Peoria band Waterstreet played at Crusens Saturday night. CD release show. Delightful. Amazing. Beautiful. And many other adjectives that I can’t think of at the moment. Make no mistake: these four guys ROCK!

Their new 5 song EP, “Of Gossip,” is their 4th album and their best yet. They performed all the new songs from the record plus a bunch more that are new but not on a record yet.

To watch the video for their new single "Psycho" click here:

www.myspace.com/waterstreetband

They opted for the 5-song EP because of some unfortunate issues with a past producer and a desire to put something out there NOW that represents who they truly are. Live, young, raw, alive, and full of ENERGY.

These guys radiate pure energy at their shows. They are what rock and roll is all about. Intense, fun, mad skills on their instruments. They are the antithesis of posers. And although they look like the awesomely cool rock dudes they are, for them it’s not a freakin fashion show. It’s about the MUSIC.

And they have added a new, awesome tool in their arsenal: consistently great songwriting. Not that they were ever bad. But they have found their definitive sound now, the lyrics are very cool and thoughtful and engaging, and singers Evan and Joe have really matured as vocalists. These guys are now at the height of their powers.

They started as teenagers, a mostly acoustic jam band with a hand percussionist. A few years ago they changed drummers and got alien Rob Gould, who brought a whole new vibe of pure rock and roll fire and passion. Many influences show through their music, including Radiohead (they covered 15 Step and Airbag flawlessly), Zeppelin, Soundgarden, but also with melodies and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and the Doobie Brothers. But these guys defy comparison. Anymore, they simply sound like THEM. They are Waterstreet. Enough said.

I have known Mike since his senior year, and Joe since he was fifteen years old at Notre Dame High School. I still remember going to the Riverfront to hear Joe and Evan do acoustic Zeppelin covers at the Art Festival on a hot September Saturday. They had a certain chemistry even back then. It used to be that I’d go and hear Waterstreet and be like, “that’s cool, I know these guys!” But now, it’s more like, “Damn these guys kick major a - - !”

Whether I know them or not, these guys are the real deal. They have worked so hard and SO deserve to be heard by a much, much wider audience.

They are bringing back the awesome magic of rock and roll in a way both classic and modern. And utterly original. There’s none of this “let’s try to be edgy and ironic and impress the Pitchfork snobs” nonsense. They are real. They are honest. They are not trying to be ironic or hip. They do not whine. They are simply trying to write and perform great rock and roll that will make you want to rejoice in being young and alive. No matter how old you are.

These guys may well be on the verge of a major break out. In music, there’s a lot of luck involved. Being heard by the right people, etc. But these guys are READY. They may well end up the most rockingest thing to ever come out of Peoria (all due respect to Dan Fogelberg and Mudvayne). Though they now live and operate out of Chicago, they could put a very cool feather in our humble Peoria hat.

Whatever happens, I love these guys and am so proud of them. Their music has enriched my life, and their shows rock my world. And I am by far not the only one. If there is luck and justice in their future, there may be hundreds of thousands more one day.