Guillermo Vázquez M.

This tour was the first time YES came to Mexico. I went to the second concert (26/May/98). The "Auditorio Nacional" is a good place for bands like YES, comfortable and clean, and with good acoustics. I went to the concert with my older brother, who was 42 years old at that time and was the first person in the family to buy a YES album ("Fragile"). We arrived one and a half hour before the concert, and we drank some beers outside of the "Auditorio Nacional" because beers are not sold inside the auditorium (maybe this is a good reason because the place is clean). We had our seats on the second floor, a good place to see the concert. The place was full of people in its capacity. And I thought before the concert that maybe only people around their thirties or forties were going to be at the concert, but I saw teenagers who were enjoying the concert very much. A very good concert, with a set list full of "classics" from the seventies, some from the "Rabin Era", and only one new song, the title song of the new album "Open your Eyes". Igor Khoroshev did a very good job on all the songs, but I remember that he really played very good on "Wonderous Stories". Why he never was an official member of YES? Billy Sherwood played lead guitar on the "Rabin Era" songs, while Steve Howe was out of the stage for most of the time in this songs. Sherwood´s guitar was almost inaudible for me for the most part of the concert (mixing?, the place of our seats?, I don´t know), but his backing vocals were very good. Alan White, as always, a very solid drummer, full of power, one of the best drummers in rock, full of experience. Jon Anderson´s vocals are amazing, because he still has a good voice after many years of singing. Chris Squire did a very impressive bass guitar solo, and he was always "on time" with Alan on all the songs. Steve Howe wore a "charro" hat during his acoustic guitar solo. Sometimes he dominated the show with great guitar playing. The only song that I missed was "Starship Trooper", which they played the night before. They played "The Revealing Science of God" instead. In general, a very good concert.

Gerardo Liedo

The second concert of YES YESterday was excellent, awesome, outstanding! Of course I attended again, but now in 4th row so I had the opportunity to see details I did not see YESterday!

The venue had a very good acoustic, 10,000 fans, ticket prices $13, $21,$29, $41 and $53 plus Ticketmaster charge. The median age I guess was again in between 35 and 40, having a lot of baby-boomers, executives, intellectuals, nerds, musicians, the riffraff, and in this case more uneducated dimwits that YESterday.

I had second toughs about my comments regarding "Open Your Eyes" in my review of the 25th. I did not take my "piss & beer" time during this and found that is a very good piece. Congratulations to Bill for his contribution on this.

As I explained YESterday, according to some critics the Mexican audience is one of the most enthusiastic in the world, and this show was another good example!

The change in the setlist was the inclusion of The Revealing Science of God but Starship Trooper was deleted from the encore. The Revealing Science of God was the central piece of the set., one of the YES masterpieces (along with Close to the Edge, other "tales" and Awaken between others)

The bass was louder than the first show. Chris was outstanding better than ever!

Steve entered slightly late in Siberian Kathru, and had some problems at the beginning. Steve put again a Mexican hat in Long Distance, the hat style identical to the ones that ZZ TOP used in the cover of "El Loco". His solos as usual excellent, I shouted in front of you Mr. Magic Fingers you are the best.

During America Jon lost his patient, and as 5 years ago he asked again how do you say patient in Spanish, and again we said "paciencia". Jon sang better than YESterday but some out of tunes from the original cover. The phone rang, and Jon answered in Spanish Hola, Hola... he made very kind comments to the Mexican Audience. Again he mixed some fluent Spanish in between his comments.

Igor and Alan, the "base" were in the back doing everything as expected, great solos, too short both.

The boys went to Xochimilco and bought some souvenirs that were worn during the concert: Bill was wearing a shirt with the Aztec Calendar (it is not really a Calendar as well, it is a ceremonial stone in which all sacred dates from the ancient Aztecs were registered). During the encore, Igor was wearing a Mexican Poncho, Steve a sike-ay-delic jacket.

All solos were great, Bill played a great solo during Owner... remember Bill I promised on the lobby not to be kind in my review, to be serious, this was your night!

Jon sang better than YESterday but some out of tunes from the original cover. The phone rang, and Jon answered in Spanish Hola, Hola... he made very kind comments to the Mexican Audience. Again he mixed some fluent Spanish in between his comments.

I attended the concert with José Luis "el taco" Padilla, Luis Lozano, Pepe Cifuentes, Jorge "el crazy" Iniestra and Christopher "el médico" Laisequilla Mayer. The first two, friends from the Condesa riffraff in the early 70s, the remaining good fellas from the generation x. And again we left our wives at home!

Carlos Del Río Piña

Mexico City.
Auditorio Nacional.
May 26th, 1998.
Six performers.
Ten thousand fans.

I'm 29 years old. Yes had never played in Mexico before the "Open Your Eyes Tour", so I can really say that I have been waiting for a Yes Concert in Mexico ALL MY LIFE. If I say that the wait was worth it, it would be an understatement. It was one of the most fantastic experiences I have ever had. They were absolutely amazing.

This was the second and last concert in Mexico City. The "Auditorio Nacional", certainly the best -if not the largest- place to have a concert in this the biggest city of the world (more than 20 million people in the whole metropolitan area), was at its full capacity.

The show, scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. started only five minutes late, and ended at 10:55 p.m., two hours and twenty minutes of non-interrupted musical magic.

Jon Anderson thanked the mexican public for their patience all these years -more than two decades- without having a concert in Mexico. Once again, the wait was worth it.

We have to thank Jon, Chris, Steve and Alan for their absolutely exceptional and astonishing performances. I talked with a lot of people after the concert, and every one of them were impressed. But it was definetely Chris Squire who left the deepest impression. Jon's voice didn't sound as good as always, very probably because all these months of touring and the feeling he inflects to every note he sings. Even though he was spectacular. The public also loved and cheered Steve Howe's magic, and Alan White's powerful performance.

We also thank Igor and Billy, who were really up to the task of playing next to the living legends. Great performances. Jon was kindly enough to address to the public using some spanish words, Steve wore a mexican "sombrero" during one of the songs and Igor wore a mexican "zarape". I think we all appreciated the gesture.

We certainly missed "From the Balcony" and "Starship Trooper", but how can we complain if we had the wonderful RSOG.

A great and extremely unique experience. I am certain that none of us will ever forget it.