Y&T Get Their Due (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from Part One…

Yet Meniketti doesn’t categorically rule out a new Y&T single or album in the band’s future. “It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Hey, let’s go to a rehearsal studio, get together and write some songs,’” he says. “But it’s absolutely a possibility.” Instead, these days, Y&T focuses its energies on live performance. And with a seasoned, tight lineup, the band is well-positioned to do just that.

“John Nymann has been with us the longest,” Meniketti says. In fact, guitarist Nymann provided background vocals on Y&T records – and toured with the band – for some time before joining officially in 2003. “I’ve known him since the very beginning of Y&T’s career,” Meniketti says. “He went to school with Leonard Haze; even before we became a band, he came over the first time Leonard and I rehearsed together.”

Meniketti points out that at 20 years, Mike Vanderhule has the distinction of being the drummer with the longest tenure in Y&T. “He’s a drummer’s drummer; with him, every night is consistent.” Relative newbie Aaron Leigh has been Y&T’s bassist for a decade. Even before joining, he played with bands that opened for Meniketti’s group. “I was always impressed with his playing and his attitude,” Meniketti says. “When he first auditioned after Phil Kennemore passed away, that was the first time that the songs sounded like they did when Phil was in the band.”

Meniketti believes that this long-running current lineup is true to the original goals and spirit of Y&T. “I’d like to think that we haven’t really changed from the standpoint of how we put the songs across,” he says. “I’ve been a stickler for making sure that we play the songs the way that the original band did, but these guys had that attitude already. It’s about all of us working together to maintain the integrity of the songs; that’s been the standard all the way through our existence.”

Y&T’s significance, power and enduring appeal were all underscored by the appearance of a 2019 documentary film, Y&T: On With the Show. Narrated by rock historian, podcaster and radio personality Eddie Trunk, the film charts the group’s history, highlighting the band’s connections and tours with AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne and others. “It was pretty true to the band’s sentiments all the way through,” Meniketti says, adding that directors Geoff Ganz and Mark White “really captured our essence.”

Along the way, Y&T earned praise from some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal. Ronnie James Dio singled the band’s leader for special praise when he described Meniketti as “one of the most underrated singers on the face of the Earth.” Meniketti recalls his reaction when Dio put his arm around his shoulder after a gig and made that proclamation to everyone within earshot. “I was turning red, because he’s the god of this style of music.”

And now – a half century after Meniketti’s band released its debut album recorded in San Francisco – Y&T is receiving more recognition. At this year’s Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, the band will be presented with the Icon Award, in honor of what organizers describe as the group’s “pioneering influence on American rock music and their enduring five-decade legacy.”

Previous Icon Award recipients represent achievement across the spectrum of arts and entertainment; past honorees include Brian Auger, Ed Begley Jr., Edward James Olmos and Penelope Spheeris. “From the very beginning, Poppy Jasper has always been about storytelling across disciplines,” says festival director Mattie Scariot. “Music, in particular, is essential to cinematic storytelling; it shapes emotion, memory, and meaning.” She explains that Y&T was selected for the Icon Award “because their story represents the very spirit of what Poppy Jasper stands for: independence, longevity, authenticity, and community connection. What makes Y&T special is not just their music, but their endurance and integrity.”

The Icon Award will be presented to Meniketti and his band mates by Randy Spendlove, producer and two-time Grammy Award winner. “Music and film share the same emotional language,” Spendlove says. “And Y&T’s music has always carried a cinematic power. Honoring them at Poppy Jasper recognizes the role music plays in storytelling, and celebrates artists who’ve shaped culture well beyond a single medium.”

For his part, Meniketti appears equally appreciative and nonplussed to be honored with PJIFF’s Icon Award. “When I first heard about it, I thought, ‘Well, that’s… interesting,’” he says with a chuckle. But he emphasizes that in his view, Y&T has always been slightly under-recognized for its contributions to music. “But then, here’s a band from the Bay Area that’s been consistently popular for 52 years, so it’s nice to get recognition for that. And it’ll be fun.”