I have attended so many Yes concerts through the years that they tend to blend together a bit, but this show at the Beacon Theatre stands out for a couple of reasons. I am pretty sure that I attended this one solo; the band has changed players numerous times, for a variety of reasons, over time and, as I recall, this was the Yes tour with the Russian keyboard player Igor Khoroshev. Most memorable for me this time out was that after the concert ended. I slid along in front of the first tow toward center stage and as Jon Anderson was saying his farewells. I looked up, locked eyes, stuck my hand up and shook hands with one of my tock and roll heroes. I had a pretty good grip going during that handshake, and as I briefly had his undivided attention the thought crossed my mind that Anderson likely wondered for a second when, or if, I would “Release, Release” my grip. My thought then, as it is now, was that for a mystic harpist poet Jon had some pretty big mitts; it kind of threw me off a bit because one might think of Jon as maybe a sort of delicate man, but my immediate impression at the time was that his hands might seem to have been better built for boxing.
I first saw Yes at Madison Square Garden during the “ Going for the One” tour, and then for the many arena tours that followed. The Beacon Theatre is one of the best venues to catch anyone but to see one of my favorite bands, going back to high school, in the more intimate theatre setting was a blast.

Relayer

Rock on!

GQ