The Canyon, Agoura Hills, California, 04/14
Over the years, there have been many amazing rock and roll bands that have come and gone. Not many can say that they have stood the test of time like Y&T. Founded in Oakland California in 1974, Y&T were the innovators of the hard rock sound flourishing in the San Francisco Bay area at that time. They were melting faces long before bands like Night Ranger, Faith No More, or even Metallica. Five decades (and 18 albums later), Dave Meniketti and crew are still at the top of their game and have set the gold-standard for hard rock bands all around the world.
On Sunday April 14th, Y&T brought their “in-your-face” style of Rock and Roll to The Canyon in Agoura Hills. Vocalist (and Lead Guitar) Dave Meniketti, John Nymann (Guitar), Mike Vanderhule (Drums), and Aaron Leigh (Bass) delivered what many in attendance considered to be their best performance of the 2016 tour to date. After a solid set from opener Red Dragon, Y&T took the stage around 9:00pm and ripped into their 1981 classic Hurricane with a fury that fired up the near-capacity crowd and set the stage for an amazing night of classic rock and roll.
Over the next two hours, those in attendance at the Canyon were treated to (what I personally consider) a near flawless performance from Y&T. Standards such as Lipstick and Leather, Don’t Stop Runnin’, and Mean Streak rocked the crowd and sounded as amazing as the originals did on vinyl over 20 years ago. On top of that, fans were also treated to other "classics from the vault" such as Midnight in Tokyo, Barroom Boogie, and I Believe in You. However, my favorite moment of the evening came near the end of the show with my all-time favorite Y&T song, Rescue Me. The power and emotion of Meniketti vocally along with his amazing guitar skills elevated this already frenzied crowd to a whole new level. Truly epic moment!
If you have not seen Y&T live, do yourself a favor and grab some tickets for this amazing rock-and-roll show. Meniketti, Nymann, Vanderhule, and Leigh leave it all on the table in a 2 hour 20+ song extravaganza that will amaze even the most critical of fans. Dave Meniketti understands what his fans want, and continues to deliver on that promise each and every show. And to think that he still sounds as incredible as he did when he was 20 is truly amazing. Looking forward my next show with this legendary band!
Stay Frosty and Rock On!
