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Y&T

Live in Bolingbrook, Illinois, March 2013

Review by Greg Olma

Y&T have been playing the Midwest pretty consistently for that past six years, so 2013 saw them return to Tailgater’s in Bolingbrook for another great show.  I have been a fan of these guys for slightly over thirty years now and they have never once disappointed in a live setting.  They are one of the few bands that I have seen so many times, yet they still manage to surprise me with their set list each and every time.  One of the benefits of having a rich back catalogue is being able to mix up the set list not only from year to year but also from city to city.

This tour is built on the 30th anniversary of Mean Streak and I was surprised that they only played a few tracks off of that record.  The title track, along with “Lonely Side Of Town” and “Midnight In Tokyo,” were performed but I was expecting some of the deeper cuts of that album.  That is not to say that I walked away disappointed by the concert - quite the opposite.  While the band had to perform some of the standards like “Black Tiger,” “I Believe,” “Forever” and “Summertime Girls,” they also managed to sneak in a couple of unexpected surprises.  I know a lot of fans don’t hold Contagious in high regard but I thought it had some great tunes.  Not only did the band play the title track (which they have been doing for a while) but they also played “Rhythm or Not” which is a song I had never seen them perform.  They also played “Losing My Mind” which is a bonus track off of the excellent Facemelter CD.  It appears on the European version only but that didn’t stop Meniketti and company from launching into it early in their set.  Speaking of Facemelter, Y&T also presented nice raw versions of “Shine On” and “I’m coming Home.”  Given that the band have so much material from which to choose, it was great to see that they can shake off the “heritage act” label by performing new material during their shows. 

Greg Olma
 
Greg Olma
   

The musicians have basically been the same for the past few years.  Dave Meniketti still leads the band with lead guitar and vocals.  Let me go on record and say that not only has he maintained all of his vocal abilities; he manages to get better on guitar with each passing year.  He is by far one of the most under-rated guitarists out there.  Helping on guitar is John Nymann who has been with the band for many, many years.  He even managed a lead vocal during the show and he was quite good.  Mike Vanderhule has also been a permanent fixture on drums for a while.  All of this leads me to new guy Brad Lang.  He took the place of Phil Kennemore who passed away in 2011.  While I still miss seeing Kennemore, I have to say that Y&T made a great choice in picking Lang.  He brings so much energy to the show that you can’t help but enjoy watching him bounce around without skipping a beat.


Greg Olma
 
Greg Olma
   

I don’t have to remind everyone that we are really working through some difficult times in the United States.  Y&T must know that their fans are having a tough time because they manage to give them so much value for the money.  The concert was $16 for a general admission ticket and they played for just slightly over two hours.  If that is not a great value, then I don’t know what is. 


Greg Olma
 
Greg Olma
   
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
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