Casey's Center — Attraction in Des Moines

We were there for the Luke Bryan concert. We went in and followed the signs and ended up in a queue to get into, what we thought was, the VIP line. I asked if they knew where we found the room for the VIP stuff and the gentleman we spoke to didn't know where we were supposed to go, and actually told us it was over. When I disagreed he raised his voice with me and scared my son who was with me. I explained that my son has ASD and this trip was a surprise for him and he needed to find me someone who knew where we needed to go because he had just caused my son to start to panic and get upset. Once he saw what was happening with my son he changed his tone and got on the radio to find someone who could help. We eventually were able to find the correct area for the VIP experience, but not without unnecessary stress. With an event this large, in a venue as large as Wells Fargo Arena, not having all facility staff properly informed creates unnecessary stress and confusion. Once we finished in the VIP area we found our seats on the floor level just in time for the opener, Josh Ross. My son was not able to see once everyone was standing so I had him stand on the chair while I held on to him. During the break between Josh and Luke, I went to grab some pizza and corn dogs for my son. When I returned to my seat my son was sitting down and crying. When I asked what was wrong he said an employee came and told him he couldn't stand up. Now, for an adult, this wouldn't be an issue and life would keep going, but for a 10 year old who doesn't understand social cues, this was devastating. I was able to diffuse the panic and he stood back up on the chair and I held on to him for safety. Luke Bryan is my son's absolute favorite celebrity, he knows all of his songs, copies his movements on stage, and when he's on stage, TV or radio, nothing else in the world exists. Obviously I was there with him, making sure he was safe. The staff who originally told him he couldn't stand up came back and told him he couldn't stand up, I respectfully explained that he couldn't see and that I was holding him. She rudely said she didn't care and he had to sit, while everyone else in front of us were standing. This of course sent my son into a panic and he began crying and shutting down. I was able to calm him after a few minutes and had him stand back up. I stood with my back to the concert while holding my son like a koala for the entire second half of the concert. I didn't get to enjoy the concert like I should have, but the most important part was making sure my son had the time of his life while creating memories that will last a lifetime. The fact that these 2 incidents will be part of the memories that were made, is irritating, especially because they didn't need to happen. On the website for the Iowa Events Center, Wells Fargo Arena, they boast about their sensory rooms, and employee training on how to interact with guests that have special needs. Someone dropped the ball with these 2 employees and caused unnecessary stress on everyone involved. I hope in the near future there are changes made to ensure all event staff are fully informed of all aspects of the event, or at least "management" is informed properly and event staff are able to indicate who "management" is and helps direct guests to that person. I fully understand that standing on the seat is a safety issue, and if the adults responsible for that kid are not present or not paying attention, the kid shouldn't be standing, but shining your flashlight on a child and ignoring the fact that an adult was making sure the safety of everyone around them was priority, isn't the way to handle the situation. Do better. As for the venue itself, it was clean, instructions were clearly displayed and the facilities we used were in working order. We sat floor level, right side and entered through the section 104-105 stairs. There were some segments of the stairs that were not lit up and very difficult to see in the dark. I'm not sure if the lights were out or there were none, but this should...

Meh, I've never been able to get too excited about this place. Arenas today have no uniqueness, or "character", compared to basically everything that's been torn down, or ruined, like Vets, since the 90's. Of course those folks who have lived in Polk County long enough will remember how this arena got railroaded through on them and left them stuck with the construction tab many years ago. They bragged about how many shows, events and concerts would come. Well, that was a lie. I look at all of these concerts that skip over Des Moines in favor of, Kansas City, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, even Sioux City! There were actually way more concerts at Vets in the 70's - 80's. Back then, between Vets and Hilton in Ames, you were covered! I remember during the summer of 1985 when I saw KISS, Bryan Adams, Iron Maiden, and Night Ranger, all at Vets in about a 4 month span. When I took my daughter to see Queen in Omaha a few years back, the next day Iron Maiden was playing. I'll bet a $100 bill that Des Moines was never considered. With minimal effort you can look online at the tours that skip Des Moines. Sure a few (tours) do come throughout the year, but not many. This arena also boasts a hockey team (with a really original name) and a basketball team, both being subsidized by their parent leagues. You don't need to be an accountant to see the loss here. Now, here's where I'm out: I went to one of the few concerts last night that Des Moines will have this year, compared to the aforementioned cities, and this place is now cashless! In the world of cyber crime, identity theft, skimmers and scammers, the "geniuses" that run this place decided to go the way of the Millennials and do away with the option to pay any other way. Totally ridiculous! Never mind the fact that parking anywhere in downtown Des Moines is a hassle that is totally not worth it. They keep changing directions on the streets, the roads are way too narrow (most still are the same width as when they were constructed over 100 years ago), traffic signals are out of sync, etc. What a joke! Finally, as others have said, the concession prices are outrageous. Capitalism is great, fleecing is not, it's unacceptable. They make movie theater...

I have purposely held off in this writing of a review of the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines for one reason. I was waiting to witness yet another concert by my favorite band - the Eagles which was this past Thursday, Nov. 17th. We have attended several concerts at Wells Fargo, as our musical interests vary. Now I'm going to make a point here about the sound system, and make no mistake, I like my music loud. But ... I also like it recognizeable. Over the years, I have heard MANY people comment that they feel the sound system at Wells Fargo doesn't live up to modern arena standards. For example, just the night prior to the Eagles concert, we saw Chris Tomlin and Hillsong United, and I came away from the concert very disappointed with the Hillsong portion of the show (although we loved the songs!) It was very apparent to us (and people around us) that the Hillsong singers appeared to be trying to "out-shout" one another.

So, here's my point .... even though we knew the songs they were singing, it was difficult and at times impossible to understand the lyrics. The sound system seemingly was unable to keep up with them.

At the Eagles concert (and yeah - with Joe Walsh and Steuart Smith banging out riffs on Rocky Mountain Way) it was damn loud at times. We understood every word.

So, my review is as follows: Comfort of seats ... 5 stars Concessions ... 5 stars Restrooms ... 5 stars Sound system ... 4+ stars

So please ... sound technicians and roadies ... do multiple sound checks and and have someone take performers aside, have them check their egos at the door, and ask them to take it down...