DAN REED
“COMING UP FOR AIR”
Released: 27th May 2010
Dan Reed was born in Portland, Oregon, but in early childhood moved to South Dakota after his mother remarried the owner of a cattle ranch. Growing up on 2000 acre's of land as an only child gave Dan plenty of time to daydream and it was here, riding tractor in the summer sun that Dan first fantasized about becoming a musician while listening to the Doobie Brothers, Kiss, Cheap Trick and Van Halen blaring on the tractor cabs' AM radio. All through his high school years he played trumpet in the school band, while studying Shoto-Kan Karate, and participating in every sport he could get his hands and feet in to, but it wasn't until a Japanese exchange student named Tsutomu Oki taught him how to play guitar that Dan realized that this was what he was searching for... the world of writing songs. After graduating from Aberdeen, South Dakota's Central High School, he packed his bags and headed west to Portland, Oregon... his place of birth and the closest 'big city' he could find near the ocean, a place he held in his childhood memory and missed dearly living in the Midwest.
Although there were many incarnations of bands Dan performed with in South Dakota and in Portland it was in December of 1985 where he truly first began his musical journey as the founder and lead singer of the band “The Dan Reed Network”. Garnering huge local support the band signed to PolyGram Records in the summer of 1987, home of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Tears For Fears. The Dan Reed Network released three successful albums to much critical and commercial success between 1988 and 1992 and sold nearly 2 million records worldwide.The band had the honor of 'seeing the world', opening for such bands as RUN DMC, UB40, David Bowie and Bon Jovi, eventually becoming the supporting act for the Rolling Stones’ 1991 European tour. It was at this time Dan journeyed to India with Bob Guccione Jr. to interview the Dalai Lama for Spin Magazine. It was during this trip that Mr. Reed began to hunger for more than the pop/rock music scene had to offer.
This hunger was the catalyst for the long journey that Dan has taken. Bringing him back in 2008 where he belongs, writing and performing new music. In the 1990’s he started an independent record company in his hometown of Portland, Oregon to help promote local Northwest bands, while at the same time studying acting. Dan was cast in a number of plays and small role's in television and film projects, and was given rave reviews for his performances, which gave him confidence to take it to the next logical step- screenplay writing. 'Zigzag', a script penned by Reed, caught the eye of a local production company in Portland and was produced in 1997 with Dan playing the leading role. The film reached the Top 20 in Billboard's home video rental category.
In 1999 Dan became a partner in an established blue's and rock music nightclub in Portland called Key Largo. Realizing that the electronic music scene was to date confined to warehouses, special events and outdoor parties, he saw an opportunity to turn Key Largo into a 'hybrid club', having live bands from 9pm to midnight and then switching gears from midnight to 4am with local and international DJ's. Renamed 'OHM Nightclub", the venue became the premier spot to check out cutting edge music, while at the same time introducing the future of music to the hardened rock audience.
After attending the Burning Man festival in late 2004 Dan realized that being pinned down in the nightclub world had it's dangerous side, for not only did he help create a great success with OHM, but he also succumbed to the darker side of the nightclub business. He realized his talent and his energy were being drained from the constant parties, substance abuse and endless late nights. With his father Thomas Reed being diagnosed with cancer and passing away shortly thereafter, Dan rallied his energy and left the Nightclub and headed back to India. Ironically the same place that gave him the incentive to leave the music business 15 years before, was soon to become the inspiration to return to music. Immediately upon arriving in Dharamsala, India in 2005 Dan sought out the Tibetan monks, feeling a need to connect with their philosophy and lifestyle. After befriending two monks Lobsang and Sonam, Dan was invited to live in a monastery guesthouse and with that came the ability to attend the daily prayer meetings and rituals. While washing clothes in the mountain stream one day, Sonam asked Dan to teach him the lyrics to 'We Will Rock You', which Sonam had heard on a tourists CD player one day. Reed then and there was reminded of the power of music and how it crossed all boundaries.
During the year long journey in India, Dan had met many Israeli musicians and artists vacationing throughout the country and became fascinated with the stories of Israeli life, the hope and the tragedies, and after meeting a fashion designer turned energy healer named Adi Hadani, he decided he would venture to the Middle East to see what he could learn about the beauty and the conflict of this most interesting and enigmatic part of the world. Upon visiting Kfir Shtivi in Jerusalem, an Israeli musician Dan met in Varanasi, India, he made the decision to re-locate his recording studio and his life from Portland to the ancient city of Jerusalem in 2005. It was here that he found the renewed spirit to channel his energies to his first love - Music. Reed built a studio and started recording, bridging the cultural and political divide while working with musicians from both Israel and Palestine.
The musical road Mr. Reed had walked away from had become a new path once again. Creating his own label 'ZERO ONE MUSIC', and working along side Toni Medcalf and Derek Shulman, both who played a major role in creating the success for DRN, Reed produced the new CD "Coming up for Air", which mirrors his life journey. With songs composed from Hong Kong to New Delhi, Jerusalem to London, Dan has come full circle to do what he has always done best- create and perform. From November 2008 to November 2009, Reed has performed over 65 solo acoustic shows throughout the US and Europe, and is now set to embark on full band shows in February 2010. Knowing the world faces challenging times, Dan sees the lines between entertainment and activism breaking down. To this end Reed threw himself into President Barack Obama's electoral campaign, performing at fundraising events, the Democratic Convention, and at the Peace Ball Inaugural celebration. Dan is also Vice-Chairman of the Board for the Middle Ease Peace Civic forum, a Washington DC based organization that promotes a two-state solution for Israel/Palestine.
Having come full circle and returned from the long journey more focused than the funk rocker of the last millennium, Dan Reed is back where he belongs, creating music that will entertain, inform and inspire.
For further information contact: Toni Medcalf, TMM, E-mail: TTMManagement@aol.com
(2) Dan Reed (1938-1986) was a native of Colorado, active in music, acting, and politics. His socialist political views caused him trouble in many countries, including the US, but he was popular within the Soviet Bloc, and earned the nickname "The Red Elvis."
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…shrink me down again