"ID? NO WAY"
The Los Angeles Times
Thursday, February 1, 2007
By Jessica Gelt

Every venue secretly dreams of nurturing a house-band-makes-good, and owners seek out that special sound. At the just-opened Wire in Upland, dedicated husband-and-wife team Donavan and Rachel Foy took out a second mortgage on their house and sold both of their cars to showcase the musical hopefuls of the Inland Empire.

Located on 2nd Avenue in quaint downtown Upland, the Wire is clean and professionally run, with art-covered walls and a fabulous sound system. Donavan, who taught middle school science for five years, told his wife, "I didn't want to be a burned-out teacher who made life miserable for his kids." Rachel laughs. "He kept his word."

"We could have done a nightclub, not a place for all these kids to go," Donavan says. "Nothing against anyone who does it differently, but we didn't feel it was the right thing to have alcohol — we could certainly make more money if we did that — but it takes away from the bands."

The Foys' idealistic strategy is beginning to take off. "We've been having between 120 and 150 kids show up for four to five shows a week; and we're starting to get people who are up and coming and on their first tour as a signed band."

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