mr schu

ahh, that's just yes blowing me away again. best live version of close to the edge i've heard yet. 1st time to see wonderous stories. that kids choir up ther during "no way we can lose" touched me big time. alan parsons was a real nice treat also. it would have been a fine concert on it's own. yes is really on the ball with this line-up. it has just about everything i like about yes. i really hope igor sticks around

Cherokee Blackhorse Wilson

I *loved* it when the Choir came on at the Universal! It was a great moment. *Everyone in the audience put their arms around each other's shoulders and swayed and sang along. The kids wre really cute in their royal blue choir robes and they were really having a blast. Jon looked like he was about to bust with happiness and the reast of the band loved it too. Steve was even holding hands with one of the kids closest to him and swaying back and forth at one point and Chris picked up a little girl and walzed her around a couple of times. It was great!

R. D. Martin

Hello to fellow Yes fans.

I just saw the Yes/Alan Parsons package show last night at the Universal in LA. Not the first time I've seen Yes (the first time was only last December, same venue) so I had an idea of what to expect.

After some of the worst Friday afternoon traffic I've ever seen, we finally made it to the Universal Ampitheater. When they opened the doors, the venue staff actually handled things a lot better than when myself and my dad were here on December 7. We didn't have to wait outside the venue doors for an hour--they were open, and we were able to take our seats rather early. They were smart and had 3 souvenir stands to handle the demand for T-shirts. We also didn't get frisked for drugs or recording devices, which I thought was kind of nice. (although, there was a signifigant stench of pot during the latter part of the show, which wasn't so nice...). Our seats were in the mezzanine balcony. We were a ways away, but it provided a nice panoramic view of the stage and the auditorium.

I had never seen the Alan Parsons Project before. I kind of expected them to be a fusion/rock outfit like Steely Dan or Toto, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were a very capable pop/rock band, and they played some very good music. ("Eye in the sky", "I can read your mind" were among the songs, for any of you who have ever heard these guys.) Their lead singer had an unbelievable voice, and guitarist Ian Bairnson rocked the house. He's not a Steve Howe, but he has some serious skill. Alan Parsons himself was a rather dour chap who made the announcements as the elder leader, but he was mostly a supportive musician, playing acoustic rhythm guitar, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects, and singing backup vocals. Their keyboardist, John Beck, was pretty decent, but he seemed to be dragging on some sort of cigarette throughout most of the set. A little high, perhaps? I wouldn't be surprised...

Now to the REAL act of the night. I had seen Yes before, as I have mentioned earlier, and I thought the show in December would be hard to top. I think they almost did. They were such a tight, energetic unit, and the music was simply breathtaking. I saw Close to the Edge for the first time live, and I wasn't disappointed at ALL. They performed, somewhat to my surprise, No Way We Can Lose, with the help of a local children's choir from Billy's old junior high. I have the OYE album, and this isn't my most favorite cut, but seeing them do it with a children's choir was unexpected, cute, and a little poignant. They brought back Yours is No Disgrace, which was AWESOME. Howe seemed to be using a bit more wah-wah on his middle solo break, and he didn't miss a beat. To my surprise, JON actually played keyboard on this song. They had a Yamaha AN1x sitting back by Jon's percussion rack, and he and Igor played the lead synth line together! Heart of the Sunrise, Long Distance Runaround, and Siberian Khatru were just as incredible as the last time I heard them. The only frustration I had? They fooled with the arrangement of Roundabout! Steve didn't play his acoustic intro, and there was no atmospheric bridge. WHAT is with the guys! I LIKE that song complete. The Rabin tracks were, I have to say, stunning--and they DID get standing ovations just like everything else, for all of you spoilsports out there. The audience was actually singing along with Jon, and he let them sing the "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Now, on to the BAND...

Jon was in fine form last night, and he still hits those high notes effortlessly. He was still his usual joking self, performing a "duet" with Billy Sherwood (Billy doing some Rabinesque riffs while Jon tried to play air guitar). He played rhythm guitar on OYE and I've seen All good People, percussion on more songs than I can count, and synth on Yours is no disgrace. He appeared to be a little less dignified than last time, appearing in a purple shirt, white jeans and sandals with a rathe