NEWS 4U JUNE 2024 | MUSIC

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AIMING FOR THE SWEET SPOT: NEW TRI-STATE COVER BAND 

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Like so many band formations, it all started with an off-the-cuff conversation,

two friends wondering aloud about the possibility of playing music together. The difference here, however, is that Dreamstreet's origin story dates back nearly 10 years. That's when tri-state guitarist/vocalist Casey Williams and former Tastes Like Chicken singer Jessica Overstreet first discussed the idea of performing some blues covers at local bars. In fact, the more the two talked about it, the better it all sounded.

 

And yet, as Williams notes, 'for various reasons that didn't come to fruition.' Cut to a decade later, September of 2023: Fate intervened as Front Porch Fest was in full swing in downtown Evansville. "We ran into esch other (which was) serendipitous," Williams recall, "because she had an itch to get back in a band, and I had been doing my solo acoustic show for many years and was wanting to do something, too. It was the right time, right place. We said let's do this and start finding some people to play with."

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And man, did they find some talent, including the incomparable Honey Roy Carter on keys, harmonica and backing vocals. I've been a fan of his for many years, " Williams says."I just walked up to him at Bokeh (Lounge) and said, 'Hey, we're starting a band, do you want to be a part of it?' Roy gives us the ability to cover more ground with his incredible musicianship."

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But perhaps Dreamstreet's biggest coup was securing one of the area's tightest rhythm sections comprising bassist Tyler Gardner and drummer Teelin Atteberry - longtime friends who previously played in a high school drumline together, which, as the latter explains, often required them "to be in exact time, precisely." The moment Overstreet and Williams heard the pair lock-in at practice, it was a done deal.

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Not surprisingly, word of this dream configuration of musicians has stirred up a lot of local interest, resulting in several summer gigs booked. And though the band's criginal premise was blues-based, the plan now is to branch out into various genres. "We're trying to hit a sweet spot," Overstreet notes. "There'll be some blues, some funk, rock and R&B. In this town there are only so many cover bands at the moment and a lot of them are just straight country or straight contemporary. We want to keep it upbeat." She further cites artists like Bill Withers, Al Green and Gary Clark Jr. as artists Dreamstreet intends to cover, while Williams adds Koko Taylor and Aretha Franklin into the mix - "stuff you don't hear that much." Yet, the band is also open to writing and performing original songs down the line, so stay tuned.

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Written by: Tommy Ellis, News 4U