Going to see Yes for the first time was a HUGE deal as all of my friends and I were PSYCHED; we were big fans of all things YES particularly YESSONGS the tour de force triple live album.

The “Going for the One” album had just been released and it was phenomenal; Rick Wakeman was in the fold for the tour making this a rock and roll EVENT! The excitement level on this night was as high as for any show that we had seen thus far. This was the beginning of a time when the music of Yes and their pretty regularly scheduled annual tour dates were yearly highlights. Yes’ popularity was evident in that tickets for their shows usually went on sale at least 9 months prior and they gave us all something to look forward to and get pumped up for throughout the year.

A poster with a yellow Yes logo and the five members of the band individually photographed in their prime could be seen prominently hanging on my wall for the better part of a decade; musical heroes then and now. The poster disappeared in my garage under mysterious circumstances that my wife denies having any knowledge of to this day.

I have to admit, I did not realize how cool it was to have seen Donovan open for Yes 1977 until Howard Stern’s 2014 Sirius radio interview. This dude has amazing stories, hung out with the Beatles, and has a mystical quality to this day that is hard to resist; a great musician who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The “Going for the One” album is one of Yes’ best ever and the stage design resembled the album cover. Our view of the stage was midway up to the right and while the individual musical performances that night are a bit of a blur, I do know that we left the progressive rock masterpiece completely satisfied and ultimately hooked for life.

Wondrous Stories indeed

Rock On

GQ