The Yardbirds, 2016: L-R, Myke Scavone, Johnny A, Jim McCarty, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

Jim McCarty

 

Myke Scavone, Johnny A

 

Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

The Yardbirds, 2016: L-R, Myke Scavone, Johnny A, Jim McCarty, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

The Yardbirds, 2016: L-R, Myke Scavone, Johnny A, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

Johnny A, Kenny Aaronson, Jim McCarty

 

Kenny Aaronson

 

 

 

 

Myke Scavone

 

Myke Scavone, Johnny A

 

Kenny Aaronson

 

Kenny Aaronson

 

Johnny A, Kenny Aaronson

 

 

Jim McCarty

 

Jim McCarty

 

Johnny A, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

John Idan

 

 

Johnny A

 

 

Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

 

Myke Scavone

 

Jim McCarty

 

Jim McCarty

 

Johnny A

 

 

Jim McCarty

 

Kenny Aaronson

 

 

 

 

Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

Kenny Aaronson

 

 

Myke Scavone

 

Jim McCarty

 

L-R, Myke Scavone, Johnny A, Jim McCarty, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

Soundcheck: Going over the set list

 

Soundcheck: Kenny Aaronson

 

Soundcheck: Johnny A

 

Soundcheck: John Idan

 

Soundcheck: Jim McCarty

 

Soundcheck: Kenny Aaronson, Johnny A

 

Soundcheck: Arnie Goodman, Kenny Aaronson

 

Soundcheck: Arnie Goodman, Myke Scavone

 

The Yardbirds, 2016: L-R, Myke Scavone, Johnny A, Jim McCarty, Kenny Aaronson, John Idan

 

Photos by Arnie Goodman

The Yardbirds brought their “most blues-wailing” repertoire to Long Island’s beautiful Bolton Center for a special night of classic blues-rockin’. Their incredible legacy, which spawned the careers of guitar heroes Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, was on full display during their 90-minute set which included songs such as “Heart Full Of Soul,” “Smokestack Lightning,” “Over Under Sideways Down” and “Dazed And Confused,” which later became a Led Zeppelin standard.

Their trilogy of guitarists notwithstanding, the man who has kept the Yardbirds going through the years is original drummer Jim McCarty, who has assembled this current group, including John Idan (vocals and guitar), Johnny A (lead guitar), Kenny Aaronson (bass) and Myke Scavone (mouth harp). This 2016 line-up matches up favorably with the line-ups in the Yardbirds heyday; Yes, in my opinion they are that good. Jim McCarty and The Yardbirds have certainly done their part in saving American Music.

—Arnie Goodman