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GO HAWKS!!
Media Inquiries and Booking Information: VanHaydenBand@gmail.com
Van Hayden Tour Merch!!
Check out the hot, new Van Hayden Band Tour t-shirts, hoodies, and more. Were you there to see the best Iowa Hawkeye tailgate band this year?
Featured Videos
Caitlin Clark (Oh) Pretty Woman (Official Lyric Video)
Van Hayden's Punt! (Official Lyric Video)
Van Hayden's Iowa (Official Lyric Video)
Connect with Van Hayden
Shop
Stay cool or keep warm by showing your support for the best tailgating band in college football. When you see this merch, you'll be as excited as the legendary play-by-play announcer for the Iowa Hawkeyes Jim Zabel and scream
"I love it!! I love it!! I love it!!"
The Band
- Hayden Lee Roth
- Lead Vocals
- Eddie Van Hayden
- Guitar
- Michael Van Hayden
- Bass
- Alex Van Hayden
- Drums
- Wolfie Van Hayden
- Keytar
More About Van Hayden Band
Van Hayden is a Hayden Fry and Van Halen tribute Iowa football tailgate band. The band can be found performing on Saturdays at tailgates around Kinnick Stadium for select Iowa Hawkeye football games. Van Hayden is made up of 5 members, all with strong ties to The University of Iowa, who dress like Hayden Fry and play Van Halen songs with a twist. The twist is that the lyrics are changed to be written about the band's love for Iowa Hawkeye sports teams. Check out the song that sounds just like Van Halen's "Panama", but it's called Iowa". Another song that the band performs out of their mobile stage converted ambulance — Punt!", is inspired by Van Halen's "Jump!".
For media inquiries and booking information, Van Hayden can be reached by e-mail at VanHaydenBand@gmail.com
Rookie Card
Check out our special edition rookie card!! Just ask for one the next time you see us performing at a tailgate. Be cool, though, and ask in-between songs. We can't rock out and hand out at the same time, you know?
Past Shows
Saturday, October 21st
Minnesota vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Football Game
We love you Iowa City! Last tour of the season started bumpy & ended amazing, all because of you! Thank you for your support, hospitality & Hawkeye spirit!
Here were the scheduled stops where we performed before the Iowa vs. Minnesota football game on Saturday, October 21st.
8:30am - Triangle CourtOh dear, we missed this stop due to technical difficulties.9:30am - Rugby FieldsOh dear, we missed this stop due to technical difficulties.- Noon - The Wedge with Hawkeye Elvis
- 1:00pm - 331 Melrose Court
Another amazing day for tailgating! However, we were unable to keep that Pig!! Floyd of Rosedale is a trophy and tradition that the Van Hayden Band has watched for many years and we were sad that our music and tailgating fun did not help the Hawks keep the pork in Iowa City for yet another year.
We also had some difficulties with the Vanbulance battery at the break of day, so all of our exciting plans to warm up as many Hawkeye fans before the game didn't quite pan out the way we expected. All that said, NBC Sports stopped by one of our tailgates and filmed the band along with many of our loud, amazing fans. Check out the video and listen to the broadcasters talking about our sweet "Punt!" lyrics!
Saturday, October 7th, 2023
Homecoming
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Wow, we met Herkey and Hawkeye Elvis all on the same day!! We took some fun videos and tons of photos to capture our Homecoming memories for years to come. Thank you Hawkeye fans for yet another great day of tailgating!! Plus, it was a Hawkeye win, so that kept the celebrations going well into the evening.
Van Hayden's Performance of Suspicious Minds with Hawkeye Elvis
Friday, October 6th, 2023
Iowa Homecoming Parade
Van Hayden performed in The University of Iowa homecoming parade. The parade kicked off at 5:45 PM in downtown Iowa City. You can watch the full parade here or else see our recap video below. Thanks to Derek (our driver), Chris, Kristy, Ren, Grace, and Dee Dee for helping to hand out stickers, rookie cards, and get the parade crowd all wound up for some great Van Halen music!!
Van Hayden's Homecoming 2023 Recap
After the parade, we sped quickly (and safely) over to perform at the College of Engineering post-parade party. It was great making homecoming memories with fellow alumni of the College of Engineering at Iowa. Thanks, Brian Morelli, for making it happen!!
Saturday, September 30th, 2023
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
Van Hayden performed at the 100th year of tailgating for the Raecker family. We were honored to be a part of their unique and timeless Iowa Hawkeye history. Learn more about the Raecker tailgate from the amazing story covered by local news.
KCCI News Channel 8 out of Des Moines. 100 years and counting: Iowa family has century-old tradition of going to Hawkeyes football games
KWWL News Channel 7 out of Waterloo. For Hawkeye fans, the traditions and rituals connect generations through decades and centuries
We were also thrilled to pull the Vanbulance right next to Kinnick Stadium for NBC Sports to film us as we rocked out to our favorite Van Halen tunes. To top it all off, the Hawks won the game later that evening. We've said it a million times, it's great to be a Hawkeye!!
Saturday, September 2nd, 2023
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Utah State Aggies
Van Hayden rolled into Iowa City bringing their high energy performance to tailgates all around Kinnick Stadium on September 2, 2023. This was the most anticipated tailgate event for the Iowa Hawkeyes football season and it did not disappoint. Hawkeye fans rocked out alongside the band as they played their unique twists on Van Halen classics such as Jump! (Punt!) and Panama (Iowa). The Vanbulance was rockin' and rollin' down Melrose Avenue to the cheers and adoration of Hawkeye fans.
The following were tour stops around Iowa City before the kickoff of the Utah State versus Iowa Hawkeyes football game.
The Vanbulance
The Vanbulance was brand new when Tim Dwight, Tavian Banks, and Matt Sherman were Freshmen. Iowa was 5-5-1 that year, but at least we beat Iowa State. And the Vanbulance is old enough to remember that we didn’t have to win the game. We could just tie and pretend for a bit that we are soccer fans. Let’s not do that.
Please don't call it a food truck. College Football Enquirer, we're looking at you for that comment (fast forward to minute 37:12 of the podcast). Are the songs tasty? Yes.
All that said, it's lovingly referred to as "the Vanbulance" by the Band. Actually, it's a 1994 Ford E350 Road Rescue Ambulance that is white with a yellow stripe around it. There are beautiful vinyl stickers on the side with the Van Hayden logo provided by Impact Vinyl Graphix.
She’s a heavy ride, my friends. Here are her stats:
- Team:
- Ford
- Position:
- E350 Road Rescue Ambulance
- Rookie Year:
- 1994
- Weight:
(Gross Vehicle Weight / GVW) - 9000 lbs
- Interior Height:
- 5' 8" (watch your head!!)
- Body Width:
- 8'
- Body Length:
- 13' 7"
- Exterior Body Compartments:
- 6
- Length:
- 22' 1"
- Truck Height:
- 8' 7"
- Miles:
- 70,800 and going on up
- Engine:
- 7.3L IDI Diesel V8 (vrooooom!!)
- Transmission:
- Automatic
- Miles per Gallon:
- Let's not really talk about that, shall we?
- Wheels:
- 6 (Dual Rear Wheels). Brand new!! And yes, there is a backstory there we'll tell another time.
- Batteries:
- Dual 12 Volts plus more to run the Band
- Past Teams:
- Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District Support Unit Ambulance in Illinois
Mission Statement
Enhance the Hawkeye tailgating experience through Van Halen’s music and Hayden Fry’s legacy.
