Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Yardbirds will be touring this March.
March 14: The Tin Pan, Richmond, VA
March 16: Ram's Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
March 21: Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
March 22: Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore, NY
March 26 & 27: Flower Power Cruise
The Yardbirds’ co-founder Jim McCarty continues to lead this ground-breaking British Invasion Rock band that provides the crucial link between the Blues, British R&B, Psychedelic Rock, and Heavy Metal, while pioneering the use of innovations like fuzztone, feedback and distortion. This drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer is said to be one of the driving forces responsible for the band's haunting sound.
Since the birth of the band from 1963 to 1968, to its
1992 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Yardbirds have been
revered for the legendary guitarists who have contributed to the band's history
including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page all
ranked in Rolling
Stone magazine's list of
the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (#35, #5, and #3 respectively).
Originally a Blues-based band noted for their signature
"rave-up" instrumental jams covering Blues classics like Howlin
Wolf’s “Smokestack Lighting” and Bo
Diddley’s “I’m a Man,” the Yardbirds later broadened their range into Pop,
pioneered Psychedelic Rock, early Hard Rock / Heavy Metal, and contributed
to many electric guitar innovations marking those musical genres. The band had a string of hits in the
mid-1960s including "For
Your Love," "Heart
Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things," and "Over Under Sideways Down."
Celebrating his 30th year as a Yardbird,
Lead Singer John Idan has lent his distinct vocals to the sound of the
band since their reformation, showcased on the classic 2003 “Birdland” album
with guest appearances from Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, and Brian May.
Rounding out the current line-up of top musicians is lead guitarist Godfrey
Townsend (John Entwistle, Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, Ann Wilson of Heart,
Christopher Cross, Dave Mason and Musical Director of the Turtles' Happy
Together Tour), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Bob Dylan, Billy Idol, Rick
Derringer, Brian Setzer, Dave Edmonds and Joan Jett), percussionist, harmonica
and background vocals Myke Scavone (the Doughboys, Ram Jam). The current
band has recently completed work on an upcoming live album, “Mind the Gap,”
soon to be released.
“The band’s hallmark of top-notch musicianship remains. There are no passengers in this band.” -Goldmine Magazine
