Critics of Iowa’s music scene were given a symbolic smack in the face Friday night. After experiencing firsthand the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s “Gross Domestic Product” local music extravaganza, I can safely say that our music scene is flourishing across the board.

I was initially very skeptical about going to the show. I was tired from a long week, and I wasn’t terribly excited about making the trip down to the concert. After all, it was only going to be local music, but I hopped in a car with Daily cohort Kevin W. Stillman and made the long drive anyway.

After arriving at Hotel Fort Des Moines, my anxieties were quickly put to rest. Throngs of people crowded an elaborate entryway, many of them dressed in typical scenester garb, but the overall assortment of attendees was much more diverse than I have ever seen at a concert.

There were people that looked like they could be grandparents, young kids, gothic and punk teens, indie rockers, hip-hoppers, respectable looking adults and a few people that just looked like hobos.

All of them had assembled for the sake of one cause: To support local music and to prove to the world that, yes, Iowa does in fact have a music scene.

The setup sprawled out across an entire floor of the hotel. One main hallway served as the center for merchandise tables and socializing, complete with an elaborate bar and an up-scale corner to get food. Wood columns, glamorous architecture and a plethora of gold chandeliers made the environment feel much more classy and intimate than I had envisioned.

Two large, expensive stage setups were located in adjacent ballrooms – one on either side of the main hallway. Music was constantly played on both stages from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m., and everything was run much more efficiently than many concerts.

The event had a horde of volunteers, doing everything from taking tickets to selling merchandise to quickly helping bands load their gear on and offstage. The energy emitted from volunteers and attendees was contagious.

Every band I saw seemed to be having a blast playing in front of large, enthusiastic audiences. The large variety of performers helped keep the concert fresh and exciting, despite its six-hour length.

Poison Control Center was by far the most energetic band of the night. Members jumping around, throwing their guitars in the air, swinging from a chandelier, leading the crowd in silly dances and getting riled up to the point of pissing off the bouncers are just a few of the highlights of their set.

Other surprisingly good performers included Like Knives, a quartet of middle-aged men rocking out songs of humor and angst, The Lifestyle, cranking out an uber-tight set of pop-punk and General Sherman, offering a refreshing blend of indie rock.

The most anticipated performer of the evening was Ames’ own The Envy Corps. Having had lots of press and radio play, The Envy Corps did nothing but live up to the hype. An intimate first song instantly hushed the crowded ballroom, followed by several original songs – new and old – executed with awe-inspiring precision.

A cover of the Smashing Pumpkin’s “1979” was a hit with the crowd and during the band’s last song, “Story Problem,” The Envy Corps brought fans on stage to dance and ended with the entire crowd singing a “la-la-la”-style melody.

Props to the coalition for putting on one of the best-organized and most-fun shows in recent history.

Its events, such as Gross Domestic Product, inspire local musicians to go out on a limb and risk it in the music industry. Hopefully this show was only a glimpse at what is to come.