Showbiz Pizza's Rock-afire Explosion Still Playing in 2 Cities

One of the most iconic music acts from the '80s is still cranking at the tunes in two cities, but without all the pizza, Skee-Ball and video games

Years after it had been seemingly eliminated from all Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese locations, The Rock-afire Explosion lives on.

What Is The Rock-afire Explosion?

For those with childhood's void of the sensory overload that was Showbiz Pizza, the chain was pretty much what Chuck E. Cheese is today. There is one notable exception that sets the two apart ... The Rock-afire Explosion.

The animatronic band of animals would entertain Showbiz Pizza guests while they caught their breath between arcade games and slices of pizza. Their show was a mix of family-friendly humor and songs.

Eventually, all of the Showbiz Pizza locations turned into Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, which also meant a new identity for members of The Rock-afire Explosion.

Before long, the band and its updated look were gone for good from every Chuck E. Cheese.

A renewed interest in the animatronic group popped up in the early 2000s when a YouTube channel started posting videos of the characters programmed to perform current songs in someone's home.

A documentary on The Rock-afire Explosion followed, but it wasn't enough to catapult the fictitious band back into pizza joints across the U.S.

But the band does play on in at least two cities with performances open to the public.

Where To Find The Rock-afire Explosion

Audiences can still enjoy the songs and skits of the classic animatronic band in two locations that are definitely not Chuck E. Cheese.

Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, West Virginia is a family entertainment center akin to places like Showbiz and Chuck E. Cheese. The attraction's name was even inspired by the Billy Bob character from Showbiz.

Here, The Rock-afire Explosion continues to entertain guests with their typical skits and stories. Just don't expect the band to look exactly like it did during your childhood.

"To say the years haven't been kind to the band would be an understatement," YouTuber Sully says in a recent video of his visit. "Billy Bob's Wonderland is also home to some of the most horrific Rock-afire masks I have ever seen."

Regardless of how the band may look, fans continue to flock to Billy Bob's Wonderland to see the show. The popularity has even blossomed BillyCon, an annual convention celebrating all things Showbiz Pizza and its characters.

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A second option to partake in a Rock-afire Explosion performance doesn't even require you to go into a restaurant.

Drive a little more than an hour northwest of Chicago and you will find Volo, a village of around 6,000 people. One of the community's biggest attractions is the Volo Museum.

Over the years, the museum has blossomed from being mostly a collection of cars from movies and TV shows to various exhibits that will conjure up a sense of nostalgia. In summer 2024, the Volo Museum unveiled its latest attraction, The Rock-afire Explosion.

The band is hidden behind garage doors that open every 20 minutes for guests to enjoy their show outdoors. The gang has come a long ways since being stuck performing at the same pizza joint every night.