, Ghost, Through the Fire, On My Knees, and Nobody’s Perfect, and yes, I was singing along to all of them!

They also showcased a lot of their new stuff like Lake House, Holy Shift, and some really new stuff that I haven’t heard before! There was one moment too that Mitch sang one of my favorite songs named ‘Indiana Jones.’ The song is about growing up in the 80s and 90s with things like playing Super Mario Bros, renting movies from Blockbuster, not texting, and never letting go of those memories. I’m going to be honest. That song hits me EVERY… SINGLE… TIME! I love that song and really brings this connection that yea, at one point, we were all just kids dropping the needle on the record, and that was ALL we worried about, in our Reebok shoes.

A reminder of what it’s all about

There is something about seeing a Wayland show, it really brings me back to those early days in radio when I would do everything I could just to be part of the action. I love doing my daily radio show every day, but it’s the things like this that REALLY make it all feel worth it to me.

Seeing people having a good time, singing along to their favorite songs, and forgetting about whatever troubles that people have every day, Wayland was able to provide the soundtrack to that. While you may not be head bang screaming and moshing to a Wayland show, there is just something incredibly personal to a Wayland show, especially to me. It’s like looking back on all those years of supporting live music and playing their music on the radio actually meant something to them, the fans, and me… and that night at Chrome Horse in Cedar Rapids? It sure did.

About The Biker’s Ambassador of Rock

If you live in the Cedar Valley in Iowa, you probably know Ned. If not, you surely know his voice! Ned, the Music Director at Rock 108, is known for his energetic personality, wild spirit, and love for all things Live rock. In an epic collaboration with Rock 108, Ned will be presenting excellent inside experiences to our motorcycle riding community exclusively here so subscribe to the blog and check back every week to see what Ned’s up to next!