YYNOT – LIVE – THE SPACE BALLROM – HAMDEN

By Bob Brancato

Vintage Rush for over two hours! An amazing show and performance by the Rush tribute band, YYNOT. Seventeen classic Rush songs covering the period from 1974-1984. Their musicianship rivaled that of the original progressive rock trio. The packed crowd (95% male – go figure) were going out of their minds with each selection.

YYNOT consists of renaissance man, Billy Alexander (writer/arranger/producer) on guitar. He excellently reproduced all of guitar god Alex Lifeson’s phenomenal chops. On bass is Tim Starace. The tone and sound on his Fender Jazz Bass was incredible. He also doubles up on bass pedal synthesizers and keyboards. The lead vocalist is Adi Argelazi. She possesses a beautiful and powerful voice, Adi has her own unique take on the Rush vocals. Last, but not least, is Mike Hetzel on the drum kit. His playing and dexterity on the skins rivaled that of the late great professor himself.

YYNOT has also released three original albums, which are sonic masterpieces. They played four original songs during their show. Each one was stupendous. The set started off with “The Spirit Of Radio” followed by “Tom Sawyer” and “Red Barchetta” from 1981’s Moving Pictures. They played classic Rush tunes with selections ranging from many of Rush’s dynamic albums. Tracks came from Signals (1982), Permanent Waves (1980), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Hemispheres (1978) A Farewell To Kings (1977), Fly By Night (1975) as well as Caress of Steel (1975) and Rush (1974).

Each song was played with technical ecstasy and sheer emotion. While Rush tunes are hard to play, YYNOT mastered them all. Even “Subdivisions” from the Signals full length was awesome. It was the first time YYNOT played that track live. Tim confessed that he was a bit nervous for weeks about the song’s debut. He really didn’t have to worry since their rendition was utterly fantastic.

The band displayed excellent interplay on stage. You could sense how each musician loved Rush and enjoyed playing the songs. After the show, YYNOT stuck around to eagerly meet their fans. They were both humble and unassuming. They truly loved talking with each and every person. While we cannot bring back Rush, YYNOT is a great alternative. I highly recommend checking them out as soon as you can. If you love Rush, this is the band for you.

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