Who We Are

Foam Riders are an acclaimed “mostly” 80s rock cover band known for their infectious energy, and fun-loving renditions of classic hits. With a dedicated following and a reputation for delivering high-energy performances, Foam Riders capture the essence of the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll. Renowned for their dynamic stage presence and meticulously curated set list, Foam Riders have amassed a devoted following for their highly-entertaining recreations of iconic songs by legendary bands like Journey, Van Halen, Billy Idol, and more. Prepare to sing along and be swept away by the immersive experience as Foam Riders turn back the clock, delivering an unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll event. Foam Riders also perform some genre-appropriate original songs, that have become crowd favorites. Over the past years, the band have developed into a staple of the East Bay live music scene. Please contact us for booking information.

History

Originally, Rob and Greg were part a large group of guys (mostly from Livermore, CA) who got together on St. Patrick’s Day 2014, at a ‘jam session’ organized by a mutual friend. Then, a couple of weeks later, Richard and Doug joined in on what had now become a weekly ‘Jam Night’. The guys generally showed up each week with a few songs (covers and/or originals) that they’d like to jam to. The song list built up rather quickly, and within 3 months, they had booked their first gig.

They spent the rest of 2014 and the first part of 2015 playing 2-3 live gigs per month, trying to hone their performance and set list. Then, in May of 2015, the guys got their first opportunity to play to a much larger crowd, at the Livermore Valley Wine Festival. It was a huge step to go from playing for small groups of winery customers to playing on a large, public stage. The performance went off without a hitch, and, subsequently, they were asked to play at the season’s first Thirsty Thursday event at the Livermore Farmer’s Market. Another great opportunity, in front of a new, large group of people, and another fantastic performance by the guys.

Since then, the band has played at many venues in and around Livermore, and the East Bay, as well as providing music at multiple weddings.

In 2016, the band again played at the Livermore Wine Country Festival, and opened the Thirsty Thursday season, as the very first band to play on the new Rotary Bandstand at Livermore’s Carnegie Park. They also provided the evening entertainment for the 2016 Livermore edition of the Relay for Life, benefitting cancer-fighting, at Livermore High School.

In 2017, the Foam Riders again be played the Livermore Relay for Life, to benefit cancer research, as well as appearing at McGrail Vineyards and some private parties.

In 2018, the Foam Riders played numerous times at Inc 82 Brewing, and Retro Junkie, as well as many dates at local wineries and private parties. We also returned to the Livermore Wine Country Festival, and had multiple dates at Thirsty Thursday, in Livermore. We also added our wonderful backup singer, Lynn Buskard, to the band.

2019 began with the Foam Riders becoming the first rock band to play Maverick’s Country Bar in Pleasanton. By the end of the year, we had played more gigs than in any previous year. The future looked incredibly bright.

2020 started out looking like it was going to be the best year in the band’s history, but, we all know what happened in March. Fortunately, we were able to perform some live streams, during the lockdown, and resume playing, as soon as the stay-at-home orders were lifted, in June. Then, we played nearly every weekend from August through to the second lockdown, in November. Many at new venues to the band. Though it was not the year we had hoped for, back in February, it still turned out to be a pretty good year for the band. In addition to the aforementioned issues, we also had some personnel changes in 2020. Our bass player, and one of the founding members of the band, left, and was replaced by the incredible Kevin Beers. Also, our drummer, Jonathan Wilson, went on sabbatical, due to the pandemic. He was replaced (albeit, temporarily) by Joe Lee. A guy with so much energy that we call him “Animal.” He brought a new energy, and a quest to add new songs to the set list. In fact, our 2021 dates have at least 35% different songs than just a year prior, many due to Joe’s willingness to try anything we throw at him.

Once the second lockdown lifted, in early 2021, the band immediately resumed performing. We have been booked at a number of new-to-us venues, and are currently in the middle of one of the busiest calendars we’ve ever had, being booked every weekend until mid-summer, most of those being multiple bookings, per weekend.

Please see the Upcoming page to see where we will be playing, next.

The Story of the Foam Riders Name

In the early days of playing together, the guys jokingly came up with some funny names for the ‘band’ that they were unknowingly starting. One day, in a group text, one of the guys hit some random emojis on his phone (see the conversation here). Rob jokingly said ‘Suds Surfers’, but that was quickly replaced by the suggestion of ‘Foam Riders’. Foam Riders become the code-name for the band, while they continued to practice together. On the morning of their first gig (August 31, 2014), they realized they didn’t have a band name. So, with no one suggesting anything better, Foam Riders became the official name of the band.

The Guys