Nassau Coliseum 

June 12, 1979

Madison Square Garden 

June 13,  June 14,  June 15, 1979

New Haven Coliseum 

June 16,  June 17, 1979

Springfield Civic Center 

June 18, 1979

The Spectrum, Philadelphia 

June 22, 1979

Yes in the Round. 

Eight shows in 11 days.

Steve, Joe and I went on a rock and roll road trip completely emersing ourselves in the Yes experience.

We attended so many shows in the front orchestra during that particular tour that Steve Howe’s guitar tech Claude gave us backstage passes for Springfield, Massachusetts. 

That day in Springfield we had time to kill so we arrived at the arena early enough in the afternoon to , by complete chance, catch the band rehearsing  “Arriving U.F.O.”  

We heard Yes playing and made our way to the one spot In the arena lobby where we actually had a view of the band, in their “civilian” clothes, playing a song they never did play in concert during this stretch of the tour. We were hooting and hollering enough to alert security that we were there and to be asked to leave. This was Rock and Roll fun and hijinks at its innocent best.

I never did confirm this, but I believe Howe’s guitar tech may have been “Funky Claude” from Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” (whether this is true or not I have no idea but it makes for a nice anecdote).

While backstage in Springfield I got a little caught up in the moment and with youthful exuberance I walked up to drummer Alan White who was in a conversation with an older well to do couple. I clearly interrupted them and with absolutely nothing to say except for something like “I saw you guys play last night” the perplexed White went back to his earlier conversation.

The 1979 Yes tour was a whirlwind of music and teenage adventure.

On the Silent Wings of Freedom

Rock on

GQ