Rockers Rat Salad playing in Marcellus Aug. 17

Published 8:57 pm Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Almost three years ago, rock band Rat Salad reassembled to play for the Marcellus High School Class of 1985.

The quartet played all around the Marcellus area in the mid-’80s before life took members in different directions.

“When we agreed to get back together to play the class reunion in Marcellus, we had no intention of playing anything beyond that,” guitarist Mike Dodge said.

For the past three years, Rat Salad has entertained throughout the Midwest at music festivals and nightclubs.

The rodent infestation shows no signs of abating.

Saturday, Aug. 17, the band returns home to Marcellus to play at The Rock at Big Fish Lake.

Dodge, along with David Fox and Glen Head, are Marcellus graduates and original band members. Bassist Todd Campbell hails from Three Rivers.

“We are excited about coming home to rock The Rock,” front man Head said. “We were originally slated to be the first band to play there, but a delay in timing threw off our schedules.”

“I would describe us as ’80s hard rock,” Head said Tuesday, though they “rock up” more contemporary covers, such as Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger.”

Rat Salad has original songs, but Head said audiences prefer dancing to familiar sounds.

Their Marcellus homecoming will be followed by concerts Sept. 1 at Three Rivers HarmonyFest, Sept. 7 at BarodaFest and other Berrien County appearances at The Livery in Benton Harbor and at Czar’s 505 (Pleasant St.) in St. Joseph.

Head said The Rock occupies the location of the former Melville’s Tavern, which burned in 1997.