OUR HISTORY

Easy Street's beginnings come from our first band - The Rats. We formed the band in 1970 as freshman at the University of Akron. We played college events, frat parties, high school dances, festivals, churches, coffeehouses, private parties, some bars like; Fat Albert’s, the Welcome Inn, the Corral, the Basement and dozens of other watering holes & dives. We set our sites on becoming something bigger and in June of 1976, we added a couple new members, decided we might be able to actually do this for a living and became Easy Street. From that that inception in '76 and continuing into the mid 80’s Easy Street was a top draw at local rock clubs and on tours of Canada and US cities that included: Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Denver, Miami, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Little Rock and Atlanta.

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Easy Street regularly packed the house at Akron's Flying Machine and Filthy McNasty's in Kent as well as clubs from Columbus to Lorain. Nearly 2,000 kids crammed into the original Cleveland Agora every week for the band's regular Thursday spot - the attendance record remains unmatched. Easy Street held that coveted Thursday night slot for nearly 6 straight years.

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Starting in 1990, Easy Street sold out 27 straight shows at Akron's legendary Tangier. 

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In 2002, the band headlined the opening night of the Crooked River Festival at the Riverfront Mall in Cuyahoga Falls in front of 10,000 people. In June of ‘05 the band co-headlined a multi-band show at the Cleveland Agora.

 

Highlights & Accomplishments:

 

*Easy Street became synonymous with the term "pride of Cleveland'' at a time when the city was the center of the known radio world. The band's self-titled 1982 album ranked among WMMS' top 25 releases, sandwiched between Robert Plant and Bruce Springsteen. MSB’s Michael Stanley and Kevin Raleigh made guest appearances on this record as back-up vocalists.

 

*Easy Street shared the stage with Meatloaf, Tom Petty, Southside Johnny, .38 Special, Pat Travers, Eddie Money, April Wine, Pat Benatar, Beach Boy Carl Wilson and Joe Ely.

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*Easy Street’s song She’s Got Your Name was part of an episode of ABC’s Wicked City show. It was featured in Episode 4 of the 2016 show. It can now be seen on Hulu.com. Easy Street’s Fly Away song was part of an Amazon Prime Original Series show fall called Red Oaks. It can be heard in Episode 2. That series release date was 10/21/17.

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 *Easy Street is still so closely identified with the glory days of local rock and roll that band's self-titled album, bumper sticker and hat were a part of the set on ABC TV's Drew Carey Show. Drew, as always has an open invitation (and an open microphone waiting) to join the band at its reunion shows.

 

*Easy Street was featured in a KSU documentary about the original Cleveland Agora.

 

*Easy Street released a CD in 2002 that featured all the songs from their original 1982 vinyl EP and 10 songs that were never before recorded.

 

*Easy Street’s former drummer Sammy Merendino has received a Tony award for playing on Broadway in Cyndi Lauper’s Kinky Boots.