Photo by Werner Weiss, 2002

Music every night from July 13 through August 23

The year is 2002 at Yester California Adventure. It’s the young park’s second summer. The folks in charge are trying something new in an effort to make the turnstiles click.

They invite you to “Catch Summer’s Hottest Sounds” at the Paradise Bay Stage — or at the “Golden State Park Stage on Paradise Bay,” as the press release calls the same venue.

Just be aware that the superlative adjective “hottest” also applies to the temperature in the seating area — perhaps more than it does to music you’ll hear. The summer sun shines directly on the audiences of the two performances each afternoon.

Most of these acts were hot around the 1960s or 1970s. The word “sixties”s applies not only to when these performers had their hits, but also to their current ages.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Temporary stage on Paradise Bay at Golden State Park

Do you want good seats? Here’s how to get a voucher for the preferred seating section for either performance today. Make dinner reservations for The Vineyard Room (the fine dining restaurant upstairs at the Golden Vine Winery) or buy the Electrical Parade Premium Viewing Package. Pick up your voucher at the Golden Vine Winery between 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Then, a half hour before showtime, go to the preferred seating entrance over by the Golden Zephyr.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Shade structure to protect the performers, but not the audience, from the sun

Don’t think of making a dinner reservation for The Vineyard Room, getting your voucher, but then not showing up for dinner. If you try that, they’ll charge the $25 minimum to the credit card that you used to guarantee your reservation.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Caps and visors provide some relief from the sun — but not much

Actually, you don’t need a voucher to get a good seat. Many shows have empty seats.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

The Beach Boys, the quintessential California beach sound band

Perhaps you’ll attend the first night of the music series, with the Beach Boys on stage. Don’t expect founding members Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine. But you can expect founding member Mike Love (born March 15, 1941), a cousin of the Wilson brothers. Also, Bruce Johnston (born June 27, 1942), who joined The Beach Boys in 1965 and sang on the hit “California Girls,” qualifies as a member from the band’s heyday.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

The Beach Boys on stage

In case you’re wondering what happened to the others, Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson are dead. The surviving original Beach Boys have split into three bands. There’s original leader and primary songwriter Brian Wilson and his band. There’s Al Jardine’s Endless Summer Band. And there are the Beach Boys who are here at California Adventure; they’re the only ones who can call themselves “The Beach Boys” because Mike Love wound up with the rights after a legal battle.

At least that’s the status of the Beach Boys in 2002. (Amazingly, that’s still their status in 2024, as the three bands continue to tour.)

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Chubby Checker & The Wildcats

It’s not surprising that band rosters change over time. Most “oldies” bands have at least one original member. It’s impressive that some have more than one.

It’s different for a “name” performer like Chubby Checker. It wouldn’t be Chubby Checker & The Wildcats without Mr. Checker.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

“King of the Twist” Chubby Checker teaching audience members to Twist

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Chubby Checker, up close and personal

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Chubby Checker, not afraid to navigate through the folding chairs of the audience

Chubby Checker (born October 3, 1941) is best known for “The Twist” (1960), although he had a bunch of other Top 40 hits in the early 1960s. He still puts on a good show, although, in general, his audiences have aged along with him.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, giving a Richard Nixon-style victory sign

The group is called Herman’s Hermits, but there was never anyone in the band named Herman. “Herman” is really Peter Noone (born November 5, 1947). In the United States, this “British Invasion” group is best known for “I’m Into Something Good” (1964), “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” (1965) and “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am” (1965).

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

New ride at the park — but only for performers

Perhaps you would have preferred a new ride for the summer instead a nostalgic music series. Well, there is a new ride… sort of. The temporary stage over Paradise Bay doesn’t have a backstage area or dressing rooms. Instead, the dressing rooms are behind California Screamin’. The performers travel by boat to and from the stage. Sorry, there are no boat rides for park guests.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

K-EARTH 101 broadcasting live

Be sure to catch all the other summer 2002 entertainment at California Adventure, including Lilo & Stitch’s Ohana Luau on Paradise Pier, Eureka! - The California Adventure Parade on the Performance Corridor, and The Power of BLAST! in the Hyperion Theater.

The first summer season for Disney’s California Adventure was in 2001. Attendance was far below projections. With the downturn in travel after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, summer 2002 threatened to be even worse.

Disneyland Resort management had to come up with a compelling reason for guests to visit the new park in summer 2002. In the tradition of the well-received “Eat to the Beat” concert series during Epcot’s annual Food & Wine Festivals, guests were offered “Rockin’ the Bay” from July 13 through August 23, 2002. Disney chose acts that were once big names with Top 10 hits.

Photo by Doug Marsh, 2002

The Buckinghams, whose “Kind of a Drag” was a big hit in 1967

When the music series began, the performances were at 3:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. To address the problem of audiences baking in the hot summer sun, the performance times were changed to 5:45 pm. and 7:45 p.m.

So what if most of the headliners were nearing Social Security age? So what if most hadn’t had a hit in decades? They still had talent. They still had name recognition (at least to people who had personal memories of the Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show). And they often had great back-up bands.

But, apparently, they didn’t draw crowds to Disney’s California Adventure. “Rockin’ the Bay” did not return in 2003.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2017

Walt Disney’s World of Color in Paradise Bay

On June 11, 2010, World of Color, arguably the most spectacular water show in the world, premiered at Paradise Bay. The prime viewing for it is where “Rockin’ the Bay” had been in 2002.

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Updated November 29, 2024