Here in Brazil, last September, Yes did a non-solos show in the first date (Rio de Janeiro)...

When they came to Sao Paulo, we fanatics asked them for Close to the Edge...they said NO WAY...

Well, in the morning of the first date in Sao Paulo, we received a good new... Billy told us that Steve was wanting to play America and Clap in one or the two gigs...

Billy was looking ansious... we asked why and he said: "I have to learn America till night"...

So I ask: He wasn't used to play America on OYE Tour 12 months before???

How is it possible to FORGET a song rehearsed and played not a long time ago???

It was the first time I went to a Yes concert and it was very exciting. Steve Howe was terrific, Chris Squire and Alan White were playing very well, and Jon Anderson was amazing!!! I enjoyed when they played classics like "Roundabout", "Perpetual Change", "Yours is no Disgrace" and "Awaken" (It was very touching)! I liked "Homeworld" and "New Language" from the new album "The Ladder" too. But the problem is that they played a lot of new songs and forgot to play many classics ("Close to the Edge", "And you and I"), and some of that new songs are not so good (and we both know that they can do better songs, like "Mind Drive"). There is another point: I really missed Rick Wakeman. Igor Khoroshev isn't so bad, but, if you compare with Rick Wakeman... And I think that Steve Howe didn't like to play songs from the "90125" album, he looked blue. Well, for a first Yes concert, I can say that it was an amazing experience and I hope they come back to São Paulo again.

Here in São Paulo, I knew many people which didn't like it the Ladder show. They play almost the whole CD!!! and what about the classics? But, as you see, many people insist to say that this newYes is wonderful, magical, sensational etc. That's not true! Anderson's voice isn't so good anymore and Rick is essential for the band. Howe, Squire and White keep their feeling but Sherwood and Khoroshev...

I'll try to write down my impressions on the shows and on the meetings we had with the guys that just happened here in Sao Paulo last Wednesday and Thursday. It all began on the Tuesday, when we was told by the Yes tour management in Brazil that they'd be arriving here in the afternoon and would be hosted at The Maksoud Plaza (http://www.maksoud.com.br) Hotel. We rapdly got the information spread and planned a reunion just in the Maksoud Hotel's Bar. The guys arrived, we let them check in comfortably and just told them that we were in the bar outside the lobby and we'd like very much to talk to them...

Moments later, we were dinking beer with Richard (Chris' technician for years), Ron Matthews (Steve's technician), Igor (got a few extra pounds from OYE tour, didn't you, Igor?!?), Billy (lost a few pounds from OYE tour, didn't Billy?!?) and Alan. All the guys were very receptive and we talked to them for hours about Yes, World Trade, Bootlegs, Brazil, Comics, Seattle, Boston, Sao Paulo, Games, Microsoft, Penthouse Videos, etc., etc. Lots of photos and signing sessions. We even met Steve that didn't want to take pictures, but was very friendly and kind, talking to us and signing tons of covers and tees. Jon was quite tired and, along with Jane (true soulmate, and true beauty!) got quickly to the apartment, after a few autographs.

The setlists for the shows have already been provided, so I'm just telling you the way I felt attending those two concerts here in Sao Paulo.

Steve howe is very happy this year, playing with joy, dancing and jumping on the stage! Didn't bring his favourite Gibson ES175D, he used a Les Paul instead when needed.

Jon Anderson is singing beautifully, as ever. His voice is still clean and he's still performing flawlessly. The new material has powerful vocal parts, noticeably using all backing vocals capabilities from Billy, Chris, Steve and Igor.

Chris is always a star on the stage. Walking around, looking the audience in-the-eye, playing at his best. Brought his Rickenbackers, his Tobias, his Green 'CS' Meridien bass (used on Homeworld and Lightning Strikes) and many other basses. Of course, the triple-neck bass for Awaken is included!! It's astonishing Chris' concentration and focusing when he's playing Awaken... He stops all the joking and playing with the audience to play that piece!!

Igor, who came to the stage on pajamas on the Wednesday (his clothes really looked like pajamas to us!) increased the number of keybs onstage from four on the OYE tour to _nine_ this tour! The Yamaha ANX-1 is still there and I think the Nord Lead was there also... He did great playing, missed some parts of Awaken on the first day (maybe he was a little drowsy because of the pajamas) but he did a great job on the whole. He was perfect on the Thursday, wearing a loose blue shirt and a pair of stretched black pants.

Alan did a good job, his playing is still very precise and he also played some assorted percussion on Awaken and Nine Voices.

Billy is gaining his own space on the band... Did a great job on the new songs, that all seem to have arrangements for two guitars. Replaced Trevor Rabin on vocals and guitars quite well on Owner and Hearts. Played a lot of different guitars (all Carvins!! How many Carvin guitars do you have, Billy?!?! heheh...) some of them 12-string.

Overall, Thursday performance's been better because of the better sound adjustment and less technical problems (no feedbacks on Thursday) and of course, there was "The Clap" on Thursday! Coincidence or not, the day before, one of our guys, Darcio, gifted Steve with a t-shirt with a beautiful picture printed on it, named "The Clap"... Magical days...

Good things:


THEY PLAYED AWAKEN. For me, a lifetime dream came true.
They played 4 or 5 songs of the new album, and they sounded a lot better than Open Your Eyes.
It's good to see Steve Howe playing and doing a great solo on OOALH.
Bad Things:


They didn't played Siberian Kathru and And You And I. Maybe to play 4 or 5 songs from the new album
Steve Howe went to a part on Roundabout and the rest of the band went on another.
The climax of Awaken was weakened by 2 Igor's mistakes.
More than ruin a song this mistakes become very fun, because we see masters in short pans for a few moments. No big problems at all.

And Yes came to Brazil once more... how privileged we are!... how proud I feel!... The show was amazing... venue full... a very happy and united band...

At the both sides of the stage there was one big illuminated stick within the six The Ladder's Cover Symbols... at the center of stage, on Jon's back, there was a little one with the same symbols... Alan and Billy told me :-) that those symbols referred to the Game Homeworld, and there is one symbol for each Yesman...

I'll try a setlist but it may contain some mistakes because the new unknown material...

- Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra - instead of Firebird Suit... I think Firebird is much better...

- Yours Is No Disgrace - wow... Howe very happy... jumping and dancing all the time... marvelous solo...

- America - Howe again... great solo... Squire joking...

- New Language - what a introduction! Steve and Igor playing the best...

- Lightning Strikes - it sounded better live, IMO... the chorus is really good...

- Perpetual Change - Howe's night... another amazing solo... smiles...

- Homeworld - This song is really a masterpiece... incredible... amazing... wonderful...

- It Will Be A Good Day (I'm not sure, but I think this is the song) - a little cold...

- Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Steve did the same finish solo of last year...

- Hearts - Jon sang it very well... Chris seemed to love this song...

- Awaken - OH JESUS! The highest point of the night... PERFECT...

- Nine Voices - Is not as good as Your Move, but it's really ok... Jon and Steve did a little piece of Your Move in the middle of this song...

- Roundabout - Everybody in the venue sang along... Chris's show...

Encore:
To Feel Alive - Really good... Everybody in the venue sang along again, for Jon's surprise and happiness...

All Good People - Beatiful... Everybody claped their hands... Chris very inspirated...

[Steve] didn't leave the stage on Owner of...He started the music, Billy made the basis and middle solo, and Steve finished it, like on OYE Tour...

When Owner finished, Steve left the stage (maybe for a rest... remember, no solos, no rest), the band started playing Hearts, but at "One Heart's for love..." part on, Steve cameback a few times and made solos on Steel Guitar... he seemed not pleased playing this, but one time he danced beside the stage hearing Hearts... I think that is very normal Steve not to like these, and I think he is the most opened guy, because Jon and Chris problably never will play songs much better than Owner, IMHO, like Machine Messiah or Order of the Universe...

During the show, Jon sang a little part of many Yessongs as Sweetnees, CTTE, AYAI, TaaW and Ritual... and we sang along again...

What a night! Thank you Jon, Chris, Steve, Alan, Billy and Igor for those magic moments... and please begin the next tour here again... we don't mind



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Paulo Leocadio:
Just a little remark: the band is extremely happy playing together, they are happy for the warm reception from the brazilian fans and they seem to be enjoying doing their current music. NEVER SAY NO TO YES.

It is 10:15 PM, the venue, Olympia, in a residential neighbourhood of Sao Paulo, a place where the City Hall controls strictly the noise time The same venue Yes played 3 nights in the Talk Tour (Wakeman and band also played there the same period, a couple of months before), then other 3 nights in the OYE tour and back now for other 2 nights, staring this wed. the 8th.

10:18PM, lights out, highlighting the all white stage, the same distribution of the OYE tour, three totems (left, right, middle), everyone with 6 simbols each, the one in the center with a lit globe on the top. "Le Sacre du Printemps" play on the loudspeakers (if someone can get me t