Dreamstreet®
Cleveland, Ohio, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2023 | INDIE
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At its best, on the glorious stripped-back pomp of Power of Love or the honk-fueled strut of Head Troubles, Cleveland’s Dreamstreet draws a direct line back to the glory days of Midwestern AOR when bands like Survivor were Lords of all they surveyed.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the band’s prime mover, guitarist Ron Redfield, is a child of that time; It’s clearly a style of music that’s in his blood, in his very marrow indeed, and you can feel the sincerity ooze out of every supremely constructed pore of Dreamstreet 2.0. Love Is Alive, for instance, is the sort of song you sense would have set Ohio’s FM radio stations alight had it been released in 1978, and if such success is beyond this band’s reach now we should at least give praise that we are able to enjoy it pounding out of our speakers nonetheless…
But, as Survivor reminded us on their magnum opus Vital Signs, it’s the singer not the song, and Redfield’s songwriting smarts are given full chance to flourish under the vocal stewardship of Steve Sigetic, who puts in spine tingling (dare I say Bickleresque?) performances throughout. His singing on the martial, heavy AOR of Heartzone is, well, heart stopping in its excellence, as is Redfield’s majestic solo mid song. This is truly amazing stuff to be hearing from a ‘new’ band in 2023, let me tell ya!
As the old Gods of AOR wither on the vine amongst an ever more weakening farrago of retirements, lineup changes, ego-fueled bickering and the sound of collective artistic wells running dry, it’s genuinely exciting to hear music this good appearing as if from nowhere. If you count yourself a fan of chunky, guitar-driven AOR of the old school then permit me to introduce you to what is certain to be your fave album of 2023. You can thank me later!
Dreamstreet 2.0 is out now.
By: Gavin Strickmann - Sentinel Daily Kingston 2604 ACT, Australia - Sentinel Daily Kingston 2604 ACT, Australia
Dreamstreet version 2.0 harkens back to the '70s and the popularity of AOR (album-oriented rock). I was one of those people who would tune into a radio station out of Boston or Hartford to hear this type of music. Sometimes, they would play an entire album. It's an early version of streaming, just over the radio waves. History can repeat itself and look different while using the same concepts.
The track "You Got Me Rockin" says it all for content, a simple message with great vocals and musicianship to drive it down that road of the excitement of days gone by or, if you are new to the genre, a discovery worth experiencing. I am sure this band is a blast in a live setting.
Tracks like "Heartzone" are classic rock ballads, and the longest track clocks in at 5:21. The bass and drums are critical to making this rock clock tick along. Three-quarters in the lead guitar takes off to give you a taste of what they can do within one song. They change the pace and intensity, and the vocals are perfect. It reminded me of the powerful vocals of Kansas at their height.
A surprise is the cover of Gary Wright's "Love Is Alive." It is one of my favorites of the time, so this was a big test of how good this band could be. Musically, it is a sound cover, and the vocals would be the most challenging thing to emulate. The vocals were average compared to the music provided. But you expect a vocalist to sound like the original, so I am being critical; however, I liked the way they ended it.
"On The Edge" is another excellent example of the AOR genre and how to present it. The keys, bass, drums, and supporting guitar leads that bite and make the song powerful and expressive.
If you are a guitar enthusiast and like hook-filled songs, Dreamscape will be the band for you. Find out for yourself and stream the album with the Spotify player provided. If you're a rocker, you will find value and enjoy listening to Dreamscape.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikMan.net Founder
Tracks:
1. Money
2. Power of Love
3. Forever Yours
4. Head Troubles
5. Love Is Alive
6. Heartzone
7. On The Edge
8. Time To Go Home
9. You Got Me Rockin - Keith “MuzikMan”
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, we find DREAMSTREET, and they have an excellent new 9 track album out now called 'Dreamstreet 2.0' which clocks in at around thirty-eight minutes long, and it is the bands sophomore release, not only that it is the band’s first release in almost forty years of which we can track back to main man Ron Redfield’s roots.
After brief lessons with one Joe Walsh, Ron hooked up with legend Glenn Schwartz, thus his roots are influenced by blues based rock. In the Seventies he then went to work with bands Backseat Romance, and Quick honing in on his chops and later got involved with artists such as Kevin Valentine etc... Ron released a CD under the moniker of Krypton Monkeys in 2013, which has now led to the resurrection of Dreamstreet.
The album opens up with 'Money', and right away we are transported back to the eighties, this song is up-tempo melodic and very catchy. Singer Steve Sigetic comes across in the vein of Jimi Jamison. 'Power of Love' is filled to the brim with synths and is a fun catchy AOR number, its slick with fabulous vocal harmonies and catchy melodic chorus.
'Forever Yours' goes for a similar vibe, this one reminds me of Mark Mangold's old band Touch, it’s very melodic with a solid driving chorus, the pompy synths are there alongside crispy guitar work and powerful drums, I love the way this song changes mid-way through, it’s got a Journey vibe a 'la 'Send Her My Love' with high powered Perry like vocals from Mr. Sigetic. The harmonies are great and this whole song is one of my faves on the album.
Next up is 'Head Troubles', this song has some tasty sax work, it’s another high-powered vocal song, this song is pure catchy melodic rock, it’s a little slicker and up-tempo. This track sounds like it could have been on any eighty’s movie soundtrack. Gary Facemeyer's bass work adds groove to 'Love Is Alive'. This is already a well-known song that has been covered by everyone.
'Heartzone' is another strong AORster with a Journey vibe, it's slick with crispy guitar work and layered synths, this is MUSIC IS OUT THERE another of my favourite tracks from the album.
'On The Edge' is more grandiose, anthemic, and pompy, its got a strong Survivor/Sheriff vibe and the vocal harmonies are fabulous, it’s very catchy and addictive, and Ron Redfield lays down some serious fast-paced melodic guitar soloing. If the band/label want to put one song today out to the radio shows such as ARFM then this is the song to go. AOR fans will be going nuts for this song, perfect AOR/Melodic rock.
'Time To Go Home' is another killer song, its heavier and catchy, the guitar work is right up there with Neal Schon, very catchy summery ditty. The album ends with 'You Got Me Rockin’, a heavier catchy song that’s got a slight early eighties Sammy Hagar/Autograph/Night Ranger classic rock vibe, the Hammond organ gives it that classic edge where Steve here vocally is more forceful, yet soulful, again slick, and right of the early eighties.
Overall 'Dreamstreet 2.0' is a fabulous crispy melodic rock/AOR album, it's quality but the production is of its time, but it’s polished up and fans of the genre are going to be in heaven.
*****Highly recommended.
Web and Social Media Links: https://www.facebook.com/DreamstreetCleveland/
Band Line-Up:
Ron Redfield - Guitars / Songwriter
Steve Sigetic - Lead Vocals and Guitar
Johnny Shu - Keyboards and Programming
Gary Facemeyer - Bass
Nick Kopko - Drums CD
Track Listing:
1. Money
2. Power of Love
3. Forever Yours
4. Head Troubles
5. Love Is Alive
6. Heartzone
7. On The Edge
8. Time To Go Home
9. You Got Me Rockin’ - POWER PLAY - ISSUE 267 London England
Discography
Dreamstreet 2.0
Red Fields Entertainment
Catalog #: RFE0003
UPC 7 3960845771 7
Photos
Bio
DREAMSTREET BIO
Cleveland musician Ron Redfield’s project Dreamstreet didn’t come out of thin air. His roots go back to the masters of the northeast Ohio music scene.
As a youngster, eager to join the area’s thriving music scene, he signed up at a music store to take lessons from Joe Walsh. But with his own career about to explode, Walsh was too busy and handed him over to another Cleveland guitar legend, Glenn Schwartz, who had returned home after a stint with West Coast hitmakers Pacific Gas and Electric.
That rooted him in the blues music that was Schwartz’s main passion until he died in 2018. Redfield recalls, “He was always in my life after that. He’d come over and put on concerts in the living room for people. He’d show up to jam. The most important thing Glenn Schwartz told me was you should be able to take one note and make people cry.”
With blues heavily influencing rock, it influenced Redfield’s earliest forays into music as well, listening to artists such as Eric Clapton with John Mayall, Foghat and Peter Green. His first serious band was Killer Blue.
In
the 1970s and ’80s Cleveland’s rock & roll bar scene was thriving, and
Redfield’s network of connections landed him in popular bands such as Backseat
Romance, and, later, Quick. With a packed schedule of gigs, he honed his chops
and performance skills. But doing his own thing was at the back of his mind
even then. And Dreamstreet became his vehicle for it.
“Quick ran its course,” he says. “I went to school with Kevin Valentine [drummer for Donnie Iris and the Cruisers]. I called him out of the blue and said, will you help me do some original material? He offered to give me a hand and we went into Kirk Yano’s, After Dark Studio and boom, he knew what to do. He brought in [Michael Stanley/Breathless percussionist] Rodney Psyka to write some words and sing. And it all fell together.”
He had a batch of songs and wanted to get them out there, so he recorded a CD to do his own songs. Dreamstreet had some minor success, opening to some national acts and even getting international write-ups, but in those pre-internet days, it was hard to spread the word. But with Dreamstreet, there was never a cohesive line-up.”
In 2013 he released the CD Crush as Krypton Monkeys, is basically Dreamstreet with another name. It featured ten tracks of what’s come to be the Dreamstreet sound: 80s-influenced melodic hard rock with a progressive spin.
“That’s how I write — rock with a pop edge. ” he says. “I personally see it as retro AOR music. I’m just looking to write great songs. All my songs have a great hook, a lot of harmonies, solid guitars, and nice solos. I try to go between Foreigner/Toto type of sound. I want to press vinyl, keep the whole retro thing going. I know what my style is, so why fight it?”
That project also
created a small buzz and while he continued to write our own material, it
wasn’t until 2022 that Dreamstreet emerged again as a front-burner priority for
Redfield. He connected with another veteran Cleveland musician, Frank Amato
from Beau Coup, whom he tapped to produce the new material.
“I’ve known Frank through
all my bands, but I didn’t really know him on a level I do now,” he says. “I
went to his studio and played some stuff, and we came up with a game plan. I
booked a bunch of time at Suma Recording, where we made the basic tracks, and
we’ve been doing overdubs at Frank’s house. He’s doing a great mix, making
everything sound fresh. Thanks to Frank, there is a Dreamstreet sound.”
The band he’s got now
includes old and new musician friends. He’d known guitarist Steve Sigetic since
his Backseat Romance days and recently reconnected with him. Keyboard player Johnny
Schuster, who also plays with Michael Stanley tribute band In the Heartland,
has been part of Dreamstreet for years. Bassist Gary Facemeyer is an old
acquaintance, while Canton drummer Nick Kopko, in his 30s, is a new one.
As a result of
re-activating Dreamstreet , Redfield says he’s been inspired. “I have a lot of stuff
backlogged and since we started doing this, I’ve been coming up with new
originals I’m laying down at the house,” he says.
Redfield is currently lining up a schedule of shows for people to hear the new (and old) material.
“I’m not looking for a record deal, I’m looking for people to be aware there are bands doing great original material in Cleveland,” he says. “I feel the people I’m working with now are the absolutely correct people.”
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