28 Comments Add your own

• 1. Tami  |  May 14th, 2008 at 9:27 am

  I love the fact that Loves Park hosts the Wing Ding every year. The event brings in welcomed revenue to the area which is needed. The residents in the area of the Rockford Speedway complain every year over any event held at the Speedway whether it be the Wing Ding or just Saturday night stock car races. These residents forget, how long has the Speedway been there? I believe longer than most houses in the area. Back in the 70’s the Speedway hosted several rock bands and this type of event can only bring good to that area. Rock On Jody!

• 2. Nate  |  May 14th, 2008 at 9:35 am

  Why was Wing Ding moved to the Speedway in the first place? Davis Park was a perfect venue, and it brought people downtown. We have a beautiful river front attraction with Davis Park and it should be utilized for just such events. Why hold a loud concert in a mostly residential neighborhood when you can have it in a large open area near to local businesses that welcome such events? Just a thought from a proud downtown resident. Thanks

• 3. Georgette Braun  |  May 14th, 2008 at 9:46 am

  Nate: I think Wing Ding was moved because there were some kind of issues and the Speedway was more accommodating. I, too, like the grassy Davis Park for concerts.

• 4. Sarah Spurling  |  May 14th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

  Wing Ding 2008
  A year has gone, the snow melted, and finally, it’s May.
  Soon my friends and I will be headed down Forest Hills to the Speedway!
  With pockets full of cash and sandals strapped to our feet,
  We are prepared to endure crowds, port-o-potty’s and the brutal heat.
  Chevelle, P.O.D and Theory of a Deadman too,
  Thanks WXRX, for all that you do!

• 5. Georgette Braun  |  May 14th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

  Sarah:

  Wow!
  Bustin’ out the rhymes.
  You’ll be hard to outdo.
  To all you others: Try haiku

• 6. Angela W  |  May 14th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

  I LOVE WING DING! I attend a lot of concerts and you can’t beat getting to see that many great bands at a location close to home and for only $10! WXRX bring a great thing to Rockford for everyone to enjoy!

• 7. Grace Keith  |  May 14th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

  Geo, your taste in music is awesome. Besides Wing Ding, Puddle of Mud, man, you rule.

• 8. martina carter  |  May 15th, 2008 at 6:43 am

  I love wing ding!it’s like any body else who has their music genre,if you love the rockscene than this is a fantabulous day haha.it used to be better when ya parked the boat at the rocks and walked up but it still doesn’t make me quit going haha.music unites people,especially when the youngsters realize,”eh some older folks do rock and don’t bitch all the time.of course if one pays attention ,u might meet the band,haha I just listen to the music enjoy some food and wet my whistle ,prolly buy some merch and i’m in heaven,keep it coming I’ll be rockin’ ’til I die,wahoo!

• 9. Liz J  |  May 15th, 2008 at 8:01 am

  I absolutly love Wing Ding. I have been going for years, and still remember when it only cost $1. Moving it to the Speedway was a great idea. For one it can hold more people, which in return Wing Ding can have more well known bands. Yet i feel really sorry for all the people that live around the Speedway. But its only a one day thing, Its not like they have to listen to the noise for a whole week straight. Wing Ding is awesome, and i plan to attend for years to come. ROCK ON!

• 10. Katie Bartolomei  |  May 15th, 2008 at 8:42 am

  I love wing ding cause you get to hear great bands and you get to hang out with your friends. Wing Ding is a perfect place to get sun and have fun with everything there. I go to wing ding every year sense 2001 and have had fun. People there act differnent then if your at school, work, or just out and about. Eve the bands will sometimes come into the crowd and hang out which is really fun.

• 11. Ashley  |  May 15th, 2008 at 10:25 am

  I Love Wing Ding!! I am 22 yrs. old and have lived here for about 18 yrs. and I have been to almost every WIng Ding ever!! It’s great that you can see so many good bands all in one day and even though it’s not free anymore it’s still very reasonable. I don’t mind the traffic either.

• 12. Sam  |  May 15th, 2008 at 2:33 pm

  If one of the bands have to drop is there another band lined up to replace them?

• 13. Wanda T.  |  May 15th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

  Wing Ding is awesome, This is the event that My whole family goes to even my young daughter whos 9, she went to her first wing ding at Davis Park seeing Magna Fi and Damage Plan which was her first concert, gettin autographs and t-shirts. she loved it!!Then when it moved to the Speedway it was closer for us to travel to. Then we had a blast in the mud pits. Now its a family tradition that we all go. We go to all the concerts all over. We travel to madison for them too. Weve been to Band Camp in Madison, but its nothing like Wing Ding!!!

• 14. Nikki  |  May 15th, 2008 at 3:08 pm

  I love it because it’s just one day wehere everyone in the state line can come and listen to some great music, and great well known bands. I hate it though because of all the long lines for food and drinks half the time.

• 15. Georgette Braun  |  May 15th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

  Sam: No bands lined up to replace any that drop out.

• 16. Georgette Braun  |  May 15th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

  Nikki: I’m with you on the love/hate. Stone assures that there’ll be more beer lines and triple the porta potties this year compared with last.

• 17. Jon L  |  May 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

  Wing Ding…..What can I say about Wing Ding. Well, it seems to either be about 150 degrees, or raining. I never seem to remember to bring enough sunscreen, and last year when we were leaving someone ran into our car. I LOVE Wing Ding. Where else can you get ONE band let alone 8 to 10 bands for 10 bucks? No where. I love going to Wing Ding not only to have beer dumped on me, have people fall on my head in the crowd, and get a serious sunburn, but I like to people watch. If you want to see some hotties, look left, that drunk guy to your right is about to fall down, what to do? Wing Ding is much more than just cheap entertainment, Wing Ding is a way of life. Oh and by the way, Thank you WXRX and Stone and TT for all you do for the show.

• 18. Tyler E.  |  May 16th, 2008 at 12:12 am

  I hate Wing Ding and here’s why… horrible weather, crowded beyond belief, but most of all: an entire day’s worth of radio-friendly pre-pubescent “hard rock” and an excuse for snotty pre-teen brats who think they’re cool because they just spent their allowance on a black t-shirt at Hot Topic to act like hooligans. These kids would have no idea how to act at a REAL metal show. WXRX is a joke, the current music scene is a joke, and people need to grow up and realize there is more music out there than the garbage they are force-fed by the radio. How could nu-metal still possibly be alive in 2008? It boggles the mind.

• 19. angel  |  May 16th, 2008 at 10:46 am

  I love wing ding because it gives us the chance to hear real nationally known band s for dirt-chip price, it also puts Rockford in the list of places to perform again for this bands.
  I think STONE @ TT have done a great job at this
  how ever , like any event of this magnitude there are always logistical problems that can dent this great event like not enough port- o -pottys.
  or lines for beverages really long, etc
  but you’ll find this problems even at Red Rocks
  long live wing ding!
  thank you WXRX!

• 20. Double T  |  May 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm

  Hey Tyler E.-

  Tells us about your idea of a good show.

• 21. Tyler E.  |  May 17th, 2008 at 1:35 am

  OK… a great show is a show where first of all I can see and not have belligerent, inconsiderate jerks bumping into me the whole time. I hate being squashed and I grew out of moshing years ago. It’s so pointless and it’s just going ruin other peoples’ experiences and get venues shut down.

  The whole teen angst thing is retarded and nu-metal just buys into that. You think the whole world’s against you so every time you hear a no-talent uninspired down-tuned riff you’re going to attack everyone around you? Get a life. I like music with an atmosphere that envelops you and annihilates you physically and mentally. Seeing the Japanese band Mono in the intimate atmosphere of DeKalb’s House Cafe was one of the most spine-tingling experiences of my life. Explosions in the Sky at Congress Theater was another great show.

  I have given up on metal and hardcore shows because, plain and simple, the fans suck. At least at instrumental rock shows, you can enjoy the music without other people getting in your way. The bands don’t have a high-and-mighty rockstar attitude either, and usually work their own merch tables and will talk with any fan that walks up. For me the perfect show is one where I can get up front, space out, and let waves of majestic drone wash over me. Then I can go buy some records or CDs for only $10 or so apiece and go home happy, but not bruised, annoyed, or unsatisfied.

• 22. Ben  |  May 17th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

  I love Wing Ding, it has been a day of rock for 15 years now and every year just seem to be a little better. I agree with some people that it should be back at Davis Park. Better for Rockford! The reason why they move it to the speedway is because of parking, for 15k people. It would be hard to fit 20k people downtown but it could be done if police let people park on the streets for free. Anyway Wing Ding is a day for Rockford to party their ass off. This year has yet another awesome lineup with Chevelle head-lining so grab your party hats and Be There!!!

  P.S. Wing Ding should always be at a outdoor venue so people
  can smoke.

• 23. Steve OH  |  May 18th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

  Hi there,

  I think Wing Ding has it’s good and bad. Obviously, the bands are good. The location is fine with me since I live close enough I could walk there.

  The things that irritate me is selling the tickets before you know who is even coming. Does anyone go down to the Metro Centre and buy tickets to a show before they know who it is that will be there? Yes, most of the time the bands are good but with the economy in the crapper can one afford to buy without knowing? Also, not a big fan of kids getting mud on me and just baking in the sun. I think the thing that gets me the most is the use of the name Wing Ding. Wasn’t this started so we could all come to one place to sample the areas best wings? Now we get no choice. We have to settle for the worst in the area. If you think Hooters has good wings you really need to try O’Leary’s.

  I hope The X doesn’t get ahold of the Chili Shootout cuz if Hooters starts selling chili then we are screwed.

  Double T, you rock. Stone, not so much.

• 24. Barb Rhodes  |  May 19th, 2008 at 10:42 am

  I’d go “ALL THE WAY” through “HELL AND HIGH WATER” for the Wing Ding when Rockford’s “ALIVE” with 25,000 “BODIES” who “STAND UP FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!” Any “WICKED SOUL” who complains hasn’t experienced this event. Otherwise, they’d say it’s “THE FAD” and be “ADDICTED.” I’m “SO HAPPY” for this tradition!

• 25. Barb Rhodes  |  May 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am

  Just in case it wasn’t clear in the above blog, the words in caps & quotes indicate a song title from each of the nine 2008 Wing Ding bands:
  All the Way - The Last Vegas
  Hell and High Water - Black Stone Cherry
  Alive - P.O.D.
  Bodies - Drowning Pool
  Stand Up For Rock ‘n’ Roll - Airbourne
  Wicked Soul - Another Black Day
  The Fad - Chevelle
  Addicted - Saving Abel
  So Happy - Theory of a Dead Man

• 26. Drew Williams  |  May 20th, 2008 at 3:33 pm

  I agree with Nate. Wing Ding should have stayed in Davis Park. I used to go every year, but I refuse to go hang out in the Speedway in Loves Park. Previously after the concert you could simply walk to some of the bars downtown, which have gotten increasingly better in quality in the last couple of years. Now, that opportunity is gone.

  Bring Wing Ding back downtown!!!

• 27. carla kellems  |  May 21st, 2008 at 7:38 am

  I love wing ding!
  I think all of those people that dislike it don’t really know what they’re talking about. and haven’t been to a concert ; a real one;
  I am glad we have this tradition.
  it gets overplayed inthe local radio but it’s how you ” get it”
  we’re ready to rock!
  and please, everyone, where can you get such a deal for $10

  go Geo
  Thank you and thank you Maverick Media, Stone and double T…..

• 28. Greg H  |  May 21st, 2008 at 9:15 am

  Tyler E…..get over yourself. Good Lord, you’re 21 going on 80. If you don’t like Wing Ding, you don’t like it. No problem there. But, don’t criticize people who want to go out and have a little fun. I get the feeling you were picked on as a kid.

  Calling others “snotty” is a bit hypocritical on your part don’t you think? Seem you have a pretty good case of the “high and mighties” going yourself. But, that’s what critics do….they feel they have to speak for the uneducated masses.

  A little advice. Put your thesaurus away, lighten up a little, and have a some fun.

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