Considered by many to be the “Best Bar Band in America,” Dash Rip Rock is sure to give an unforgettable show tonight at Rick’s CafZ. Dash Rip Rock is known for its wild and crazy shows full of energy and excitement. Rick Welch, owner of Rick’s CafZ even said, “Dash is probably my all-time favorite band.” According to Rolling Stone, Dash Rip Rock takes their name from Ellie May’s flashy boyfriend on the “Beverly Hillbillies” and fuses two very different styles to form what lead singer Bill Davis calls “punk-a-billy.”
“We have a wild, high-energy country-punk mix,” Davis said-understandable, considering Davis’ influences: everything from Jerry Lee Lewis to REM to the Ramones.
Davis considers the band to be the result of “if you took Sum 41 and Toby Keith and mixed them together.”
The band members have Southern roots from their hometown of New Orleans, and the band began playing together while attending LSU in 1984. The band said they began because of the lack of good bands. Davis said they “wanted something different.” After playing mainly at colleges, Dash Rip Rock decided to morph their style of Rock-a-billy into something a little crazier-Davis called it “Mardi-Gras in a box.”
Welch and the members of Dash have been friends for quite some time. The band used to tour often, and they made frequent stops at Rick’s, but the band took a four-year break from touring, which somewhat hurt their fan base. Their recording history started in 1987 with a self-titled debut album on Mammoth Records.
“In the mid-’90s, their crowd was incredible,” Welch said.
The band flirted with commercial success in 1995 with their song “Let’s Go Smoke Some Pot,” a parody of the ’60s classic “Let’s Go To The Hop.” The tune received massive radio play and was one of the most requested songs on KROQ, a much-heralded alt-rock station in Los Angeles.
However, they are excited about coming back to Rick’s because, as Davis said, “There is never a dull moment at Rick’s.”
This year Dash released their 11th album, Sonic Boom, which holds true to the Dash Rip Rock style of music in that it blends Southern music with other genres. For more information about Dash Rip Rock or their new album, visit their Web site at www.dashriprock.net.
Many other bands have covered Dash Rip Rock songs, but most people do not know that those songs originated from Dash, which might be surprising for concertgoers Friday night when they recognize some of the songs.
In 1998, Dash Rip Rock won the Intel New York Music Festival “Pick Your Favorite Band” contest on the strength of their then-latest album, Pay Dirt.
Dash Rip Rock said they look forward to a crazy night on Friday. Davis claims their fans are “extremely rowdy” and love to spray beer on the band as well as break into their dressing room and steal the band’s own beer.
“It certainly is a wild scene,” Davis said.
Hoping for a good turnout, Rick’s is offering free admission to ladies on Friday and only $5 for guys to get in. The concert will begin at 10 p.m.