As I was a huge Yes fan, going to see the great Steve Howe with his new band Asia was a no brainer. I never did get to experience Emerson, Lake & Palmer but I did get to see the extraordinary drummer Carl Palmer perform on top of a unique silver pyramid-like set up on the Capital Theatre stage in New Jersey. With John Wetton and Geoff Downes filling out the supergroup lineup, and a hit album with songs in heavy rotation on the radio, this was heaven for progressive rock fans in the tri-state area. Asia was a little poppier than the group members’ prior groups, and the music has not really held up as well either, but at the time no one knew what the future would hold for these great musicians, so any opportunity to catch them in concert was a must attend. Asia would evolve through the years with different players coming and going, but the original line up is iconic. In a unique double bill years later, Asia opened for Yes (without Jon Anderson which is a long story in and of itself) at the Westbury Music Fair, in the round, with Steve Howe playing guitar with both bands.

Heat of the Moment

Rock on!

GQ