Before Mötley Crüe, before RATT, even before there was a Metallica,
Y&T was slogging away in sweaty rock clubs around America. When the
band formed in the early 1970s, little did they know they would set
the standard for hard rock bands that trailed. Many of the biggest
acts of the ’80s became popular opening for headliners Y&T—and cut
their teeth on the band, as evidenced by the Y&T mentions in tell-all
books by acts such as Metallica and Mötley Crüe. Born in Oakland,
California, Y&T is one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s own
innovators of the hard rock sound. Whether performing to a festival
crowd of fifty-thousand or in an intimate nightclub, Y&T’s
high-energy set and passionate performances still captivate legions of
fans around the globe, proving Y&T’s music timeless. Originally
formed as Yesterday and Today, the initial powerhouse
quartet—featuring Dave Meniketti (lead guitar/lead vocals), Phil
Kennemore (bass), Leonard Haze (drums), and Joey Alves (rhythm
guitar)—tore through the ’70s and ’80s with their own brand of
hard rock. After two ’70s albums on London Records, they shortened
their name to Y&T and released eight albums on A&M in the ’80s. Two
more albums with Geffen Records marked an era of change with Jimmy
DeGrasso (Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth) on drums and
Stef Burns (Alice Cooper, Berlin, Huey Lewis) on guitar. With a
discography of 18 albums, four greatest hits collections, plus a box
set, Y&T have sold over four million albums since their 1974
inception. The band’s most recent single “I’m Coming Home” has
climbed to roughly 1.5 million views on YouTube. Y&T received
extensive airplay with hits such as Forever, Rescue Me, Mean Streak,
Don’t Stop Runnin’, and Summertime Girls—which played in heavy
rotation on MTV. Y&T songs have been featured in a multitude of movies
and television shows, including Real Genius, Out of Bounds, Baywatch,
and Hunter. After five top 100 albums, songs that tipped into the 40s,
two Bammie Awards, and many international television appearances,
Y&T’s hits are still played on VH1 Classic and Classic Rock radio
stations worldwide. With Kennemore’s untimely passing from lung
cancer, the band carries on the legacy that is Y&T. Y&T continues to
tour the world, featuring the dynamic original frontman Dave Meniketti
(guitar/lead vocals), John Nymann (guitar/vocals), Aaron Leigh
(bass/vocals), and Mike Vanderhule (drums/vocals), playing songs that
span the band’s five-decade career and including all the hits and
fan favorites. Prepare to have your face melted. - See upcoming events
+ giveaways at The Fillmore -
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07/06/2020 Last update