Musician plays through 81 amps at the same time for world record

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A musician broke a Guinness World Record at the soft opening of a renovated Iowa venue by playing his guitar while hooked up to 81 amps.

Jon Locker played through the 81 amps at the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines on Sunday as part of the live music venue's soft opening following a $15 million renovation project.

Locker broke the previous record of 50 amplifiers played through at the same time before a crowd of hundreds of onlookers.

"This is more of a party trick over anything," Locker told KCCI-TV. "This is not something you're ever going to use in the real world."

Locker was the first musician to take the Val Air stage following a 13-month renovation project ordered by Sam Summers, who purchased the historic venue in 2022.

The ballroom's first official show following the renovation, Greensky Bluegrass, is scheduled for Thursday.