Bands come and go.
They can vanish faster than you can say “split,” falling prey to personal, as well as personality, problems, differences in vision and just the challenge of juggling jobs and the grueling schedule of playing.
But for Eddie Krall, life in a band has been a labor of love.
Krall, the lead singer of the local Dash Rip Rock Band, has been at it since 1998 and has seen the pitfalls others have fallen into, having stumbled into those same traps himself.
But for now, he is satisfied with where he is musically, physically and mentally.
Set to play at the Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival fireworks finale Saturday night, Dash Rip Rock is at the top of its game. And this, coming on the heels of playing the John Mellencamp segment of “Down the Line” last February at the Embassy Theatre, leaves the band arguably in the upper echelon of the local music scene.
“It is a pretty big honor,” Krall said recently. “It’s a high-profile gig.”
And it’s not as if Dash Rip Rock hasn’t had their brush with fame through the years, having opened for several national acts, including Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, Night Ranger and others.
But it wasn’t all good times that brought the band to this point.
Krall said about seven years ago, the band had a split, and a not-so-amicable one at that. He talks about the split diplomatically by saying the band lost its vision and members had different priorities.
Lead guitarist Greg Reszel says it just wasn’t clicking anymore.
“It just wasn’t any fun anymore, and egos were getting in the way,” Reszel said. “But this time around, and I know for me personally, it was time to put the ego aside and focus on the musicianship.”
After the breakup, the band members joined up with other projects and lost touch. But in 2009, Krall experienced a health crisis that nearly took his life. The people who rallied around him during that time were Dash Rip Rock, he said.
“They showed up as family, as friends, and I realized I woke up with the best-case scenario,” Krall said.
“We started rehearsing again with a new enthusiasm and began knocking on doors. We played our first gig on Sept. 11, 2009, and never looked back.”
The band will play about 45 to 50 songs a night and really doesn’t work from a set list, Krall said. “Cause if we need to change up, we can do that.”
The band includes Krall and Reszel; Sam Moffett, bass; Eric Heminger, drums; and Ken Stocker, a recent addition who sings and plays several instruments, including violin, keyboards, mandolin and guitar.
Reszel said the addition of Stocker has enabled the band to explore different music, including more anthem rock favorites by artists from Springsteen to The Who, and Kansas’ “Magnum Opus” from the “Leftoverture” album, which the band will perform at the fireworks finale.
Krall said the band wanted to bring more of a rock concert feel to the show. But if you catch a Dash Rip Rock show anywhere in town, you’ll hear songs you’ll be able to sing and dance to, but with a new enthusiasm, Krall said.
“We want people who see us to be able to put away their problems for that one minute and have a really good time. We don’t care if it’s two, 200 or 2,000,” Krall said.
Three Rivers Festival director Jack Hammer said the band was chosen for the finale because of their professionalism and how they step up every time to provide a great show.
“Their attitude is good, they have a high energy level and they are great to work with,” Hammer said.
