Fronted by vocalist Jeff Stevens, Stranger is made up of Matt Smith (guitar, vocals), Brian Elias (keyboards, vocals), Bruce Corbolotti (bass), and Rob Hoeting (drums, vocals). The same five guys have made up the band’s lineup since 1996.
Best of Dayton 2025 winners
When the band first formed, Stranger performed mostly originals and a handful of covers. But after cranking out 30 or 40 originals, it soon realized that bigger crowds were coming to hear the best 80s songs.
“In our early 30s, we realized we were probably not going to be Bon Jovi. So we honed in and focused on being an 80s cover band, and went out and had fun,” said Jeff Stevens, who also hosts the national “The 80s Show” on iHeartRadio and MIX 107.7. “We’re still so humbled, and just overwhelmed, honestly, that people still come out to see us and make it part of their schedule for the summer.”
The band has been the warm-up act for national artists like Rick Springfield, REO Speedwagon, Loverboy, John Waite, Night Ranger, and .38 Special.
“We talk about it almost every show. We go, Man, how is this possible that we get to do this?” Stevens said. “On the surface, we’re a little cover band from Dayton. The side note is we’ve opened up for a bunch of rock stars. We are just continually amazed that we have been able to be close to our childhood heroes. I grew up listening to these guys on the radio. I wore their vinyl out. I snapped their cassettes. To be able to do the stuff that we’ve done, we never lose sight of that.”
To further its relationship to those heroes, Stranger is set to release a 6-song small press vinyl album of cover songs featuring collaborations with Rick Springfield, John Waite, and Franke Previte, of Franke and the Knockouts. The album, aptly titled “Cover Me,” will be released physically and digitally in June via the Chicago label, Toucan Cove. It includes Strangers’ versions of Previte-penned “Hungry Eyes” and “Sweetheart,” and covers of Journey and Richard Marx songs.
The 2025 Best of Dayton award is a culmination of nearly 30 years of Stranger engaging with and entertaining crowds with hits of the 1980s. The shows are less about sitting and listening to the music, and more about the experience of having nothin’ but a good time.
“To get this recognition of being known as the best Dayton band puts quite a beautiful exclamation point on what has been a truly remarkable, surprising, and just overwhelmingly fun experience,” Stevens said. “Nothing has been as special as these five guys and the brotherhood. We have held true for 30 years to not just go out and play shows, but to also hang on to each other. On behalf of the guys, we couldn’t be more humble and more happy.”
Stranger can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and on the iHeartRadio app. Tour dates can be found at stranger80s.com.
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