Asbury Park Press
Asbury Park, NJ
October 5, 2016
Lakewood concert: The Jersey influence of the Yardbirds
(Photo: COURTESY OF Arnie Goodman)
You should keep your eye on Jim McCarty, drummer for the Yardbirds.
Jersey rocker Myke Scavone certainly does.
“Apparently, Jim was the joker of the band in the early days,” said Scavone of Eatontown, who joined the Yardbirds last year. “He doesn’t play the pranks he used to pull. The Kinks were the opening act one night and they played a little longer than they were supposed to and Jim went behind the curtain and pulled the plug.”
The Yardbirds will play Strand Center for the Arts in Lakewood tonight in a Jersey homecoming show for Scavone and bassist Kenny Aaronson, a New Yorker who now lives in Woodbridge. The show is a fundraiser for Family Resource Associates, a Shrewsbury nonprofit that helps kids and adults with disabilities reach their full potential, according to
Scavone, who fronts Jersey garage rock heroes the Dougboys and used to sing lead for Ram Jam (“Black Betty”), is having fun touring with the current incarnation of the Yardbirds.
“It’s been incredible,” Scavone said. “I’m still working with the Doughboys but when I step on the stage with the Yardbirds with all the guys in the current lineup, it’s amazing. We’re playing to a so much more enthusiastic crowd and the level of musicianship is up there. The Yardbirds repertoire is such great material, and to stand on stage and to play hit after hit is an incredible amount of fun.”
The Yardbirds are the British Invasion icons whose hits include “For Your Love,” “Over Under Sideways Down,” “Shapes of Things,” “Heart Full of Soul” and “Evil Hearted You.” Like the Stones, they started off as blues aficionados and later expanded their sound. They are one of the first bands in rock ’n’ roll to employ distortion on guitar.
Speaking of gutiar, the Yardbirds had three of the greats: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Beck and Page played double lead guitar for a spell. As the initial run of the Yardbirds came to a close in 1968, Page renamed the band the New Yardbirds and they eventually became Led Zeppelin.
This version of the Yardbirds features original drummer McCarty. Original singer Keith Relf died in 1976. Aaronson, who came on board the same time as Scavone, has played with Bob Dylan, Joan Jett, Hall and Oates and more.
“When I first got into the band in 2015, I thought they just needed to me to fill in for a couple gigs and that was it,” Scavone said. “Jim has really liked what happened with the lineup so he decided to keep pushing.”
They’ll head to Japan soon. But first, the big benefit show in Lakewood.
“It’s a very, very good organization and they’ve done a lot of good,” said Scavone of Family Resource Associates.
Chris Jordan:
The YARDBIRDS
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7
WHERE: Strand Center for the Arts, 400 Clifton Ave., Lakewood
TICKETS: $30 to $70
INFO: 732-367-7789 or