{"id":55383,"date":"2025-04-03T08:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=55383"},"modified":"2025-04-03T08:41:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:41:18","slug":"on-stage-legendary-yardbirds-come-to-sellersville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=55383","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Legendary Yardbirds come to Sellersville"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"

The Yardbirds<\/p><\/div>\n

Any credible list of the 10 all-time best rock guitarists should \u2013 without question \u2013 include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Amazingly, three of them got their starts in the same band \u2013 the Yardbirds<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Yardbirds, who are playing Sellersville Theatre (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) ON April 3, are like the Energizer Bunny \u2013 they just keep going and going.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Original lead guitarist Top Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton and then Jeff Beck replaced Clapton two years later. It was this line-up that recorded the group\u2019s signature hits \u201cHeart Full of Soul\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m a Man\u201d and \u201cShapes of Things.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In 1966, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group. Jimmy Page joined, and the band used a double-lead guitar format for a brief while. Then, Beck left, and Page remained \u2013 but only for a short while before leaving to form Led Zeppelin.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
In 1976, vocalist Keith Relf died in an accident leaving the band with just a pair of original members \u2013 drummer Jim McCarty\u00a0and rhythm guitarist\/bassist Chris Dreja. The group seemed to quietly fade into history.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then, in 2003, the Yardbirds regrouped and recorded their latest album \u201cBirdland.\u201d \u00a0The band\u2019s lineup included McCarty\u00a0and Dreja along with other young British musicians.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dreja sat out the US spring 2012 tour to recover from an illness. It was announced in 2013 that he was leaving the band for medical reasons and would be replaced by original Yardbirds guitarist Topham. Then, Topham left.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On August 12, 2015, it was announced that Boston guitarist Johnny A. would become the newest member of The Yardbirds. He was with the band for a while and then he too departed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The\u00a0\u00a0Yardbirds\u2019 current line-up features critically-acclaimed original drummer\/composer\/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jim McCarty; lead vocalist\/rhythm guitarist\u00a0John Idan,\u00a0whose tenure with the band began in 1992; bassist\u00a0Kenny Aaronson, who has worked with Billy Idol, Joan Jett, and Hall and Oates; lead guitarist\u00a0Godfrey Townshend, who has performed with rock luminaries such as John Entwistle and Jack Bruce; and Myke Scavone, (who is also lead singer in The Doughboys) on harp, percussion and backing vocals.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the same line-up we\u2019ve had for a while except for our guitar player Godfrey Townshend, who is the musical director for the \u2018Happy Together\u2019 tours,\u201d said McCarty, during a phone interview last week from his home near Nice in southern France. \u201cThe rest of the guys have been around since 2015.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThis line-up has been together longer than the original line-up. As far as the original line-up, Chris (Dreja) is still alive but unable to play. He\u2019s had some strokes and is still struggling. Paul (Samwell-Smith) gave up playing years ago and Keith Relf died in 1976.\u201d<\/div>\n
Additionally, Jeff Beck died just over two years ago.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThis show is a bit different than our previous tours \u2013 more talking,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cI\u2019m talking about the history of the group. It goes back to 1963.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cIn addition to my talks, we also have a multimedia show with slides, pictures and videos. It\u2019s a bit of an experiment.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
McCarty\u2019s autobiography,\u00a0\u201cNobody Told Me,\u201d was released to great acclaim in 2018.\u00a0\u00a0Volume two of his memoirs,\u00a0\u201cShe Walks in Beauty,\u201d was released in 2021 and was also widely acclaimed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
When COVID hit a few years ago, McCarty got slammed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Many bands lost time, momentum, tour revenue and record sales during the pandemic. McCarty\u00a0lost a lot more.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe lockdown coincided with me losing my wife, Lizzie,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cI ended up doing another book.\u201d<\/div>\n
The book, \u201cShe Walks In Beauty..My Quest For The Bigger Picture,\u201d was released in August 2021.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
According to McCarty, \u201cMy last book — \u2018Nobody Told Me\u2019 — was the story of the best days of my life, and a musical career that took me from a holiday camp in the English west country to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThis book, on the other hand, begins on the very worst day of my life, June 7, 2020\u2014 with the death of my wife Elisabeth. Lizzie.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cShe Walks In Beauty\u201d is the tale of McCarty\u2019s lifelong quest to unravel the mysteries of the world that exists beyond the world in which we live.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Beginning with a childhood fascination with the paranormal that only gathered strength as he grew older, this book explores the world hidden just out of reach, the shadows that are just out of sight and the certainty that there is an enduring connection between the living and the dead.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe book is about paranormal things,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cI communicated with Lizzie after she died.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe were married for 16 years. I knew her for about 23 years. We were very close, and I couldn\u2019t believe she wasn\u2019t around somewhere. I studied mediumship.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cI did research and looked into near death experiences. I discovered a medium Suzanne Giesmann. She taught me ways to connect with Lizzie.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cI was able to communicate with her and get hard evidence. I asked her things about people she didn\u2019t know, and they proved to be true.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Yardbirds\u2019 personnel may change every once in a while, but the set list with a slew of classic songs remains constant.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cPeople realize what a great repertoire it is,\u201d said\u00a0McCarty. \u201cThey love to hear this music. It\u2019s hard to put something new in the set list.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Yardbirds\u2019 most recent albums are \u201cBirdland,\u201d which was released back in 2003, and \u201cMaking Tracks,\u201d which came out in 2013.<\/div>\n
The current band just recorded a new live album, \u201cMind the Gap,\u201d\u00a0which will be released soon.\u00a0 A special compilation featuring the original band recordings \u2013\u00a0\u201cThe Yardbirds Psycho Daisies — The Complete B-Sides\u201d —\u00a0was released\u00a0in 2024.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u201cThe chemistry with this line-up is good,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cThere are no egos and they\u2019re all good guys.\u00a0They know the music and it\u2019s quite authentic.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe go back to the originals. It is important for us to go back to the originals. That\u2019s the music that the fans have loved all these years.\u201d<\/div>\n
For a band that really wasn\u2019t around that long (just over five years in its original incarnation) and never really had a string of monster hits, the Yardbirds left an indelible imprint on rock music.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Taking their name from Jack Kerouac\u2019s writing (\u201cyardbirds\u201d were hobos that hung around railroad yards and hopped trains), the Yardbirds evolved from the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, a seminal British band put together by guitarist Paul Samwell-Smith and vocalist Keith Relf.<\/div>\n
They added Chris Dreja (guitar), Jim\u00a0McCarty\u00a0(drums) and a 16-year-old guitarist Tony \u201cTop\u201d Topham to complete the original Yardbirds\u2019 lineup.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cPaul Samwell-Smith and I went to the same grammar school,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cThen, we met up with Top, Chris and Keith. They were all in art school together.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe used to hang out at a pub in Surrey called The Crown. We heard a lot of blues back then. But Top never recorded with us. He started in art school and we got another guitarist to take his place.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Topham was pressured by his parents to return to school and a then unknown British blues guitarist named Eric Clapton replaced him.<\/div>\n
Clapton was the first of three \u201cGuitar Gods\u201d to handle lead guitar duties for the Yardbirds. His tenure lasted for one very blues-oriented studio album and a live album of the band when it backed blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cEric did the live album,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cBut he didn\u2019t like \u2018For Your Love\u2019 so he left. We asked Jimmy (Page) to join but he was too busy with sessions. He suggested using Jeff Beck.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Yardbirds\u2019 final guitarist was Jimmy Page, who was with the group for one album. Page then formed the New Yardbirds \u2014 a band that was the embryo of Led Zeppelin.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Most of the Yardbirds\u2019 groundbreaking music came during the three-year period when guitar master Jeff Beck was the group\u2019s lead guitarist.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Beck\u2019s innovative and emotive style of playing stretched the boundaries of traditional rock and opened the door for new improvisational and experimental aspects of rock and roll.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe original band was together for five years,\u201d said Dreja, during a previous phone interview. \u201cBut it felt like 20 years with all the miles traveled and music played. It started to fade around 1968.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cAfter we did the last tour with the \u2018Little Games\u2019 albums \u2013 which was a good tour \u2014 Jimmy and Keith wanted to come off the road. Then, Keith and Jim left to form Renaissance and Page went to Led Zeppelin.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cPaul had left a while before. I had already started my career as a professional photographer. So, I went to New York and learned the craft of studio photography.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dreja and McCarty\u00a0brought the Yardbirds back to life in 2003. Now, with Dreja sidelined, it is up to McCarty\u00a0to carry the banner \u2013 and he is carrying it well.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Video link for the Yardbirds \u2013 https:\/\/l2-disco-data-us.s3.amazonaws.com\/media\/trackfiles<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The show on April 3 at the Sellersville Theater will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tickets start at $49.50.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Marc Cohn on April 4, Fleetwood Mask on Aril 5, the Mighty Manatees on April 6, Martin Barre on April 8 and Live Dead & Brothers on April 9.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mike Baggetta is a talented guitarist who is versatile enough to go from swinging modern bop chops that flow like John Abercrombie to whammy bar pedal steel licks influenced by David Torn.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Baggetta has worked with many top artists including\u00a0Jerome Harris, Mike Watt, David Torn, Darcy James Argue, Jim Keltner, Satoshi Takeishi, Stephen Hodges, Donny McCaslin, Dominique Eade and\u00a0Nels Cline.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mike\u00a0Watt is a highly-acclaimed bass player whose wide-ranging career spans work with Iggy Pop and the Stooges and fIREHOSE \u2013 and original Minutemen bassist.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He also plays or has played in Porno for Pyros, The Black Gang, The Secondmen, Unknown Instructors, Anywhere, Mike Watt + The Missingmen, Funanori, Floored By Four, Flipper, The Secondmen, Unknown Instructors, Anywhere, Il Sogno del Marinaio, Dos, Banyan, Hellride and Big Walnuts Yonder.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stephen Hodges is an American percussionist and composer who is known for his work with Tom Waits.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Hodges has also had musical partnerships with Mavis Staples, David Lynch, Jonathan Richman, John Hammond, Angelo Badalamenti, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bruce Cockburn, Dave Alvin, Charlie Musselwhite and T Bone Burnett.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"

mssv<\/p><\/div>\n

The three masters are at their best when they are playing together \u2013 especially as mssv.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
This weekend, mssv will make another visit to Philadelphia. On April 4, mssv will be rattling the walls at Solar Myth (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.arsnovaworkshop.org<\/a>) \u2013 the same venue they played in October 2023.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The trio released its latest album, \u201cOn And On,\u201d on March 7. The album, features artwork by John Herndon (Tortoise), came out on BIG EGO Records on 12\u201d LP vinyl, digital download and streaming services.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cOn And On\u201d\u00a0features brand new songs that were written by\u00a0Baggetta\u00a0before their 58-show 2023 US tour and performed every night.<\/div>\n
It was recorded and produced by Chris Schlarb at BIG EGO Studio in Long Beach, California immediately after the conclusion of the tour.<\/div>\n
The digital versions of the album feature eight separate, boundary-pushing tracks. The vinyl features these pieces joined into two continuous side-long movements by six band-improvised interludes.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
These improvised, then recomposed, instrumentals had their parts recorded separately by each member, then edited down, recombined and arranged by Baggetta. They serve as an important connective tissue between the songs on each side.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cHaving the extra music on vinyl makes for a different listening experience \u2013 something different than files streaming,\u201d said Baggetta, during a phone interview last week while travelling between shows in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jacksonville, Florida.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cOn and On\u201d is an album where all the works combine to create an endless episodic journey through the temporal and seemingly fleeting nature of society, personality, music, and life and death on Earth, only to realize that all of these are also endlessly repeating.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Seven of the eight new songs feature vocals from Baggetta, now much more comfortable in his vocal role from the previous mssv album,<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cHuman Reaction.\u201d The wordcraft goes a lot deeper than his previous lyric writing, while still remaining wholly individual in its exploratory playfulness.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The subject matter here, while being universally relatable, is rife with personal references, stories of his and the band\u2019s friends and relationships, and one song — \u201cDespair & Hilarity\u201d\u00a0— with lyrics written by one of Baggetta\u2019s most important musical collaborators, Steve Gigante (7 Year Rabbit Cycle, W-S Burn).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe prefer to record the music at the end of the tour \u2013 after it was played in front of people a lot,\u201d said Baggetta, who has built a reputation as a road warrior.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The band will have had a lot of opportunities to play in front of people on this tour. It got underway on March 13 at the Sardine in San Pedro, California (Watt\u2019s home turf) and will conclude on May 3 at Zebulon in Los Angeles.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWorking on this has been pretty much all-consuming,\u201d said Baggetta, a Massachusetts native who attended\u00a0Rutgers University\u00a0where he received his Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies. \u201cEverything is focused on mssv. From May 29 until June 14, we\u2019ll be doing 17 shows in the U.K. and Ireland.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe audiences have been willing to be challenged. It\u2019s fun to play every night. We get a good chance to work out new music and make it sound better. And we get to work on new improvised parts in our live show.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
According to a press release from the band \u2013 \u201cThe music they create together is utterly unclassifiable; calling it post-genre-improv-jazz-rock may come close but still doesn\u2019t even begin to touch on the wild electric textures\u00a0Baggetta\u2019s guitar alone brings to the table.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no telling which way this heretofore unimagined hybrid of a punky power trio and a dreamy experimental rock band will turn at any given moment, a proposition that becomes a promise when they break down and reassemble these songs live with an instinct for restraint and an openness to anarchy.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The name mssv comes from \u201cmain steam stop valve,\u201d which was the name of the band\u2019s second album which was released in 2020.<\/div>\n
A main steam stop valve connects the boiler steam system to the steam main\/header. When the valve is open, it connects the boiler to the steam main. When the valve is closed, it isolates the boiler from the steam main.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It sounds like it could have been a song from Watt\u2019s \u201cContemplating the Engine Room\u201d album. Watt\u2019s father was a\u00a0machinist\u2019s mate\u00a0in the Navy and that album was made in honor of engine room folk,<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThat album has been a big influence on me,\u201d said Baggetta.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful record. It\u2019s great for a lot of reasons. It mixes all types of music into one cohesive statement.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The same could be said for mssv\u2019s \u201cOn and On\u201d album.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Video link for mssv \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/n-Iy7oe7kSo<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The show on April 4 at Solar Myth will start at<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of show.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Other upcoming shows at Solar Myth are Br\u00ecghde Chaimbeul\u00a0on April 7 and Jenny Scheinman\u2019s All Species Parade on April 9.<\/div>\n
The\u00a0Candlelight\u00a0Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313, candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting the first full weekend of its latest production, \u201cBright Star.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cBright Star\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0musical\u00a0written and composed by\u00a0Steve Martin\u00a0and\u00a0Edie Brickell. It is set in the\u00a0Blue Ridge Mountains\u00a0of\u00a0North Carolina\u00a0in 1945\u201346 with flashbacks to 1923. The musical is inspired by their\u00a0Grammy-winning collaboration on the 2013\u00a0bluegrass\u00a0album\u00a0\u201cLove Has Come for You\u201d and, in turn, the folk tale of the\u00a0\u201cIron Mountain Baby.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cBright Star\u201d is billed as \u201can uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp \u2013 as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (8 p.m.), Sunday afternoons (3 p.m.) and Wednesdays (11 a.m.)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $73.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cBright Star\u201d will run through April 19.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will present Mississippi Earl Brown on April 3, Ty Stephens and Souljazz on April 4, the Resurrection of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Band on April 5 and the Philly Blues Kings with Clarence Spady on April 6.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On March 20, Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is presenting Lauren Calve on April 3 and Know Return on April 5.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) will host Jeff Daniels on April 4 and the Grateful Allman Band Experience on April 5.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Any credible list of the 10 all-time best rock guitarists should \u2013 without question \u2013 include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Amazingly, three of them got their starts in the same band \u2013 the Yardbirds The Yardbirds, who are playing Sellersville Theatre (24 West […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,16014,8600],"class_list":["post-55383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-mssv","tag-the-yardbirds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=55383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55384,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55383\/revisions\/55384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/55381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}