DES MOINES, Iowa — As RAGBRAI rolls back to the Des Moines metro for the first time in a decade, riders will have a little something extra to look forward to.
Legendary rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will perform in Des Moines on Wednesday, July 26 as part of the RAGBRAI L Concert Series.
The concert is free and open to the public, but a VIP experience is available to purchase here.
Lynyrd Skynrd emerged as a band in Jacksonville, Florida in 1973 with their debut album "Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd".
Now, almost 50 years later, the band continues to tour, playing classic songs such as "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama".
While the members of the band have shifted over the years, the legacy of Lynyrd Skynrd remains.
“It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about," said member Johnny Van Zant. "There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.”
Over the course of the band's existence, Lynyrd Skynrd has amassed billions of streams, millions of records sold and a catalog of more than 60 albums.
The band's lasting impact is one that RAGBRAI hoped to channel with this year's concert series, which is meant to celebrate "nostalgia bands" from the past five decades in honor of the event's 50th anniversary.
Here's the full list of performances included in the RAGBRAI L Concert Series:
- Saturday, July 22: Spin Doctors in Sioux City
- Sunday, July 23: The Spazmatics in Storm Lake
- Monday, July 24: The Pork Tornadoes in Carroll
- Tuesday, July 25: Hairball in Ames
- Wednesday, July 26: Lynyrd Skynyrd in Des Moines
- Thursday, July 27: Foghat in Tama-Toledo
- Friday, July 28: Bush with special guest Plush in Coralville
- Saturday, July 29: Announcement coming soon