Review by JoJo-Anthony with Photos by Joe Schaeffer
Veteran rock band Y&T returned to Southern California with a sold-out performance at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. The band recently returned from a highly successful European Tour that lasted the whole month of October.
Long time fans of the band were ready for a Rock Show and Y&T delivered the goods. Opening their set with “Black Tiger” from the album of the same name released in 1982, the crowd was on their feet and ready to rock.
Y&T were formed in 1974 in Oakland, California as a cover band that received a phone call to perform a gig, and the band needed a name. Original drummer Leonard Haze was playing a copy of The Beatles album “Yesterday and Today” and quickly picked the name for the band. After two albums and not much financial success the band would sign with A&M Records in America and shorten their name to simply “Y&T.”
In 1981, they released “Earthshaker” with the band consisting of Dave Meniketti on vocals/lead guitar, Phil Kennemore on bass, Joey Alves on guitar and Leonard Haze on drums. Sadly, all the band members with the exception Meniketti have passed away.
With the “newest” lineup, who have been in the band for more than a decade, Y&T are tight musically and they have some fantastic backing vocals. They are veteran players who obviously have been playing together for a while.
The set consisted of nineteen songs, primarily from their catalog of albums released throughout the 1980’s. Tracks like “Lipstick and Leather” and “Don’t Stop Runnin’” from the album “In Rock We Trust” showcase the bands’ writing talents. Meniketti has always had one of the strongest voices in Rock music and some fifty years later he still has the same strength and intensity he displayed on the early records.
Some of the highlights from the show included “Mean Streak” from their fifth album of the same name and “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” from the album “Ten” released in 1990. Y&T do not shy away from the slower material. Songs like “Winds of Change” from the album “Black Tiger” showcase Meniketti’s vocal abilities. Other tracks like “Midnight in Tokyo” and “Summertime Girls” were definite crowd pleasers. The latter song is the most successful single for the band breaking into the Top 20 in America.
My personal favorite song of the evening was a fantastic performance of “I Believe in You” from the album “Earthshaker.” The band were on fire as Meniketti delivered an amazing vocal performance, and his guitar solo brought the crowd to their feet. His guitar solos are more about feeling over flash, which have always been my favorite type of solos. The band delivered some great backing vocals, and their playing was solid.
Closing their set with “Rescue Me” from the aforementioned album “Earthshaker,” the band exited the stage to a standing ovation. Returning for an encore with a couple of tracks from the “Black Tiger” album “Open Fire” and “Forever.”
Y&T performed nineteen songs, and the band is made up of some seasoned players. Dave Meniketti still delivers his vocals with the same vitality that he did in the 1980’s. He is one hell of a guitarist whose solos captivate an audience. Guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh are very solid with their instruments and their backing vocals are superb.
It can be difficult for Classic Rock fans to see a band like Y&T who have only one original member, but Y&T are now a band who can still perform at a high level, and the excitement is still there. This show is for sure one of my favorite concerts I’ve seen this year. I haven’t seen Y&T perform live since the mid 1980’s, but this performance at the Coach House was very impressive.
You can view the entire gallery here
Photos by contributor Joe Schaeffer for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 11/19/2025.