Pop quartet Material Girls and top touring KISS tribute band Mr. Speed will be thrilling the crowd at the Big Yellow Barn (9015 Main Street Clarence) on July 20-21st at the 15^th Annual “Rock the Barn” – a fundraising concert for Meals on Wheels. Now in its 15^th year, the event is the principal fundraiser for the Clarence-Newstead Meals on Wheels Task Force, Inc., which helps fund Meals on Wheels services in Clarence, Akron and Newstead.

Walk-up tickets for the 2-day event are $25 at the gate and are good for both days. The event takes place rain or shine.

Rock the Barn has become a major community event in Clarence. What originally started out as a one-night fundraiser in 2005 has blossomed into a two-day festival attracting thousands of attendees each year. The concert is held behind the big yellow barn at 9015 Main Street, making it a truly unique event venue.

While two-stages of live music will be front-and-center at Rock the Barn, there are many more aspects to the festival including local food vendors serving mouth-watering food, a beer tent, raffles, a children’s craft area and more.

Main stage musical performers for Friday, July 19^th are: Material Girls (Headliner), Antera, Last Call, and A & L.  On Saturday, July 20^th it’s Mr. Speed (Headliner), Lyin’ Eyes, We Were Blank and All or Nothin’. Pack of Blues will be holding down the bonus stage in-between main stage acts both nights.

Friday night is Rock The Barn’s “Girls Night Out” theme featuring headliner “Material Girls”, a showstopping musical group featuring all the best hits from Adele, Cher, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. Material Girls is a high energy musical production, backed by studio musicians, that recreate the ladies that topped the pop charts with all #1 hit songs by Adele, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Cher.

Saturday night’s headliner Mr. Speed bills themselves as the number one KISS tribute in the world. With 25 years of experience, Mr. Speed is writing their own chapter in the KISS story, bridging the gap between KISS fans from the ’70’s and the new legions of the KISS Army. With a show combining a lot of the elements that are reminiscent of a KISS performance, and enough hits to go double platinum, they bring you back to a time when KISS was the hottest band in the world.

Proceeds from the previous Rock the Barn concerts have helped the Task Force grow their endowment fund to over $765,000 – and this year’s event should put the organization in the final stretch towards the one-million-dollar goal first set back in the 1980s.

Funds from the endowment will be used to provide permanent funding for Meals on Wheels routes in Clarence, Akron and Newstead. From their distribution point at the Clarence Senior Center, Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver over 25,000 meals a year to over 130 recipients on seven routes.