What do you get when you combine animatronics, pizza and rock and roll? You get the legendary animatronic performing band, the Rock-afire Explosion!

These exhilarating mechanical animals exploded onto the ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurant stage in 1980 with a blend of rock, pop, country and comedy, and they continue to thrill audiences today. The band has attracted a loyal audience comprising fans of all ages, some hungry for a slice of animatronic history, and others just looking for a good time.

If you're curious about how the musical machinery all got started, welcome to Rock-afire history 101.  

What Is the Rock-afire Explosion?

The Rock-afire Explosion is an animatronic band, originally programmed to perform at ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurants, though they've gone on to perform at multiple other locations worldwide. The band's setlist comprises rock, pop and country hits, as well as original songs and comedy skits. Designed and manufactured by Creative Engineering, Inc. (CEI), the Rock-afire Explosion characters took animatronics to a new level, with their life-sized stature, advanced movements and emotive facial expressions.        

Who Are the Rock-afire Explosion Members?

The Rock-afire Explosion lineup consists of eight animatronic, anthropomorphic animals:

• Billy Bob Brockali: The brown bear from Tennessee, clad in yellow and red overalls, holds down the low end on bass and vocals. In typical bassist fashion, Billy Bob is the peacemaker when his bandmates get into entertaining onstage squabbles. He was ShowBiz Pizza Place's mascot throughout the chain's existence.  
• Looney Bird: This bird is Billy Bob's best friend and likes to stay by his side. Looney Bird sings from the inside of an oil drum, and has been entrusted with reading the band's fan mail. Having recovered from a rough past and turned to science, Looney Bird has earned a reputation as the inventive intellectual of the group. 
• Beach Bear: This smooth-singing, six-stringing polar bear has a laid-back attitude and a sharp wit. 
• Fatz Geronimo: The band's unofficial frontman is a silverback gorilla named Fatz Geronimo. Fatz introduces most shows, and his style, singing and skills on the keys remind audiences of real-life greats Fats Domino and Ray Charles. He has a tendency to ramble and order his bandmates around, which often results in humorous conflicts with Rolfe DeWolfe.
• Dook Larue: Not the brightest bulb in the box, drumming dog Dook Larue has been known to lose focus and miss his cues. He has a silky voice and wears an astronaut suit in hopes that his dreams of space travel may one day come true.   
• Mitzi Mozzarella: A perpetual teenager, Mitzi Mozzarella the mouse adds her vibrant voice to the mix. Her interests include gossip, boyfriends and pop music, especially Michael Jackson.  
• Rolfe DeWolfe: A ventriloquist wolf who performs stand-up comedy routines in between the band's musical sets. He enjoys disco, Frank Sinatra, Kmart and making rude comments.
• Earl Schmerle: Earl is Rolfe's ventriloquist puppet, but he has a mind of his own and is always ready to set Rolfe straight by calling out his bad behavior.

What Is the Rock-afire Explosion's History?

The Rock-afire Explosion emerged in 1980 out of two previous animatronic bands also created by CEI — the Wolf Pack 5 and the Hard Luck Bears. Most of the Rock-afire Explosion characters also performed in these earlier acts, some under different stage names.

Rock-afire began performing at ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurants in July of 1980, just four months after the first Showbiz opened its doors. It took a few years for the character designs, props and equipment to evolve into their iconic form, standardized in 1983, but they wowed pizza-eating audiences from day one. As CEI grew, the Rock-afire Explosion became a regular feature at scores of ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurants nationwide.

Throughout the '80s, the band delivered many exciting promotional shows, including Christmas programs featuring Santa Claus and Fourth of July shows with a guest performance by an animatronic Statue of Liberty. An animatronic Paul McCartney was also developed to join Rock-afire, but never quite made the cut.

The ‘90s saw refreshed character designs and stage layouts in an updated show called the New Rock-afire Explosion, though its reception was less enthusiastic than the ’80s incarnation of Rock-afire had been. A downsized version of the show, dubbed “the Mijjins," also failed to reach Rock-afire's heights. 

Things looked bleak for a time, but that all changed with the advent of the internet in the late '90s. Fansites arose, where people with fond memories of Rock-afire's heyday shared information and media to keep the fandom alive. They succeeded. 

In 2007, a video of the Rock-afire Explosion singing “Ms. New Booty” by Bubba Sparxxx went viral, sparking mainstream media interest and a 2018 self-titled "The Rock-afire Explosion" documentary film. As the Rock-afire renaissance gained momentum, the band performed in MGMT's “Electric Feel” and Kokayi's “Roxtar” music videos, and even appeared in the 2011 film “Just Go With It,” starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Rock-afire also inspired the hit horror video game series “Five Nights at Freddy's.”        

Today, the Rock-afire Explosion inspires joyful nostalgia in those who grew up watching their shows, playing with their toys and listening to their albums. The band also has a whole new generation of fans, most of whom have only experienced its magic online. But if you know where to look, you can still experience the delight of seeing this pioneering animatronic act live.     

Where Can You Watch the Rock-afire Explosion Today?

You can watch the Rock-afire Explosion at Volo Museum in Volo, Illinois. Worldwide, there are only three complete original, fully operational Rock-afire shows open to the public. Before coming to Volo, this show only appeared for the premier of the band's documentary and then remained in safe storage, making it one of the freshest and best-running Rock-afire shows in existence. The Rock-afire Explosion performs at Volo throughout the summer months and occasionally during the spring and fall.    

See the Rock-afire Explosion Perform Live at Volo Museum  

The original Rock-afire Explosion captivated millions through the ‘80s and early ’90s, and these mechanical musicians are as magical as ever today. At Volo Musuem, you can experience this groundbreaking animatronic show live.

The Rock-afire Explosion performs daily at Volo from the first weekend of June through the last weekend of August. The show includes timeless hits, medleys and comedy skits the whole family will love. And if tasting a piece of animatronic history whets your appetite, you can always stop by Volo Museum's on-site pizza parlor for a mouthwatering meal, just like Rock-afire superfans have done since 1980.

Ready to sing along, laugh and join the iconic Rock-afire legacy that lives on? Get your tickets today!