The current lineup of The Yardbirds, which consists of only two original members, played the Stearns Square Block Party on Thursday night and no one seemed to mind the absence of the members that made the band famous. The current lineup of The Yardbirds, which consists of only two original members, played the Stearns Square Block Party on Thursday night and no one seemed to mind the absence of the members that made the band famous.
Thousands roamed Worthington Street and squeezed into Stearns Square to witness the 90-minute set of classic rock. It may have been the largest crowd ever at the long-running concert series.
The band that helped create psychedelic rock and launch the careers of guitar legends Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck may be short on star power these days but they make up for it with a relatively fresh approach to the classic catalog.
Riding the searing guitar work of prodigy Ben King and the reverential vocals of bassist John Idan, original members Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar) and Jimmy McCarty (drums) paid homage to an era and its signature sound.
The group opened with "Train Kept A Rollin'" and received an immediate ovation from the throng, with much of the accolades directed toward the work of harmonica player Billy-Boy Miskimmin.
Idan was the focus for much of the night as he plowed through songs like "Please Don't Tell Me 'Bout the News," and "My Blind Life."
The band brought out original Animal's guitarist Hilton Valentine for a run through the Chuck Berry hit "Little Queenie" and drummer McCarty took a turn on vocals as well.
Through the heart of the set, which featured songs like "Shapes of Things, "Heart Full of Soul," and "Mister You're a Better Man Than I," guitarist King was monstrous, showcasing the talent that had Dreja comparing him to a young Eric Clapton.
Dreja pulled the crowd into the mix, leading chant of "hey ... hey" as the band worked into "Over, Under, Sideways, Down."
McCarty introduced the closing medley which included a satisfying romp through "For Your Love," and the pounding, jam-fused "Dazed and Confused."
The group was called back for an encore and Idan paid tribute to McCarty and Dreja for their contributions to psychedelic rock as an introduction to "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," which earned the distinction as the top psychedelic rock song of all time (beating out the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields") in a U.K. poll.
The Stearns Square Block Party Concerts are held on Thursday nights in Stearns Square (between Worthington and Bridge) in downtown Springfield. The concerts are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. Next week's performance features James Cotton.
- The Republican Newspaper (Springfield, Mass) (Jul 22, 2006)