Back in 1974 a new metal band formed in Northern California by the name of Yesterday & Today. It was not until six years later they would shorten their name to the one most predominately known association, Y & T. Now after forty years and over four million records sold, the band is celebrating the crown achievement with a worldwide tour. Seventeen dates into the tour, on Saturday April 5th, Y & T stopped in New York City to play at Stage 48 with opening act Streetlight Circus.
Launching off early, New York’s own Streetlight Circus opened up the show. Rocking hard and heavy with killer riffs, these guys knew how to get the blood flowing of those arriving early. Led by the natural rock vocals of David Shaw, Streetlight Circus was a formidable opener.
Shortly after, as a mix of young and older attendees arrived, Y & T took the stage. Having played Stage 48 a year early in March 2013, the band felt right at home on stage opening things up with “Open Fire”. Having four decades and twelve studio albums to cover, Y & T reached into every corner of their career with a nearly two hour set. Songs like “Don’t Stop Runnin'”, “Mean Streak”, and “Dirty Girl” were just some of the highlights earlier on having fans singing along and having the time of their life. Clearly feeling a little under the weather, lead guitar/vocalist Dave Meniketti belted out tune after tune showing no signs of fatigue. His ability to push through the set with such power and veracity showed his dedication to the music. While Meniketti is the only original member of the band throughout their career, the line-up of John Nymann (rhythm guitar), Brad Lang (bass), and Mike Vanderhule (drums) shares a chemistry on the stage; bringing these rock-n-roll memories of years past to life in colorful energetic fashion.
Meiketti conversed with the fans and reflected on the memories of the track “Winds of Change”. Jogging his thoughts back to 1982, Meiketti stated it was the first time the band ever recorded in Europe and it was within a cold dark castle at 4 AM in the morning. Little tidbits such as these make live performances that much more enjoyable for concert goers, because we are all just looking to get a little bit closer to the music. Playing with soul and the passion of vital rockers, they marched along at a great pace showering Stage 48 with newer and older songs. Meniketti’s guitar playing was spectacular with tasty licks and finger bending guitar solos. Nymann and Lang teamed up at points during the set, side by side, jamming out and sharing laughs. Seeing this type of comradery reminds you what this is all about; playing music and having a good time. The evening came to a close with hits “Summertime Girls” and “I Believe You”, only to be re-launched with a stellar encore of “Forever”.
This was a show filled with excitement that did not let up, the type of feeling only classic rock can bring to a room. The importance of band’s like Y & T needs to be emphasized to help preserve rock-n-roll history. Catch this national rock treasure as they continue to tour throughout 2014.
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