Oni

Funniest moments: Jon picking up a few of the leis thrown on stage,right during one of the last songs b4 the encore. Runs over to Chris, puts one on him. Runs over to Steve...notices that Steve is heavy into playing. thinks twice about it...then goes over to Rick and throws one around his neck. Takes the last one and rushes up behind drum riser and drops it around Alan's neck. Alan playfully swats at him with a drum stick...

David Hussey

I have to say that out of the 24 times I've seen the band (since '87), this was the best they have sounded. The crowd was so warm and so into it, that by midway through, the whole front of the stage was crowded enough for Jon to declare it the "Moshpit!" Of course, our seats were awesome, and then obscured by the throng, so we joined in and ended up right in the thick of it in front of Jon and Chris. People were throwing or laying leis on the stage between songs, and Jon kept putting 'em on the other members, and he even ended up with about 12 on by the end of the show! The setlist was amazing.

Okay, I'll list it:

Give Love Each Day Symphony
Close to the Edge
I've Seen All Good People
In The Presence Of
Magnification
And You and I
Steve: To Be Over; then Freight Train intro-Clap
set break
(happy birthday song)/ Show Me - Jon and Rick
Rick- excerpt of all 6 of the wives of Henry VIII
Siberian Khatru
We Have Heaven
South Side of the Sky
Don't Kill the Whale
Heart Of the Sunrise
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Long Distance Runaround
Whitefish
Awaken
Encore: Roundabout (short version)

The first half was orchestra-accompanied, starting with the beginning of "Give Love Each Day." We got treated to about 3 hours and 15 minutes of show, with a 15 minute intermission. Chris and Rick were in such high spirits during the show, constantly joking with each other, Jon was in an ultra-good place, Steve even smiled a couple times at Rick's antics.

It was during "Siberian Khatru" the first song after the intermission and Jon and Rick's solos that the crowd started getting up. This totally gone guy, wearing a sarong/dress and a flower in his hair and a goofy smile on his at least forty-something face just got up front and started getting crazy. This hot-ten-years-ago blonde then joined him for some dirty dancing and exhibitionism and another older fan guy joined in. That's how is stayed for most of Siberian, but when they started "Don't Kill the Whale" afterward, more joined in. And I couldn't help but rock to it in the front row, so the first guy up grabbed me and made me dance (he even gave me a really extended hug, which was warm but a bit odd...almost turned me gay, but not quite). Quickly though, the ten-to-fifteen feet in front of the stage were packed with people--from about fifteen up to sixties--one girl even had her 4 or 5 year old daughter in tow up there! It was warm, raucous and really fun. The band loved it--especially Squire, who made a habit of giving out picks to the hotties around us!

After Heart of the Sunrise, Jon said how amazing the crowd was, and you could tell it wasn't just the usual concert speak--they were more knocked out than I've ever seen--and then said, "Alright, we're gonna do something, but only if you promise to sing along with the chorus." Then, Steve launced into "Owner of a Lonely Heart!" I couldn't believe it--never thought this line-up would do it. It was really different--no usual 80's hit-sounds, just really open and almost classic--Rick sounded like Rick and Steve never made any intention of sounding like Trevor, so Chris's bass thundered through like never before. It was wild--about ten of us in the front (certainly filled with the hardcore fans) spent the first minute of the song with our hands up, going, "Wha'???" That was wild and ultimately very cool. My fiancee said she loved what they did with the song.

All during the second half--from Siberian Khatru, Don't Kill the Whale, Heaven/South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise, Owner of a Lonely Heart, Long Distance Runaround/Whitefish, some of the crowd was into it like a Who show. During Heart, a young guy with long blonde hair just jumped up on stage and was rocking out like he was in Nirvana or Pearl Jam or something.

Chris and Rick were very amused and even kept the band security from kicking him off for a while--Chris even wen

Eddie Lee

The Honolulu Advertiser
Friday, September 26, 2003
Yes Indeed
Progessive rockers touch down at Blaisdel for the first time since 1988.
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Yes
with The Honolulu Symphony
8 p.m. Saturday
Blaisdell Arena
$45, $65
(877) 750-4400, 792-2000

Twenty-minute opuses about lost civilizations and topographic oceans. Instrumental solos rivaling the entire length of a 50 Cent show. Majestic choirboy-on-psychedelics vocal acrobatics soaring high enough into the stratosphere to meet and greet alien visitors.

Oh, yes, children. Yes, that most underrated collective of progressive rock behemoths this side of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is bringing its eternally cosmic musical spaceship back to Honolulu. After riding out the 15 years since its last visit somewhere beyond Mars' Valles Marineris, the pioneers of '70s arena rock will jam with the Honolulu Symphony Saturday at its first orchestrally backed concert since 2001.

Bring something caffeinated, a soft pillow and some Dramamine. It's going to be a loooong ride.
• • •

Drummer touches on 'Lonely Heart,' Lennon memories

We reached longtime Yes drummer Alan White at his home in Seattle earlier this month, a day away from leaving for shows in Japan, Australia and, eventually, Hawai'i.

Why Honolulu for the only symphony show Yes is doing on this tour?
Well, it's on the way back. (Laughs.) And we haven't played there for such a long time. The ... (Honolulu Symphony) offered themselves and we thought, 'How great! We've got all the music for everyone. Why not perform some of these songs with the orchestra?' We'll do some ... with the orchestra and some without them.

Do you listen to bands like Radiohead or the Flaming Lips and think, 'Man, that's prog rock!'
Yes. ... We were having a (band) meeting or a conversation somewhere in Europe ... and saying, 'Well, look at Radiohead. They would handle it this way.' And they were actually eating around the corner from us. So we went and said hi to them, and it was kind of a very funny chance meeting. My son listens to Radiohead a lot.

I'm a member of the generation that discovered Yes with "90125" when "Owner of a Lonely Heart" hit No. 1 and the band's videos were all over MTV. So I've got to ask, why doesn't the band play anything from "90125" on tour? Do you guys hate it that much?
You had to ask that question, huh? (Laughs.) Well, I think you might find our visit great because I think we're actually going to do 'Owner of a Lonely Heart" on this tour. We're planning on it right now. We didn't play it on the last couple of tours, but we're planning on doing it in Asia and Australia.

After 30 years together and recognition as one of the bona fide pioneers of the art- and progressive-rock movements, Yes has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. How difficult has that been for you guys?
Oh, it's a sore subject. (Laughs, a bit wearily.) A lot of fans are really, really upset about that. I do think eventually, the band will end up there. ... I've been there many times and actually know the director. Ahmet Ertegun, who had the band for years on Atlantic Records, is one of the guys that (inducts) people in there. I think one of the main guys is ... Jann (Wenner) the editor of Rolling Stone. For some reason, somebody at some time turned him off ... and he's one of the main influences. I don't know if there's a problem there. ... We'll see what happens. I know the wheels are turning.

You played drums on "Imagine" and "Instant Karma." Any stories from three years of drumming with John Lennon in Plastic Ono Band?
Yeah. I was a very young guy at the time. ... He saw me playing one night (in a club in London) and basically invited me to play in Toronto with him. And at the time, I really thought that was the way rock 'n' roll was — that it w

Eddie Lee

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features
Friday, September 26, 2003
Positive on rock
By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com

Yes
Performs with the Honolulu Symphony
Where: Blaisdell Arena
When: 8 p.m. tomorrow
Tickets: $45 to $65
Call: 792-2000

Jon Anderson, in his continual search for the meaning of life, is happy to share his thoughts.

Anderson's no longer a wide-eyed hippie but the hardheaded leader of Yes, a band that has survived 35 years and is completing its umpteenth world tour, "Full Circle." The group performs with the Honolulu Symphony at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Blaisdell Arena.

"The meaning of life would be this table," says Anderson, 59, who lives on the Central California coast with wife, Jane. "The coffee table is the world as we know it. There are mountains, valleys, animals and inter-dimensional energies that we don't know about.

"Or maybe we do. Actually, I know a lot of people that do. Inter-dimensional energies are a very powerful thing."

Anderson is a rock star from the by-now alien 1970s era. He says things like "In the early '90s, a lovely little lady who lived on Pensacola Street in Honolulu came by and was able to ignite my third eye" with a deadly seriousness.

In a gentle, friendly tone, Anderson explains that he was once visited by angels in a Las Vegas hotel room. They told him to remember William Blake. "It was quite a very sobering experience," he says.

His personal philosophy -- "I say to my beautiful wife Jane, I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't gone through my whole life to get to you when we met" -- can be as inscrutable as his lyrics, which in Yes's early-1970s heyday spawned a small industry around explicatory pamphlets.

Then he steps back into 2003 to say that he is still creating as much today as when he started writing music, and only an hour ago penned these words to a song he calls "When":

"When I hold you and cup you to my body I am home again

When watching you I forget where I am

When the night light flickers around the room of my soul

When I bask in the warmth of your smile

When every child should dream and sleep the perfect dream

When our food is just enough to satisfy our hunger for more

When we start to tell our friends they are so real and loved

When the clouds celebrate each draft of wind

When our collective voice sings in tune with mother Earth ..."

Then he stops and laughs. "When all that happens I will be a very happy guy," he says.

IF ANDERSON seems esoteric that's nothing compared to Yes's music, perhaps the most progressive of progressive rock.

Listen to the early 1970s albums "Close to the Edge" or "Fragile" and you'll understand that rumors of progressive's resurrection are premature. No current band bears the remotest resemblance to Yes -- also featuring Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire and Alan White.

The group's songs -- all very long -- are packed with tricky, neurotic riffs, lurching shifts in tempo and time signature and keyboard solos that stretch into next week. That's before you get to the words, which often seem incomprehensible and portentous.

"Of course it's all metaphors," Anderson says. "You need to write in metaphors to make it more mystical and through the eventual realization of what it all means you're brought to a wonderful realization of a oneness with God."

UNLESS YOU WERE there you might find it hard to believe that anything this esoteric ever found an audience. It did.

Yes was created in 1968, and by the mid-1970s was enormously successful, particularly in the United States. The group last played Honolulu in 1987.

During the progressive music boom of the early '70s, Yes was rivaled only by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Genesis, for a particular brand of classical-laced rock that initially was refreshing and innovative.

Succes

Paul Goodwin

PacificBusinessNews
Stage configured, more tickets for Yes concer

The stage and sound system at Blaisdell Arena have been reconfigured for Saturday's concert by Yes and the Honolulu Symphony, allowing the orchestra to offer three more sections of seats for the band's only U.S. date on its world tour.

Honolulu Pops Conductor Matt Catingub will lead the orchestra as it backs up Yes for such compositions as "Close To The Edge," "All Good People," "Deeper" and "Magnification" in one of the largest concerts that the Symphony has ever produced.

The current members of Yes are Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. Enough people have played in Yes to fully staff two bands that know the Yes repertory but this is arguably the best-known line-up.

Vocalist Anderson, bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe have been with the band for most of its three decade history. Alan White was one of its earlier drummers and has had more than one tenure with the band. All of them played on the band's U.S. breakthrough album "Fragile," which features the hits "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround" and a realization of an inner movement of the Brahms Fourth Symphony. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman joined Yes right after that, and all of the current personnel played on "Close to the Edge," "Tales of Topographical Oceans," "Tormato" and "Going for the One."

Rock listeners who only know Yes from the eighties and nineties, when its biggest hit "Owner of a Broken Heart" was reasonably conventional and commercial, might be surprised that in "Fragile," "Close to the Edge" and "Relayer" the band engaged in what might be termed symphonic rock, extended compositions with classical architecture, but using rock band resources rather than adding strings (as Electric Light Orchestra did) or, the Brahms to the contrary, rocking actual classical works (as Emerson Lake & Palmer did).

The Honolulu Symphony, like orchestras on the mainland, has used its pops programs to reach out to new audiences, especially younger adults whose exposure to full-scale classical music may be limited.

Christian Carling

Well, what a great night! The concert started at 8 pm and ended at 11:15 pm. The first half was with the Honolulu Symphony, the second was without. The venue is nice and cool! I would estimate a crowd of about 4000, about a thousand more then I expected. Some of this could be due to the huge cover story write and up in the Honolulu Advertiser's Weekend Guide.

The setlist was like seeing the highlights of the Symphonic tour and the 2002 tour rolled into one concert! The symphony sounded excellent! The symphony beautifully augmented the music without overpowering the mix. I wish they stayed for the entire 3 1/4 hours. There were very few and minor technical gliches and mistakes. The sound quality was also excellent for an arena venue!The lighting was excellent! I think the best lighting I have seen at a Yes Concert so far!

I don't think anything could have bothered the band that night. They all seemed in high spirits and were enjoying themselves! (Who wouldn't being here in Hawaii!) They all had quite a bit of energy! You know I have done the Asia to Honolulu trip dozens of times, and it takes me 3-4 days to recover from jet lag!

As you know, Hawaii is a pretty laid back place, and that was evident in the lack of security (for a Yes concert this is a good thing). The crowd was allowed to move up to the stage during the second half of the show. Of course this is a disavantage to the people sitting in the first 5 or so rows, but heck, everyone was having a good time!

Oh yeah, something that is probably not seen at too many Yes concerts. Some long haired teenager must have thought he was at a Blink 182 concert and had gotten up on stage and started headbanging. He was up there for some time and the band actually got a kick out of it. I guess he didn't realize that the crowd below were bunch of middle ages who weren't going to sacrifice their bodies to catch him when he dove off the stage. Anyone know if he is ok?

I am dissapointed I missed out on the Brew Moon preconcert show, how did that go? I was able to meet Joann and Scotland at the Concert, which was a pleasure!

InElegy

Yes delivers a fresh and powerful show
StarBulletin
By John Berger

No caffeinated beverages, pillows or Dramamine were needed last night as Yes -- Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Jon Anderson and Alan White -- teamed up with Matt Catingub and the Honolulu Symphony for an expansive high-energy performance in the Blaisdell Arena.

It's been over 15 years since Yes last played Honolulu. The group, bassist Squire in particular, appeared delighted to be back. Wakeman was beaming from behind his several stacks of keyboards. Squire repeatedly broke into impromptu dance steps during the first few songs, and cut a particularly impressive figure in his stark black duster and matching trousers.

"It's been 35 years and we're still playing -- and we still have an audience! Thank you," Anderson said when the night was still young. The crowd -- almost all of it seated downstairs -- applauded enthusiastically and danced in place when he indicated he wanted them to rise.

There was a definite sense of deja vu in seeing Yes in concert -- Wakeman's hair, falling well past his shoulders, was a particularly classic element in these days of short and spiky locks -- but the group wasn't back in Honolulu to entertain as an oldies act.

Anderson introduced several relatively new songs from the Yes songbook, including the title song from their 2001 album, "Magnification." He explained that it shares the message that when we magnify the good within us we magnify the good around us -- an encouraging thought in these days and times.

Anderson also contributed to the band's instrumental attack, playing percussion and guitar. Howe added a fascinating touch of high-powered steel guitar to the mix as well.

Wakeman's work on keyboards provided most of the instrumental bridges as the group moved through its glorious expansive arrangements -- multi-part vocal arrangements -- primarily Squire harmonizing with Anderson -- became another musical element in the performance.

Anderson was in great form as the group's lead vocalist and master of ceremonies.

The one problem was that the symphony was submerged amid the sheer volume and electronic power of the quintet. Catingub could be seen in the background conducting the musicians, but with Wakeman conjuring up everything from a pipe organ to computer noises, and White laying down a second wall of sound on the drums, the symphony could occasionally be seen but very rarely heard.

Yes could have played solo and still delivered a tremendous high-impact concert.

jb

____________
Setlist :
Give Love Each Day (Orchestral intro)
Close To The Edge
I've Seen All Good People
In The Presence Of
Magnification
And You And I (goodbye Orchestra)
To Be Over
Clap

~intermission~

Happy Birthday
Show Me
Wakeman Solo
Siberian Khatru
Don't Kill The Whale
We Have Heaven
South Side Of The Sky
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Heart Of The Sunrise
Long Distance Runaround
Whitefish (drum'n'bass solo)
Awaken

encore:
Roundabout
_______________

Eddie Lee

The Yes Symphonic Live aired last week Wednesday (09-03-2003) here in Honolulu's PBS station, this edited special consisted of the following songs:

Long Distance Runaround
Don't Go
In The Presence Of
Magnification
And You And I
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout

Basically they were trying to bring some money in for PBS Hawaii, so a lot of the times, they were pushing for donations. Here's what you get for donating to PBS Hawaii:

$300 - DVD or VHS of Yes Symphonic Live, The Best of Yes CD and (2) tickets to the upcoming Yes concert
$175 - (2) tickets to the upcoming Yes concert
$125 - DVD or VHS of Yes Symphonic Live
$100 - The Best of Yes CD


Eddie

Eddie Lee

The PBS affiliate here in Honolulu (KHET Channel 10) will be airing the Symphonic Live concert (edited to ~90 minutes) on TV this Wednesday night at 8:00 with host Matt Catingub - conductor for the Honolulu Symphony. Wonder what he'll talk about....

[Link] those who can't view the files that I posted under the Geocities website, please go to Yesman Lee's great Yes Museum:

[Link]

Eddie Lee

NEWS HONOLULU SYMPHONY
Samuel Wong, Music Director

YES TO PERFORM WITH THE HONOLULU SYMPHONY IN CONCERT AT BLAISDELL ARENA
Tickets To Go On Sale Saturday, August 2 At Blaisdell Box Office

HONOLULU - The Honolulu Symphony today announced that classic rock band YES will perform in concert with the Symphony on Saturday, September 27 at 8:00 p.m. at the Blaisdell Arena.

The original 1970s YES band members - Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White - will wrap up their current world tour with a special performance with the Honolulu Symphony. This will be the only U.S. date on the tour and will be the first Hawaii performance for the rock icons in 16 years.

Tickets are $45 and $65 and will go on sale Saturday, August 2 at 9 a.m. at the Blaisdell Box Office.

Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at 1-877-750-4400. Tickets are also available through the Honolulu Symphony Box Office by phone at 792-2000 or in person at the Honolulu Symphony Box Office, located at The Dole Cannery, 650 Iwilei Road, Suite 202 - the Honolulu Symphony Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eddie Lee

Got another radio commercial. It didn't mention anything about the Honolulu Symphony:

[Link]

Antonio Acosta

Hola
Les escribo desde Lima-Perú. Soy fan de YES desde hace quince años. Fue maravilloso verlos y oirlos en vivo cuando llegaron a este país hace cuatro años.
Sucede que hace unos días una radioemisora local ha venido promocionando un supuesto concierto de ellos en Lima para octubre próximo, en una presunta ampliación de la gira hacia América Latina. Quisiera saber si alguien puede confirmar esta noticia que sería sensacional.
Saludos

Eddie Lee

I went to the venue with my camcorder and recorded the Yes ad off of their display screen:

[Link]

Eddie Lee

It's about time! I always wanted Yes to come back and play in Honolulu again. So everytime when I see the guys in the mainland, I told them I flew in from Hawaii and that they should consider playing in Honolulu. In a way, I feel they are playing this concert especially for me ;)

It is the cheapest Yesshow I've seen since 1996.

Here are the TV and radio commercial for the concert next month:

[Link][Link]

YesWorld

A date in Honolulu, Hawaii has been added where the band will perform with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra on September 27 (public on sale August 2 at 9 AM local).