Rhea Frankel

Thursday, February 21, 2013 9:36 PM

I went to this show! I wrote about it on my blog at [Link]

Rich Franck

Believe it or not, the cool thing about this show is that we were a few minutes late. I went with a group of people who were bent on partying it up before the show. They kept saying, "No concert ever starts on time." I had seen Yes four nights earlier in Atlantic City and knew that the shows were long, included a set break, and actually did start on time.

I talked them into finishing their beers on the long walk through the parking lot. Imaging their surprise when we approached the turnstiles and heard the opening of Yours is no Disgrace emanating from the arena. I couldn't resist an "I told ya' so." Of course, several of them wanted to go to the bathroom before making it to our seats. I didn't understand their lack of urgency. I told them to meet me at our seats and I headed in with one of my friends in tow (the one guy in the group, besides myself, who was a true fan of Yes music).

Our seats were pretty good, 15 rows out from the stage. We reached the top of the aisle and the security guard directed us to our seats. "Down this aisle to the stage, walk around the stage to the other side, and 15 rows back," he told us. We walked down the aisle, past about 25 rows or so, to the front row. Since the stage was in the center of the floor (in the round), there was an aisle all around it. We started to head over to our seats when we spotted two empty seats on the end of the first row. I looked at my friend and no words needed to be said. We threw our coats on the chairs and stayed there. I fully expected the true owners of the seats to arrive at any time, at which point we would gladly go to our "real" seats. I figured we would enjoy them as long as it lasted. They never showed up! We were able to watch the entire show from the front row! This was the best seating I have ever had for Yes. To see them this close was mind boggling. I only wish I had brought a camera...

Jimmy M.

As soon as this show was announced I managed to snap up some tickets pretty quickly. What an experience seeing 8 Yes alumni onstage playing in the round! My partner in crime and fellow Yesophile, Larry, and I enjoyed it immensely! It was interesting watching who would play what part on what. Sometimes one or more of the guys might leave the stage for certain songs then return. At that point someone else might leave to take a brief break. The high point for me was seeing all 8 wail away on Awaken! Jon Anderson was right! What a wonderful song!

Joseph Shelby

I'm surprised so few from NFTE have added comments to this one.

This show was the more or less official meeting point for the NFTE subscribers at the time. My friend and I (along with our far less interested girlfriends) drove 6 hours there and back again from JMU in Harrisonburg, VA to see it. The group met down the side of the Spectrum by a garden, near the VIP entrances (VIP guests, not VIP performers -- aka, "Box Seats" for sporting events).

Got to meet quite a few NFTE members from the time, plus quite a few lurkers. We split up for the show, then after it some of us went across the river to Camden to a hotel room (after a stop for donuts and coffee), and partied while listening to WYSP's broadcast of Union, then played Yes music (Drama, specifically) and partied until late...though my group had to leave early to get back to the 'burg before too long.

My memories are fuzzy about much else. NFTE's policy at the time was to have separate issues on concert reviews, separate from the discussion from concert spoilers for those who didn't want to read them...and those separate concert reviews aren't in the NFTE archives right now.

The show was incredible. Full of energy, no major flubs, Starship Trooper (one of the last nights they did this. They seem to like giving that little extra to Philly -- the first ABWH show in Philly in '89 was one of the few to have Sweet Dreams)...I was quite mesmerized by the light show ("snowflakes") for the organ solo section of Awaken.

Jeremy Weissenburger

Jon said that someone had requested it [I've Seen All Good People], and such Philly is a big Yestown they'd play it for us.

Dennis Brennan

In one of the 1991 Philadelphia Union shows (I went to all three), an announcement before the "Firebird Suite" declared that some portion of the concert's proceeds would be donated to the "Hero Fund," a scholarship program for the children of policemen and firemen who died in the line of duty.

But it wasn't a "benefit concert" per se.