Ron Damato – Lead Vocals / Rhythm Guitar

After being chased for years by women who thought he was Johnny Depp, Ron decided to cut his hair and join a Rock and Roll band. Quite remarkably, they still chase him (ah, the power of fronting a Rock and Roll band). Ron's unique showmanship is surpassed only by his ever-changing guitar collection. One of the amazing things about Ron is he never plays the same guitar once, let alone twice!

Mark Scala – Lead Guitar / Vocals

Mark prides himself on being taller than both Angus Young of AC/DC and Jon Anderson of Yes, and is equally happy he's younger than both. Although "altitudinally challenged", Mark's guitar tone makes him sound larger than life. Mark cites his early musical influences as "anything you couldn't possibly dance to." When The KnightCrawlers are offered a gig, Mark's usual reply is, "just tell me where to stand."

Dirk Vuijst – Bass Guitar / Backing Vocals

"Diggler". Many of you first learned of Dirk's "big" talent in the movie "Boogie Nights". Since then, Dirk has settled down, raised a family and learned to play bass guitar. And just like everything else, one word describes his thumping bass – BIG!! When Dirk isn't slapping those steel strings, he's twisting metal with his bare hands! A word of warning: If you tell Dirk his bass is too loud, he'll gladly turn it up for you.

Alex has a last name even his bandmates can't pronounce. Alex is usually seen with his blues "shades" belting out "Sweet Home Chicago" (no one is sure he's even been to the Windy City). Alex would love to own a real Hammond B3 Organ, but would rather have a healthy back instead. Alex's favorite quote in rehearsal is "one more time", to which the band replies in unison "NO!"

Steve plays with the intensity of Jon Bonham and the thunder of Alex Van Halen, prompting his bandmates to invest in companies that make ear plugs. Steve's drum set is a bit larger than most, and just a little smaller than Neil Peart's. In 2006, Steve attended the "Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp" where he met, and jammed with, some of the biggest names in rock history. When asked if he learned anything new, he replied, "nah, not really."

History of The KnightCrawlers

The KnightCrawlers were formed in 2003, when the daughter of lead guitarist Mark Scala came home after playing at a girlfriend's house. She let her father know her friend's dad played the drums. She suggested that they should get together. Scala asked original drummer, and co-founder, Dave Stich, if he wanted to get together and jam. That first session revealed a common love for Classic Rock and Blues and formed the basis of what would become The KnightCrawlers. The two jammed a few more times before Stich said he knew "a guy that plays bass."

Dirk Vuijst was a good friend of Stich's and was invited to come join the regular Friday night jams. Dirk's daughter and Dave's daughter played softball together in high school and on club teams, so they had a friendship that had gone back several years. With a bass player on board, the core of the band was in place.

Dirk invited his friend, Ron Damato, to come to the next jam and the band had found a singer with an encyclopedic knowledge of the material the guys were jamming on.

Ron invited a friend he knew from the Knights of Columbus, Alex Stecyna, to join in on keyboards and the jam band was complete. Incredibly, all five members lived in Ramsey, NJ.

For the next two years, they jammed on a regular basis, content to work on a core group of songs and play for the love of the music. Late in 2005, Ron approached the band to perform at a fund raising event, to be held the following Spring, to benefit the Knights of Columbus in Ramsey. Both Ron and Alex were members of the Knights. The band committed themselves to solidifying a set of 30 songs for the event. The name "The KnightCrawlers" was chosen, clearly influenced by the band's early ties to the K of C.

Playing a mix of Classic Rock and Blues, the band was so well received they decided to continue to perform in public as opportunities arose. The band volunteered their talents at "A Knight for Rachel", a benefit for a young woman undergoing treatment for cancer. The event, organized mainly by Stich's daughters, and held at the Ramsey K of C, raised thousands of dollars for Rachel and helped establish the band as a viable Classic Rock act.

In the late Summer of 2006, after only a handful of public gigs, co-founder Stich announced he would not continue with the band. Steve Duva, who had seen the band perform and had expressed interest in taking the drum stool, was asked to join after jamming with the band. He played his first gig as a KnightCrawler in November of 2006. Steve quickly learned the band's entire repertoire and gelled with the band in a very short period of time. That first gig, a benefit for a Ringwood woman being treated for breast cancer, established Steve as a driving force behind The KnightCrawlers' sound.

The band continued booking local gigs and once established, starting expanding their reach by playing several venues in Bergen and Passaic Counties. In addition to their public appearances, they continue to lend their talents to help raise money for worthy causes.

In July of 2007, the band performed the first two songs from The Beatles' classic "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, at an outdoor concert presented by the Ramsey Fine Arts Council. Local bands performed the entire album from start to finish, and also played other non-Beatle songs from 1967 (the year of the album's release).

In July of 2008, The KnightCrawlers stole the show at the "Jumpin' Jack Bash" tribute to The Rolling Stones. They performed three Stones classics: Let's Spend The Night Together, Live With Me, and Gimme Shelter. The highlight of the event was when recent high school graduate, and vocal student, Julia Li Gregni, joined the band on stage. She electrified the crowd with her stunning vocal performance on Gimme Shelter. A clip of the LIVE performance can be heard here.

2008 also marked the band's first performance at Bergen County's legendary Orange Lantern in Paramus.

In July of 2009, The KnightCrawlers closed the show at the Ramsey Fine Arts Council's 40th Anniversary of Woodstock Concert. The band was one of 15 local acts to perform music from the original concert event. They performed an excerpt of Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner and dove right into a blistering version of Hendrix's Fire. Julia LiGregni once again joined the band to perform lead vocal duties on Somebody To Love by The Jefferson Airplane. Pinball Wizard by The Who closed their Woodstock set, before being honored with an encore. Several of the evening's performers returned to the stage as they played U.S. Blues by the Grateful Dead. The Dead performed at Woodstock, although that song had yet to be recorded.

In April of 2010, the band performed a one-hour set at a memorial concert for "Big John" Oakley, who passed away at the age of 45. John worked security at both Brady's at The Station in Ramsey, and at The Orange Lantern in Paramus. The KnightCrawlers joined three other local bands that John enjoyed, to pay tribute to a "gentle giant" who was not only a fan of the band, but a friend as well. Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects, remember John, and celebrate his life with the bands he loved most. Proceeds from the day's events were used to help John's family with his final expenses.

On July 4, 2010, The Ramsey Fine Arts Council presented "Red, White and Blues", a tribute to American "Routes" Music. Despite the blistering heat of the day, The KnightCrawlers performed three American classics, including a stellar rendition of You Better Run by Pat Benetar, with Julia LiGregni on lead vocals.

What sets The KnightCrawlers apart is that they are committed to playing an ever-expanding (and eclectic) mix of songs that include "B-side" gems, as well as plenty of Classic Rock favorites everyone knows and loves.

The KnightCrawlers continue to showcase their unique style, genre-crossing repertoire, and humor wherever they perform. A KnightCrawlers show is a party where friends and fans are often invited to join the band on stage and play or sing along.