Billy Bob's Wonderland is a restaurant located in Barboursville, West Virginia, next to the Huntington Mall.
| Billy Bob's Wonderland | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1989 |
| Owner(s) | Mark Hoffman[1] |
| Street address | 5 Cracker Barrel Dr |
| City | Barboursville |
| County | Cabell County |
| State | West Virginia |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 25701 |
| Country | USA |
| Website | Official Website |
History
editIn 1989, Billy Bob's Wonderland, known as ShowBiz Pizza, opened due to the area's rapid growth following the launch of the Huntington Mall.[2] Nine years later in 1998, before the ShowBiz Pizza Place and Chuck E Cheese merger,[3] Billy Bob's Wonderland rebranded and became independent from their parent company.[4]
In 2020, Billy Bob's Wonderland started its annual convention Billy Con. For the past four years Billy Con has attracted national recognition with the popularity of the Rock-afire Explosion Band and the recent popularity of animatronics.[5][1] Three years later in 2023, Billy Bob's Wonderland is bought out by Fun City Arcade.[6]
Rock-afire Explosion Band
editAs of 2024, Billy Bob's Wonderland holds one of the two last original operating Rock-afire Explosion bands in the United States, the other being at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois.[7][8] This band includes Billy Bob Brockali, a bassist/vocalist, Looney Bird, a vocalist, Dook LaRue, a drummer/vocalist, Fatz Geronimo, a keyboardist/vocalist, Beach Bear, a guitarist/vocalist, Mitzi Mozzarella, a vocalist, and Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schmerle, a ventriloquist/comedy duo.[9]
Documentary
editThe Rock-afire Explosion, a documentary, was partially filmed at Billy Bob's Wonderland. This documentary, about Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter, and the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base, was released at film festivals and special screenings around the United States in the fall of 2008.[10][11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Burrough, Shelby (July 15, 2024). "Billy Bob's Wonderland draws crowds from far and wide to celebrate at Billy Con". WCHS. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Rosenberger, Bill (2009-01-15). "Huntington Mall has affected entire region". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ "History of Showbiz Pizza". ShowBiz Pizza Place. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Billy Bob's Wonderland (Barboursville, West Virginia)". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Duncan, Nolan (July 2, 2024). "Billy Bob's Wonderland to host 4th annual Billy Con". Herald Dispatch. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Pace, Fred (August 3, 2024). "Business Feat: Fun City Arcade acquires Billy Bobs Wonderland". Herald Dispatch. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Sebert, Paul (March 19, 2015). "Rock Afire Explosion gets makeover at Billy Bobs". Herald Dispatch. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ https://patch.com/illinois/lakezurich/rock-afire-explosion-re-debut-volo-museum
- ^ Skeldon, Katherine (July 29, 2022). "One Tank Trip: Billy Bob's Wonderland". WOAY. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Matheson, Whitney (November 13, 2009). "'Rock-afire Explosion': Best movie I've seen all year. Really". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2009.
- ^ "And The Animatronic Band Played On: The Troubled Afterlife Of The Rock-afire Explosion". dcist. April 22, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
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