Ray and the Rhythm Beat Band Gets Colton Groovin’

Over 850 locals came out to enjoy a night of live music and great food at Fleming Park in Colton Aug. 11. Fleming Park was a venue to music enthusiasts, foodies, and families alike, drawing both community members and leaders to the event. The band featured this time around was Ray and the Rhythm Beat Band, which consisted of male and female lead vocalists, and various instruments including drums, bass guitar, a keyboard and a saxophone. Toward the beginning of the night, the band played mariachi songs, then progressed to decade hits from the 1940’s to now. The band performed songs such as “In the Mood” by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, “At Last” by Etta James and “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs. Couples and groups of friends danced along throughout the night, and the band took a moment at the start of nearly every other song to encourage more people to get up and dance. Ray and The Rhythm Beat Band decided to take a small break around 8 p.m. A dance company sprang up to perform in the meantime. The young dancers performed pieces in correspondence to current popular music and sold raffle tickets to promote their company. They also promoted their website, artsincolton.com, to gain a larger fan base and encourage new members to join. Many food vendors lined the street in a farmer’s market style to contribute to the community event. One of the vendors was Huera’s Tacos, a traveling authentic Mexican restaurant. According to one partner, Phillip Rivera, Huera’s Tacos has been operating at many community events in the Inland Empire for the past three years. The most recent event they covered was a car meet in Fontana, before going to Colton for the concert in the park the next day. Hits from this restaurant at the park included tacos that were prepared on the spot and shaved ice slushes.