By Jules E. Beuck
Photos By Jules E. Beuck and Rose Botkin-Beuck

Depending on when you were born you will have a favorite decade for music. For those born in the early 1970s that decade would probably be the 1980s. Three acts were on display at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on August 7, 2014, to demonstrate why that would be so. Little River Band, Eddie Money and Rick Springfield rocked Ontario, CA that night.

Surprisingly, a local act from Claremont opened the show. Mick Rhodes and the Hard Eight performed a set of Country Rock originals that kept the early crowd entertained until the main attractions arrived. Songs like “Back To The 909” and “Married Girls” went over well.

Click through to read how they rocked the Arena

On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland. Since that time it has grown, expanded to different states and countries and added a new park across from the original. On July 17,2014 Disneyland celebrated its 59th anniversary with a small ceremony.

It began with the Mayor of Main Street U.S.A., complete with top hat and tails, greeting the assembled crowd as he gave a little history of the park. Walt Disney's opening remarks were played over the public address system. “To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past and here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to the world.” — Walt Disney, July 17, 1955

Click through for more from The Happiest Place on Earth

Production on the feature-length documentary is set to begin immediately and take six months, and will include historical footage; footage from the band’s current “An Evening With Sevendust” acoustic tour; interviews; and cameos from Tommy Lee, Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge), Scott Phillips (Alter Bridge and also a member of Sevendust guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby’s band, Projected), Wolfgang Van Halen and many others. City Drive/DC3 will film the concert portion of the project in New York City.  They expect to film two full-length shows back-to-back: an acoustic show followed by a plugged-in show—the band’s last plugged-in show of 2014. The band will offer tickets for both shows to fans at one price and they’re expecting a very quick sell out. Tickets will go on sale sometime in late June.  On sale info will be announced soon.

Click through for invitation to be a part of the show!

The turn of the century has seen a resurgence of comebacks from bands that were once on top of their game. However, when a band decides to make a “comeback album,” most attempts fail. Most times, critics ask,  “Why the hell would we need another album by THESE guys?”  Rocky Erickson, Mission of Burma, Portishead, and Wire are among very few bands whose recent “comeback” attempts have met relative success. Conversely, if you’ve heard the latest by Guns and Roses (2008), The Stooges (2007), Devo (2010), or even The Who (2006), you might agree with the  “Why the hell…?” consensus. Although one might consider it a “return” rather than a “comeback,” The Long Sleep by San Diego rock band Dark Globe has many of the traits that put it into the first category, and make it a successful follow-up to an album that was released over two decades ago.

Click through for more about The Long Sleep

“At approximately 6:53 p.m. on Sunday, Richmond Police were called to a residence in the 4800 block of West Seminary Avenue for a report of a deceased individual,”  a police spokeswoman wrote. “When officers arrived, they found David M. Brockie, 50, deceased inside the home.”

Band manager Jack Flanagan issued the following statement:

“It is with a saddened heart, that I confirm my dear friend Dave Brockie, artist, musician, and lead singer of GWAR passed away at approximately 6:50 PM EST Sunday March 23,2014. His body was found Sunday by his band mate at his home in Richmond, VA. Richmond authorities have confirmed his death and next of kin has been notified. A full autopsy will be performed. He was 50 years old, born August 30, 1963.

Click through for more

It was time. I could feel the clicks of the clock more than hear them and that confounded page – well, actually the flat screen – remained nearly blank. I had typed three consonants and a vowel, but that does not a BareFoot MusicNews submission make. It will be morning soon and these electrons must flow to my editor. He deserves them and in a reasonably timely manner. But where is my inspiration for this week’s column? I could lash you with setting levels to within a db of your life or cajole you in to firm cooperation with your fellow band mates, but I am feeling benevolent. You’ve worked hard and we all need some fun. So it’s time for a field trip.

Where is our favorite location for a field trip? Yes, you guessed it; it’s back out into the spooky warehouse. It’s so very practical; fuel expenses are nil, the chance of encountering a gendarme are slight and I can grab a munchy as we wheel and make the turn at the Frigidaire. You had better wear your boots, though, because this might just get a little deep.

I had a new girl Wednesday (they never last until Friday) trashing my office. Well, she called it cleaning my desk. She also told me that the best radio station was a local one playing that “Jack-FM” format. That’s the radio programming concept that totally ignores the listener and sounds like a version of Media Player on steroids. It is stuffed full of random pop offerings and a liberal dose of segues that sound like a train wreck, kind of a “Wooden Ships” into “Hell Bound Train” sort of thing. I’d quickly assembled a thought-provoking, eclectic playlist and convinced her that it was my favorite local FM station that we were now hearing.

Click through for adventure in spooky warehouse!

The Rim fire near Yosemite has forced the cancellation of the Strawberry Music Festival, an annual bluegrass gathering in Camp Mather that has attracted thousands of music lovers to the edge of Yosemite annually since 1982. They posted the following announcement on their facebook page and website:

We just received the official word from Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency and the Board of Supervisors County of Tuolumne:

“Due to the ongoing State of Emergency and the potential adverse effects of the wildfire on public health, safety and welfare, the County of Tuolumne cannot allow the Strawberry Music Festival to occur at the site as originally permitted on the dates of August 29 through September 2, 2013.”

Click through for more on the fire’s effect