They've played shows on both coasts. A track from their album recently could be heard on VH1, and they have a constantly growing fan base. Between late-night fist fights between band members on the sidewalks of New York City and filming scenes for their new music video at K-State coaching legend Bill Snyder's swimming pool, the members of Manhattan native indie power pop/rock quartet Dead Girls Ruin Everything also are trying to continue their college education. With all of the activity surrounding the now Lawrence-based band, it might have surprised some to see the group back in the Little Apple this weekend to play a show at The Ghost Parlor. "Tonight we're going to play a brand of music called rock and roll," said JoJo Longbottom, vocalist and guitarist for DGRE, just before opening the set on Friday night. Within a matter of seconds, Longbottom and his fellow bandmates, Cameron Hawk (guitar and vocals), Nick Colby (bass) and Eric Melin (drums) would back up his statement with authority and then some - not that the present crowd of Dead Girls loyals ever doubted him in the first place. After Longbottom's pledge to rock, Dead Girls Ruin Everything, a band comprised of former Manhattan residents and the fusion of longtime local music staples, Ultimate Fakebook and Podstar, blazed though a blistering hour-long set. Dead Girls Ruin Everything was the headliner of the Ghost Parlor's fifth concert. The show featured opening acts by local groups SHHH and Addictive Behavior. The night also showcased the traveling Washington-based bands In Ink Please and Snow Cuts Glass, which combined forces to play one set. "We haven't played a house party in forever," Longbottom said later during the band's performance. "It kicks ass." Longbottom and the rest of DGRE haven't played a house party in forever because lately, their shows have been taking place at The Blue Note in Columbia, Mo., The Bottleneck in Lawrence and numerous other well-known venues, including shows along both coasts. Another testament to the band's success was the recent exposure they were given by VH1 when one of their songs, "Hot Blonde," received airtime on "Best Week Ever" in August. Although they've only been a band for two years, the band's direction toward success in the music industry began nearly a decade ago in Manhattan. "I met all these guys when I was 11 or 12 and started going down to Streetside Records down in Aggieville all the time," Hawk said. "Eric (Melin) was older and worked down there, and I remember all of us used to just hang out there all day. We were all kind of geeky on music." For the next few years, Hawk, Longbottom, Colby and Melin would rock the Manhattan music scene separately. Hawk and Longbottom would help form the then high-school rock band Podstar, around the same time that Colby and Melin's Ultimate Fakebook had already made a name for itself. The two bands began playing the local music circuit, often together. The groups played similar styles and had similar music interests. So in 2004, after the break-up of both groups, the dual-guitar threat and precise vocal harmonies of Hawk and Longbottom teamed with the seamless rhythm section of Colby and Melin to form DGRE. The band released its debut album, "What a Perfect Ending," in February of this year. The group's first studio effort is an album that tightly binds together the sounds of The Replacments, Thin Lizzy, The Pixies, Cheap Trick and numerous others, and is pushed forward by the group's touch of creativity. In addition to its album, the band also recently put together its first video for the second track of its album, "All is Forgotten," for which the band returned to Manhattan to film. Written and directed by band drummer Eric Melin, the video features parodies of 1980's movies. Melin said the video has received 1,200 views in the last three months on Youtube.com. "The video is probably our best promotional tool right now," Melin said. Band members also noted that some scenes, including the reenactment of the famous "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" Phoebe Kates swimming pool scene, took place in the pool of none other than former K-State football coach Bill Snyder. During an after-hours gathering at Auntie Mae's Parlor, which Longbottom said remains his favorite venue to perform, Melin discussed the band's priorities. "To be honest, at this point the band is not our primary focus," Melin said. "Music is what we do for fun. Right now we're more focused on finishing school. If we wanted to be serious about the band, we'd be on tour right now."