The Yardbirds have had numerous incarnations since the original group was a major part of the "British Invasion" in the sixties. In its current form, the band is led by founding member and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jim McCarty (drums, vocals) along with guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf, Bobby Whitlock), singer/blues harpist/percussionist Myke Scavone (Ram Jam & Doughboys), guitarist/singer John Idan, and New Jersey's own Kenny Aaronson (Bob Dylan, Billy Idol) on bass.
"By now, everyone knows the Yardbirds legend, if not their music; the band graduated three of the great Ph.D.s of rock guitar: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. They created hard rock out of standard twelve-bar blues, doubling the tempos and whacking the amps up to ten. On the British club scene, the Yardbirds, the Animals, and the Rolling Stones ruled the stages. The Yardbirds expanded the range of the electric guitar, experimenting with feedback, sustain, and fuzztone. They also coined and popularized the rave-up, a kind of free-for-all where you jam long and hard, not as soloists, but in a tandem, until you reach an epiphany about 10 or 20 or 30 minutes later, a shuddering climax of decibels and pure energy, and then—back into the song for one more boom-boom chorus. The Yardbirds were the bridge between the tributary white R&B of early-sixties London and the pastures of fuzz-toned psychedelia and power-chorded heavy metal plowed much later in the decade and throughout the seventies. Yes, the Yardbirds laid the groundwork for Rock Guitar As We Know It," wrote Parke Puterbaugh in the liner notes to Rhino’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, 1964-1966.
Some of the songs the band are known for include "For Your Love," "Shapes of Things," "Heart Full of Soul," and "Train Kept A Rollin'." The band was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. For more on The Yardbirds and the band's illustrious history visit www.theyardbirds.com.
The Strand Center for the Arts is located at 400 Clifton Avenue in Lakewood, NJ.
Family Resource Associates (FRA) is a New Jersey non-profit agency located in Shrewsbury, helping children, adolescents and people of all ages with disAbilities to reach their fullest potential. FRA connects individuals to independence through modern therapies and advanced technology. Acknowledging the powerful influence of the family, we remain committed to them by offering both support and education. FRA assists individuals of all ages who have developmental delays or disAbilities as well as acquired disAbilities. FRA provides home-based early intervention for infants, therapeutic recreation programs and assistive technology services, along with family and sibling support groups.
PHOTO: L to R: Kenny Aaronson, Johnny A, Jim McCarty, Myke Scavone, John Idan. Photo by Arnie Goodman.
