Sammy

One of the best versions of Siberian Khatru I've heard (and I've seen the band >30 times in my lifetime). The show slowed a bit after that but was still excellent. Having Wakeman back makes a huge difference. Yes, Jon fell down, but he's the only performer I know who's ever received a standing ovation for falling on his ass!!!! Steve Howe...I want to hear "The Clap" or "Mood for a Day" again. I also wouldn't mind hearing "Classical Gas". Yes rules...always worth the price of the ticket. Can't wait unil the next show.

Lee

It was great, but CTTE had a fritghtening moment. Jon has been slightly ill. He made a reference to taking 'dayquil'. At one point in CTTE, Jon forgot the lyrics, and the teleprompter wasn't helping. He walked toward Janeee, saying "I forgot". The audience tried to help, but soon, Jon found his thoughts, and though he missed a bar or three, the others quickly found where Jon was and made adjustments. As he backed up to his little riser, Jon tripped over some monitors. B@M! Right down to the floor with a loud crash of electonics and feedback. My heart stopped! He got up (with help, if I recall correctly) and went on without any more problems.

I was a great show.

The theater holds 5300. I'd say there were around 4500 seated.

The sound and lights were good, and the setlist was predictable but enjoyable. Many fans that I spoke with after the show commented that they hadn't seen YES since the 70s. Each was surprised how great they still play. (Where have these folks been?)

Earl Greypete

An interesting night... On one hand, there was something of a time-warp going on... more 'skunkwood' scent than usual... A lot of 'long hairs': I feel at home! Haha! wafting smoke and small-talk among good friends and family... Family? Yes. A cross-generational crowd as well: my daughter isn't the only 2nd-generation Yesfan here... I feel at home. We're all waiting for Stravinsky to begin, and the show to start: The first horn-fanfares of 'Firebird' hail the moment as the lights dim.

The Universal Ampitheatre is painted ebon-black: like the star-chamber of an observatory. Appropriate, as when the room grows dark, the stars will shine... A room of luminaries, various magnitudes and sundry wavelengths: and we all shine on! But the supergiants are the 5 YESmen of lore. Our reason to be here. And we LOVE when they play!

This is the last show of the North American Tour. The tour that brought YES back to us in the beloved classical form: beyond all hope, and yet here they are. Deja-Vu: A school of fish swims across my chest: Yes, for you see, I've re-purchased the same TALES shirt tonight that I had originally bought back in 1974: Available again at a huckster booth near you. Hmm ...tonight DID feel a bit like the completion of a full circle. Now it's pitch-dark: Strobe-light flashes and YES's new stage-lights swivelling bright beams of gold out into the audience! Automatic stage lights that hunch and swivel like a group of headlight-headed gnomes. Nice lights! Great night!

The Primaries appear. Filing-out in rarified form, joking and laughing: Lot's of back-slapping. Jon snags someone's camera from the front row, ...begins taking photos of the audience! Wakey in a royal purple robe: only RW could get away with that! The crown prince returned to valorous battle! Chris is looking animated! Steve, appearing at first glance very 'professorial', begins to rock! And we're off and into the first chunky chords of...

Siberian Khatru!
~~~~~~~ It was one of the best versions I've heard: Steve in and out of angular places: roughing-up the bass notes and kicking the highs out into wide escape-velocity archs of triumph. A moment of genius observed!
~~~~~~~

Magnification:
This one rocked and swung like a victorian wild thang! Roll Over Beethoven indeed! Like a new song now, with Steve's crunch phasing into Byrd-like open sweeps during the chorus... Noise and Elan, it was the best I've ever heard it tonight! This one should go on the boxed-set!

~~~~~~~ At the end of MAG, the outro becomes a free-for-all crescendo: Alan soloing around, Chris and Steve syncronizing stacatto grace-notes in the graceful sprays of a gatlin gun. Magnification seamlessly segues into:

Don't Kill The Whale!
I've always thought of this song as YES's chance to hang loose and jam on an easy groove: not so tonight. The song has evolved dramatically, and that which was once a rave-up is now a tightly woven puzzle. ...And a rave-up! The guys have fine-tuned this bohemoth into one of the sleekest moments of the show! How'd they do THAT?! I don't know. Go ask your mother. The best I've EVER heard it played.
~~~~~~

In The Presence Of:
A sweet version of the song which has become the dark-horse winner of the tour. So we didn't get to hear 'And You And I'. We DID get to hear 'Deeper'! A new classic song.
~~~~~~

We Have Heaven/South Side Of The Sky!
A very short version of WHH: and the intro to South Side: fantastic! The running footfalls in stereo: feedback from Chris and Wakey... Jon counts it out, and BAM! The order found in cacophany! And Brazil 66 in the middle-eight: And wild noisy meanderings from Steve at the end! Ahhh, perfect!
~~~~~

Close To The Edge: When Jon falls in the theatre, everybody hears!

It started out nicely enough: Steve getting a little edgy-sounding there: appropriate. Close to the... Another starfield-pattern on the projection screen above (Nice lig