Joe Lawler of DesMoinesRegister.com reports: Before Corey Taylor fronted SLIPKNOT, he was one of the THE DÜMFÜX. Back in 1995, Taylor (then a member of STONE SOUR) volunteered to play a house party with some friends. They had no set list and finished no songs before the $1,500 soundboard was destroyed. The band's first show looked to be its last, but they came out of retirement for a 2003 New Year's Eve show.

"We were talking about the old days and the house parties and the idea came up to do the same thing on a bigger scale, jamming with our friends," said Denny Harvey, 35, an original member of STONE SOUR and THE DÜMFÜX.

THE DÜMFÜX shows have become something of a holiday tradition for Des Moines. Monday they will perform again, at the Val Air Ballroom. For people used to Taylor's harder sound with SLIPKNOT, his New Year's Eve show will be something of a surprise. Songs by CYNDI LAUPER, THE BEATLES, BLACK FLAG, THE MISFITS and FLOCK OF SEAGULLS have populated past setlists.

"We agonize over the setlist," Harvey said. "All year we assemble lists of songs we would like to hear live. We're real music geeks."

Sharing the stage is an expansive list of local musicians including Joe Corigliani of CALLOUS, Joni Lawler of RETROGRADE, John Brainard of ON A PALE HORSE, Matt Nyberg of FACECAGE and other friends Taylor has made on the local (and maybe national) scene.