Free Pork Tornadoes Concert, Cedar Crossing Lineup Reveal

Cedar Rapids is about to get its first look at one of the most anticipated entertainment venues in Eastern Iowa,a dn who will be on stage there.

Get our free mobile app

This Thursday, July 30th, at 4 PM, Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center will host a free public event at NewBo City Market, where officials will unveil the first entertainment lineup for the venue's new 1,500-seat Event Center and Jocko's Comedy Club. Following the announcement, Iowa favorite The Pork Tornadoes will take the stage for a special live performance, making it a perfect way to kick off a summer afternoon, thirsty Thursday style.

The announcement marks another major milestone for Cedar Crossing, after the $275 million development on the former Cooper's Mill site in northwest Cedar Rapids. After receiving approval from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in February of 2025.

While the casino itself features 700 slot machines and 22 table games, Cedar Crossing was built for much more than simply a gaming destination. Plans included the new state-of-the-art 1,500-seat Event Center designed to attract national touring concerts and special events, Jocko's Comedy Club, multiple signature restaurants, an Arts & Cultural Center, and a STEM education space. Project leaders estimate the development will welcome more than 1.1 million visitors each year, create hundreds of permanent jobs, generate more than $80 million in new tax revenue for the State of Iowa, and provide an estimated $6.3 million annually to local nonprofit organizations.

Part of that revenue stream comes from the many amazing entertainment line ups which will be announced at Thursday's event. This offers the public its first opportunity to find out which artists and shows will help launch the new venue.

The Pork Tornadoes will help celebrate the announcement with a special performance after the entertainment lineup is revealed. Drummer Mike Schulte told us the focus of the afternoon is Cedar Crossing's announcement.

"We're just part of the event, right? So, the big deal is the announcing of their lineup, which is going to be really fun to hear who they've got planned for this really cool new music venue inside of Cedar Crossing. We played NewBo Market like 12 years ago or something like that, so it's going to be really fun to revisit the area. We haven't been on that stage in a long time." Check out the full interview below:

Although the performance won't be a full Pork Tornadoes concert, Schulte said fans can still expect plenty of energy. "We're not doing our full show by any means. I think we're just playing a 30- or 40-minute set or something like that, but it'll be a nice taste in the afternoon on a Thursday for people to hear what the casino's got coming, and of course check us out..."

For those who haven't seen the band before, The Pork Tornadoes have grown from playing bars in Cedar Falls into one of the Midwest's most recognizable party bands, thanks in part to millions of online video views and viral cover songs. Schulte said the band's success has surprised even its members. "When this band started 18 years ago, we were just friends. We were just playing in a bar in Cedar Falls... We never knew what it would turn into."

Admission to Thursday's event is free and open to all ages, making it an easy stop after work whether you're interested in seeing The Pork Tornadoes, finding out which concerts are coming to Cedar Rapids, or simply enjoying an afternoon at NewBo City Market. With the first look at Cedar Crossing's entertainment calendar and a free live performance to follow, it has all the ingredients to be one of the biggest Cedar Rapids community events of the summer.