Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor is set to perform a special intimate solo show at the Fremont Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, October 18, as per Blabbermouth. Tickets for the event have officially gone on sale via Smashmagpresents.com.
The announcement follows a series of rare solo appearances by Taylor, who returned to the acoustic format in March 2025 at the HorrorHound Weekend convention in Cincinnati, Ohio—marking his first acoustic solo performance in over three years. He followed the appearance with another acoustic set the following month at the Spookala horror and pop culture convention in Tampa, Florida. The upcoming Las Vegas date also comes on the heels of his “CMF2B… Or Not 2B” release, a collection of covers and B-sides from his “CMF2” studio sessions that hit digital platforms in May 2024 following an initial physical release for Record Store Day.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on December 8, 1973, Corey Taylor was raised primarily by his single mother in Waterloo, Iowa. Of Dutch, German, Irish, and Native American descent, Taylor spent much of his childhood moving across the country as his mother searched for work, living in 25 different states by the age of 15.
Taylor‘s early exposure to pop culture laid the groundwork for his future artistic direction. Seeing a trailer for the 1978 film Halloween as a child sparked his early fascination with masks and horror aesthetics, which would later define Slipknot’s iconic style. Meanwhile, his grandmother introduced him to rock music through Elvis Presley‘s discography, with tracks like “Teddy Bear” and “Suspicious Minds” leaving a lasting impression alongside an early discovery of Black Sabbath. Taylor ultimately decided to pursue a singing career after an impromptu sing-along to Journey‘s “Separate Ways” with his cousin.
Corey Taylor‘s adolescence was marked by instability and severe personal hardship. In 1983, at age nine, his family spent time stranded in Georgia during a move to Florida. By age 15, while living in Waterloo, Iowa, he had developed a severe drug addiction and survived two cocaine overdoses. Seeking a way out, Taylor relocated to Des Moines to live with his grandmother, who took legal custody of him to ensure he stayed in school and purchased his first musical equipment. Taylor has often credited his grandmother as his “strongest influence” and the stabilizing foundation of his early life.
At age 18, Taylor left his grandmother’s home to navigate a transient lifestyle across Iowa, frequently returning to Des Moines. Though he attended Lincoln High School in Des Moines, he left before graduating, later going on to earn his GED as he pursued his musical ambitions.
