Barry Beiseigel

I've been a long time YES fan (first YES concert event was Close To The Edge Tour - Boston Garden). I had lost track of them after the Tormato album and finally came back to the fold in the mid- 90's. I've seen the last few tours when they came thru the Washington, D.C. area. Last year's Masterworks tour was significant for it's fan picked setlists, etc.... but I have to say this new tour was the best they've sounded IMHO in many years....

It was a beautiful night at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The Wolf Trap Symphony opened the show with the overture then YES hit the stage at 8:05 pm. The setlist follows:

Overture
Close To The Edge
Long Distance Runaround
Don't Go
In The Presence Of
Gates Of Delirium
?/The Clap (Steve Howe - what was the name of the first bit before The Clap?)
Wonderous Stories
Perpetual Change
And You And I
Ritual
I've Seen All Good People
Starship Trooper
Roundabout

Some highlights for me were LDR, Wondrous Stories, Perpetual Change (what a pleasant surprise!) and Ritual. Heck, even the new songs sounded very good. Jon joked about the new album being recorded, mixed and finished that very day. Sadly, it was not yet for sale. I was fortunate to have first row center in the balcony so the sound was very good (audience recordings do exist). Armed with my binoculars, I watched with fascination as Chris stormed around the stage playing that bass with abandon. While Steve delicately picked out beautiful stringed riffs, Alan kept pace with a spot-on beat. Jon's vocals were in very good form this evening and the new boy on the block, Tom Breslin was very impressive adding fine keyboard fills and vocals. A fantastic evening of music that clocked in at a weighty 155 minutes. Definitely worth the money. And to think my buddy went to see Sade that night instead. What a great night of music he missed!