Dan K

Saturday, February 23, 2013 10:37 PM

Awesome show the band was tight that night and just sounded truely amazing!

Joe Whalen

Was at the show, 2nd row. This was an electrifying night, for sure. Start with just the drumming, witnessed through the luxury of revolving stage. Carl Palmer? Alan White? On the same bill? Top that if you can; Doubtful. Alan's an animal, Carl's a gargantuan. As for Benoit & Oliver, you can tell they're the spark plugs here, the new catalysts.. YES is obviously energized again... What a long long vacation, and for what??? I'm not so sure this line-up cannot create a singular album, worthy of the YES canon. I do hope they'll try. YES IS BACK, an overpowering collassus incaple of being destroyed!

Joe Iacano

WITH ALL BEING SAID ABOUT THE LINEUP CHANGES , I WILL NOW POST THE FOLLOWING : YES WAS, IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE BEST. KUDOS GOES OUT THE BAND FOR CONTINUING ,THE NEW GUYS DID GREAT,AND SPECIAL THANKS TO STEVE,CHRIS AND ALLAN. I HOPE JON COULD RECOVER FULLY AND RETURN TO THE BAND ASAP . I REALLY ENJOYED THE SHOW AND THANKS FOR ALL THE YEARS OF GREAT MUSIC !!!!LJ, YES FANATIC FROM 1970 ................TILL.

Joel Liebler

IT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS SINCE MY BROTHER LEWIS AND I SAW YES AT MSG. IT WAS THEIR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TOUR AND I WAS AMAZED HOW INCREDIBLE THE BAND SOUNDED. THAT PERFORMANCE MADE ME A LIFELONG FAN OF THE BEST LIVE PERFORMING BAND THERE IS.
WELL WHEN I SAW ONLINE THAT YES WAS TOURING AT WESTBURY, CAPITOL 1 THEATER I KNEW IT WOULD BE A PERFECT TIME TO INTRODUCE MY STEPSON TO THIS WONDERFUL BAND. HE WAS EXCITED TO HEAR THE MORE RECENT WORKS BY THE GROUP BUT REALLY WANTED TO HEAR THEM DO HEART OF THE SUNRISE. THEY PERFORMED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING SO WELL, AND BENOIT'S VOICE IS QUITE SIMILAR TO JON'S. A GREAT PERFORMANCE THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD TO STAY AND LISTEN FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR 2.
ASIA PERFORMED VERY WELL, AND CARL PALMER WAS DAZZLING AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING AS EVER. WE BOTH WOULD HAVE LIKE TO HEAR SOME MORE FROM ASIA'S MOST RECENT RELEASE, PHOENIX,BUT THEY WERE WORTH SEEING IN PERSON.
OF COURSE IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD SEE JON ONE DAY BACK AT THE HELM.

Ray Carroll

Firstly, The Asia/Yes show at Westbury was fantastic!!

I was disappointed at first that they weren't playing the Jones Beach Theatre, but after two prior wash-out shows I was happy they were at Westbury, because it did rain that night...AND the rotating stage and great seats wouldn't have happened at Jones Beach.

Firstly, Asia was fantastic. They were tight, powerful Wetton's voice was amazing and everyone played spectacular. It was a real treat and a class act to have Ian MacDonald join them for "In The Court Of The Crimson King".

I was concerned after reading some prior reviews about Yes not getting their act together until about mid-way through the set, but when they nailed "Siberian Khatru" I knew we were in for a good performance. (The tempo may have been a bit slow, but so what? It was probably closer to the original recording as opposed to the way a lot of songs get sped up when performed live).

The band was far more cohesive this time around than they were last November. Benoit was more comfortable and his voice was perfect. The mix was balanced with Benoit and Oliver right up there with the rest of the band and the volume was just right.

As noted in previous reviews, Alan seemed a bit sluggish and was taking a lot of shortcuts with his drumming. That surprised me because Alan always gives 100%.

I was a bit disappointed with Oliver on a few songs. He didn't play "Heart Of The Sunrise" correctly. He just seemed to be a bit lazy when it came to getting the proper sound and hitting the correct notes.

The only other disappointment was because the show ran so long we didn't get the full version of "Starship Trooper", only the "Wurm" section. It was a bit funny because the guys didn't even have time the leave the stage!! They were informed of the time and just picked up their instruments and said "We're not going back to the dressing rooms, we're just jumping right back in".

As for the band's tough position: in his review Randy Evans mentioned that Yes didn't learn anything from their "Drama" tour. Enough with the revisionist history!! Yes made "Drama" because Jon and Rick QUIT THE BAND!! The rest of the members were supposed to roll over and play dead? They're musicians and performers. It's their livelihood. They just can't sit around and do nothing. As remaining members, Chris, Steve and Alan chose to move forward as Yes. And if Trevor Horn would have had a strong enough voice to do a full blown tour they may have continued to go on without Jon and Rick.

John Fastiggi says they keep playing the same old songs. Again, revisionist history. With the exception of "The Ladder" tour, Yes (WITH Jon) has been playing the same old songs as well from 1994 to 2001. They only played 2 songs from "Open Your Eyes" during that tour and 3 songs from "Magnification" during that tour. It wasn't until 2002 with the five classic members that they FINALLY started changing up the set list with "Southside Of The Sky", "Sweet Dreams" and "Mind Drive" (which still wasn't even the whole song and on top of that it was split in two!!). And that was only AFTER years of the fans clamoring for them to diversify.

With the "In The Present" tour and the inclusion of "Drama" songs as well as "Astral Traveller" and "Onward" it seems to me it may have been JON that was preventing them from changing up the set list. I've read a few interviews with the remaining band members that said these songs haven't been played live because Jon doesn't want to sing them. Now they can blow the dust off them and perform them. That's giving the fans want thay want and I'm thrilled about it.

The dilemma for the band is that if they play the lesser known tracks, there's a fan faction that complains they didn't play the classics. When they play the classics the same people complain they didn't play any different songs!! Nobody is ever satisfied!!

They don't have any new songs to perfo

John Fastiggi

Let me first caveat my statements below my mentioning Yes has always and will always be my favorite band. Ever since my older sister brough home an 8 track tape of The Yes album in 1974 when I was 15, I was hooked. Over the years I've seen every Yes and related tour since 1975 and like many other die hard fans, Yes was more than just a band to me, they provided the soundtrack to my youth and early adulthood. It's because I love this band so much I have to make a few comments.

Flash forward 30 years.... regarding the new version of the band. Here's my review: Yes sounded excellent Friday evening at Westbury, go see them. If you closed your eyes you might not even notice a difference.

Now on to more important items. The sound isn't everything! There is a hole is this band and it's huge. I heard Steve say earlier this year that it was either this version of the band or no version, as Jon simply could not tour due to his health.
Fair enough, everyone knows of Howe's incredible work ethic and musical output so I don't begrudge him for wanting to tour and make a living.

But here's the painful reality. Plain and simple, Yes is not Yes without Jon, and to a lesser entent Rick. The entire feel of a live Yes show now is completely different. Gone is the cosmic vibe and soul of a true Yes concert - perhaps the defining element of the Yes live concert experience.

I realize the band and the fans are all much older now. You could argue at this stage of their career they deserve to go on cruse control (they have). The band still sounds great, however they are only going through the motions now. They have become, as Bill Bruford so corrected called them, a nostalgia band playing the same old songs from 30+ years ago.

Yes deserve to be better than this. But for some reason this band feels anyone can be replaced. Quite honestly it's embarassing that there have been 15+ different members over the years. With each line up change the respected, legendary name and the legacy that is Yes gets tarnished a little more each time. Surely they must understand this.

I love to hear the old songs as much as anyone, but other than a few song changes here and there they are playing the same songs over and over. I believe the most current song was Owner of a lonely Heart from 1983. Not one song written in the past 25 years. What does that say about the band.

The last point I'd like to bring up is how the band has so poorly handled and aknowledged Jon's illness. It's sad that no one in the band even mentions Jon or the status of his health at the concerts. I've even read that only Alan has spoken to Jon in the past year. Shame on Yes! Maybe they feel it's unfair to Benoit. Doesn't matter, fire your PR person. Out of respect for Jon they should have taken time at the concert to address the issue. And Steve and Chris...call Jon.

PS: Memo to Chris. I love you man, but your not 25 anymore and
180 lbs. The skin tight spandex pants have got to go. Your scaring the ladies in the first 5 rows.

Peace,

JF

Lorne F.

I was very impressed with Yes and Asia. I have seen Yes at Westbury in November and they were much tighter now than in November. They still know how to put on a show. Although, we miss Jon, Benoit really did a great job. Steve was smoking even with two sets. Can not wait to see what develops going forward. The word retirement, should not even be thought of based upn what I saw. Great Job..

Joe K

Long time fan going back to passing up tickets to the famous Roosevelt Stadium show back in 76(still kicking myself).
Going for the one tour...and on...and on. No music touches my soul (lots of good chills) like Yes music. This ticket was a birthday gift from my wife! Had a fantastic night. Both bands were great. The venue was great. My seat(row F) was amazing. My favorite...favorite song of all time is And You and I so hearing that is always a special treat for me. This show made it ever so clear yet again how much I love Yes......AND......how much I miss Jon and the added vibes I get when he's up there being his spacey self. Might just be me....but I doubt it. YES indeed!

Daniel

It was nice to be in Wesbury..Both band were awesome.I've never seen Asia before but I really enjoyed all the songs..An extrordinary life was the highlight for me.
Yes was very good..Steve's daughter was there and he put on a show just for her.He was smiling all the way through which was in itself a treat to witness..Chris looked very good and played like the old days..Alan had a good night,he showed much energy.
Oliver, well Oliver.....he was just great,I have no doubt about his ability to replace Rick..I don't need to see his jaw hitting the keaboards to make me believe that he cares about the music he plays..He's the future of Yes...Benoît sang beautifully..He was sometime low in the mix but I think that he nailed most of the notes ..He covered a blooper at the beginning of S.K., it was cool to watch..His microphone was moving away from him by itself..very funny..The crowd was very cheerfull..Soldout show, it was sad being outside watching people desperately looking for tickets..Thanks to all yesfans I met there..You made this trip to USA worth it, 100% happy man..I expect new Yes music for 2010...

Yesdude

Venue: Westbury is a great place to see a show. Not a bad seat in the house. Bands play in the round bringing back memories from many yrs ago.

Asia: John Wetton was awesome. He looked great and has one powerful voice. Carl Palmer is spectacular on drums. Geoffrey Downes is the consumate professional, played everything flawlessly, he should do double duty with YES. Steve Howe was great as always. Highlites were Court on the Crimson King when Ian Macdonald came on stage with Asia and played Flute and sang some backing vocals. I wonder if this may lead to something down the road... Fanfare for the Common Man was awesome. I would love to see Asia open the show with Karnevil9 from ELP, what an opening that would be. Also would love to see them do a UK tune "The Only Thing She Needs". They could drop the 2 Alpha songs Dont cry and the Smile has left your eyes and you would really have a rocking set.

YES: Yes opened a little sluggish. I wish Oliver has listened to Yessongs instead of the studio albums in his preparation for the tour. Siberian Khatru live from the 70's just rips along, tonight it was ho hum. Astral Traveler was extremely well done and perhaps the highlite of the set. Roundabout, which I've seen live about 20,000 times had life and energy which was nice to see. Heart of the Sunrise was superb even with a flub by Benoit. "Owner" needs to be dropped. It doesnt work. This isnt a 90125 crowd. The Drama songs were great!!! Would love to see YES add something like On the Silent Wings of Freedom and perhaps the Medly from '79 Long Distance-Fish-Perpetual Change-Soon that would kick ass.

Kudos to Benoit. Singing in place of Jon Anderson is a daunting task and he pulled it off with energy and grace. I even got a high 5 from him leaving the stage.

Eric Friedmann

Gordon Smith, ASIA opened with "Wildest Dreams" and then did "Only Time Will Tell".

Gordon Smith

We Yes fans have got to stick together, we’re dwindling! In that spirit, here is my review of last night’s most awesome show in Long Island. As you can see, I am actively bringing new recruits into the Yes camp.

We drove out to Westbury in the pounding rain, it was me and my two best WireImage buddies, Dan and Phil, who have never seen Yes before. Muchas gracias to Dan for taking us in his car. We got to the Capital One Bank Theatre in Westbury by 7:40, it was right off exit 40W on the Long Island Expressway, totally easy to find. The theater is fantastic, totally intimate and not a bad seat in the house, with the band playing “in the round.” What is it normally, a boxing arena? You couldn’t really do much else in the small circular stage area… Anyway we were about 12 rows from the stage, totally perfect.

Asia went on at 8:15 and played for an hour, doing more songs than I’d initially remembered, including six originals and one of them brand-new. I’m really not a big Asia fan. Their songs are kind of ho-hum and the lyrics are a bit trite. But they played them well, it was great to hear Steve Howe in a different context, and it was awesome to see Geoff Downes live again, the first time I've seen him since Yes’s 1980 Drama tour. The real standouts were the covers: a killer version of Video Killed the Radio Star (for Geoff), which sounded just as rich as the original recording, then a gorgeous version of In The Court of The Crimson King (for John Wetton, who sounds exactly like Greg Lake, with surprise guest Ian McDonald, who wrote the song, on flute – does he live on Long Island?), and a powerful Fanfare for the Common Man (for Carl Palmer). Phil and Dan thought the sound was muddy and the set was spotty, and Dan was surprised at how sloppy Carl’s drumming was! There was a 35-minute break while they broke down everything but the drums – three big all-Roland 3-keyboard stacks had to be disassembled – why did Geoff need all that? LOL. Oliver Wakeman plays all Korg and Moog, so I guess they’re not compatible…

Yes went on at 9:50 and played for 100 minutes, much longer than the one-hour set we were told to expect. It was incredible right from the start, and Phil & Dan totally picked up on the fresh energy that Benoit and Oliver have injected into the band. They did mostly the classic songs from last November, including both songs from Drama and Astral Traveler, plus Heart of the Sunrise (Benoit totally killed it!) Dan said he hadn’t expected to be so blown away, and Phil said their songs are really like symphonic “pieces”, oh yeah! We loved Machine Messiah, the standout along with And You And I. Considering the shorter-than-usual set length, I was surprised when Steve went ahead and did his acoustic solo anyway, but it was sweet that his daughter Georgia was in the audience and he played Georgia’s Song. But no Clap!! He must be totally sick of playing that, though I never tire of hearing it. Instead, we got something called Country Mix, if I’m remembering correctly, it’s a slightly lower-key rag/country thing that was quite nice. Chris joked that now that James Brown is gone, Steve Howe is the hardest-working man in show business. After a comment that Dan made, I had to look up these guys’ real ages on Wikipedia, and I was surprised that Steve is only 62. Dan said he looks like a skeleton from the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, lol.

Whatever, Steve remains to this day my #1 most revered musician of all time (a close second to Keith Emerson), and he is as good as he's ever been, maybe even better. He was even jumping around quite a bit on stage, and his playing was completely commanding. Chris was amazing, and he too blew my friends away. Nobody plays the bass the way he does, and he holds down such an integral part of the Yes sound. I honestly think Steve, Chris and Alan are now just three parts of a single mind. "The strength of your singular eye", indeed! Oliver seemed much more relaxed than