WURM

Jon San Krasinski says:

With all due respect to Jon Anderson, who I respect as a vocalist, Benoit was INCREDIBLE and more than just filled in!! I'd take his vocal performance to Jon's 1975 Queen's Park performance any day of the week !
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Jon, you must be kidding. Howe you can say that you'd take Benoit vocal performance to Jon's 1975 Queen's Park performance any day of the week! People have made some ridiculas remarks on this web site, but that may be the most ridiculas. That's like saying you would rather have a 10 speed bicycle instead of a Porche Carrara. I thought people are out of line saying that Howe sounds and plays as good as ever, but your remark moves into the #1 spot for absolute nonsense!!!!!!!

Jon San Krasinski

With all due respect to Jon Anderson, who I respect as a vocalist, Benoit was INCREDIBLE and more than just filled in!! I'd take his vocal performance to Jon's 1975 Queen's Park performance any day of the week ! It was so nice to see some one animated and excited about and connected to the music as opposed to Jon who seems to always be miles away as he just marches in place and claps every so often. What has always irritatted me about Jon has been his refusal to sing anything off of Drama... YES's mosty rhythmically solid recording to date. That alone made me VERY happy the rest of the band left him out of the line up this time. And Chris and Alan did truely shine. Steve was much more comfortable and more free in his soloing as well and Oliver Wakeman was absolutely smoking by the end of the show... especially on Starship Trooper. I will say the band needs to put "I've Seen All Good People" out to pasture once and for all.... I would have much preferred Going For The One or Ritual instead.

All In All, this was one of THE best Yes shows I've seen.

Asia was great too and I really appreciated the cover songs (especially Fanfare for the common Man... although the drum solo seems to be a bit over rated by the other reviews I've read so far). I really enjoyed Asia more last year at the House Of Blues in Cleveland... but then again they were headlining and had more time to jam out.
Can't wait for the next tour!

My only complaint were the 2 drunken guys infront of me that kept screaming througout the whole show and standing up touching fists to each other... Reminded me of the "Wonder Twins to the rescue..."

john przybycien

Perhaps a slow start, Asia ended up rocking the house...just what an opening band is supposed to do. Although the sound was not good, much of this may be attributed to the venue itself.
Yes was nothing less than absolutely terrific! I knew a good show was in store when they opened with Siberian Khatru. All the old stuff was exactly what I was hoping for, and Yes came through there. Benoit was terrific. Although a small arena, If Benoit was a foot shorter, I would have thought it was Anderson on stage. Howe was nothing less then perfect; especially playing two shows. Squire has only improved with age, althouugh his mic and bass guitar overwhelmed the others at times. I messed up my schedule, and worked 150 miles from Jamestown that weekend. The 300 mile round trip was definitely worth it...the 4 hours of sleep can be made up, but missing a show like this could not.

Steve E,

I am a huge Yes fan and mainly went for them, as I did not know Asia all that well aside from a few songs. I will say now that Asia has made a new fan in me, as they put on an incredible show, and of course Yes did too, both bands were nothing short of spectacular!

Every member of both bands is so amazingly talented, and they all put on a wonderful show. I could not believe such big name bands came to my little hometown of Jamestown! And the small venue did not stop the guys from putting 110% into their work, they played their hearts out as much as if they were playing to a crowd of 100,000! I really appreciated that fact, as many other bands tend not to give it their full effort if it is a smaller crowd.

My personal highlights were both Palmer's and White's drum solos, Roundabout, the songs from the Drama album, and Starship Troopers was incredible! Benoit, while of course he is not Jon, filled in for him as well as anybody possibly could. And words can't even describe Steve's performance, to play with both bands, and to that level? Wow! He is truly a master, one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

This was by far the best show, by any band, that I have ever attended. Thanks to all the guys in both bands for bringing this little piece of history to Jamestown.

Jonathan Steinhauser

I was back in my hometown of Jamestown this weekend for my wife's 25th high school reunion....when I pick up the Post Journal and see the front page story of Yes and Asia playing at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena??!!? Had I entered a parallel universe where Jamestown is now on the map?

Not since I saw the 10,000 Maniacs at the Palace Theater over a Christmas break, too many years ago, was the opportunity so within reach to witness a musical happening in Lucy's hometown (kind of).

Alas, I wasn't able to convince my wife of the superiority of the 70's supergroups' double bill over catching up with high school mates but I am so happy for whatever string of events it took to make this happen. Hopefully I will be able to now consider searching the venue's website for upcoming concert possibilities.

Kudos to whoever pulled this off. It was an important event for Jamestown in the long road of perpetually redefining itself as a city with a heart.

Karl H

Being a Progressive Rock fan from way back in the day, it was great to see so many of the Found Fathers of Prog once more! (The crowd was definitely divided last night between Progressive Rock fans who were thrilled to hear jems like Astral Traveler and In the Court of the Crimson King and Top 40 fans who were there to dance to the hits. Oddly enough, I think both groups went away satisfied!)

I was especially pleased that my son who is a huge Prog fan was finally able to see Yes - though it was a shame that he wasn't not able to see Jon. (He saw Rick in a solo show a couple of years ago in Niagara Falls and also Asia when they played there). Still he was able to see Chris and Alan. And since he is also a percussionist, he was thrilled to see yet another Carl Palmer solo and even an Alan White solo. (They are two very different percussionists with very different styles and both of their solos were outstanding. Heh. After the show I was describing for him the HUGE gongs that Palmer had on stage during the Emerson, Lake and Palmer concerts!)

Highlights and observations...

* It was strange seeing a Progressive Rock concert in Jamestown! The only other time I had been there was when my wife dragged me out to visit the Lucy and Desi Museum!
* Steve's awesome solo during Video Killed the Radio Star. He didn't play this one when we saw Asia a few years ago!
* It's a shame that Oliver didn't really cut loose with a solo until the Starship Trooper encore. His Roundabout solo spots were a bit on the timid side. He sure made up for it later!
* Astral Traveler was a pleasant surprise as was Machine Messiah. (This is one advantage to Jon being absent as Chris and Steve can play selections from Drama!)
* I was so pleased that they did Roundabout properly and did not give us the lazy, scaled back version!
* As an old Progressive Rock fan I was thrilled to be taken back to the days of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and King Crimson with Fanfare for the Common Man and In the Court of the Crimson King respectively.
* I was amused that Steve introduced the lone Rabin era offering, Owner of a Lonely Heart - especially since he was busy with Asia at the time!
* It was nice to see Chris and Steve and Alan getting into to songs, playing them well, and having fun.
* And while Benoit is certainly not Jon, it is a huge compliment to him that I did not notice that fact too often!

Overall, it was a great night and we certainly got our money's worth! LONG LIVE PROG!

Mark Cannella

Both bands put on great shows again. One thing that wasn't in Pittsburgh, well two, as rain did hit us like other shows, but we were indoors in the mighty ice arena The two screens showing the old videos and capture photos for both Asia and Yes were great to reminisce about to the ole days.

Thanks again to Wade for getting us up very close and something that you didn't know about Yes, they are true gentleman. We were able to get someone for the meet and greet afterwards that had some health issues and the boys were very gracious with this person and group.
The other thing; I asked Benoit about new material and he said, yes..then i told Chris what he said and he said, really. LOL. btw, Chris is a man of his word also as he came back to sign a few items when asked and he did!!!

All in all, another great show, too bad it was for only a few fans and not the many more it should of been for as the show was tight all night long.

btw, Oliver doesn't use Pantene with his hair.

Mark

Rob Inglis

Having seen Yes many times in their various incarnations, they remain the only band I will travel to see. It was well worth the three hour drive from Rochester, NY.

Highlights: Machine Messiah; Alan's awesome drum solo..and..sorry, it was better than Carl's in my humble opinion; Heart of the Sunrise; Siberian Khatru. They played as brilliantly as ever, with Benoit bringing his youthful exuberance to the vocals, and Oliver not missing a note, even smiling once or twice. We do miss you, though, Jon and Rick.

The musicians of Yes will not last forever, as evidenced by Jon, Rick and Chris all having had recent health problems. However, thanks to a few great tribute bands (e.g. Parallels from Seattle, who recently featured Alan as a guest drummer), the Music of Yes will endure through the ages on live stages. I think it's great that they found Benoit in a Montreal tribute group.

Asia was awesome, much better than a couple of years back, when they played Water Street in Rochester. John's voice was in top form. Loved Crimson King and Video Killed.

Many thanks to both groups for an extraordinary night

John Tontoly

How thankful I am for the opportunity to see some of the best musicians in the world, live, together, and "in the present".
Hearing tracks from Drama was great. Have seen these boys many times and last night was clearly a new version for me to digest. My verdict is strongly positive. Mr. Benoit was simply super, and Oliver recreated all the nuances of the original tracks as if he were in on the writing, originally.
Now for Asia. I have never seen John W. live and I was blown away by his powerful, enduring voice. Carl Palmer is in terrific form allowing us all to sample the great gong sounds for which he is famous (sorry for the roadies who tote these things around).
Yes, I did not miss a beat last night (and neither did these two supergroups), taking it all in and savoring it like a fine wine.
My thanks to all who made it possible for us all to enjoy these heros in such a small, intimate way.
Good Luck in Europe, Boys!

Steven L.

Drove from Buffalo NY to see the 2 bands.
Maybe Chautauqua Institution would have been a more realistic
place to hold a gig; but the arena worked out just fine.
Anyone who says the guys are washed up or do not have it anymore
are sadly mistaken.
2 brilliant performances by 2 legendary bands.
Steve Howe / Chris Squire are worth the price of admission !
Not sure why musicians wish to continue the grueling road grind
night after night after night.
Must be the love of music and performing eh !

Denis N

Never in my WILDEST DREAMS would I imagine Steve playing "In The Court Of The Crimson King".Fantastic.The guy was just into it ALL night long.Carl is just a pleasure to watch.In my opinion the greatest drummer in rock. His solo was pure energy! John Wetton sang great!
Yes once again sounded superb! Benoit does a great job singing.(With all due respect to Jon.We did miss you)Chris energetic and crowd pleaser. Alan sounding great on drums.A pleasure seeing Oliver. Boy is he tall,just like his father.Steve unbelievable all night.What a master!
Was worth the trip from St. Catharines, Ontario.

Bob V

for once i only had to drive 30min to see a great show. If you didn't go you missed one great show and History in the making, the first actual real rock concert to happen in Jamestown!

Asia: i don't think they were sure if this town knew what a real band was, but then they warmed up. Howe was great, wetton sang well, downes was cool, and palmer, well, seemed really exited to be there and did one hell of a solo. Ludwig steel shelled drums, cool to see.

Yes: Steve was great, a bit annoyed at all the non-professional camera people, he just didn't know how deprived these people were for a show. it's like C-3PO going into the Ewok village. I see he is usng a Line6 instead of the old fenders. but that ES175, great guitar. Squire was the best i'd seen, a bit more flashy on his playing this time. he and steve actually ventured about and jammed together. He had a different black rick. Alan, he is just a laid back drummer, that is his style and it worked well. he actually did a solo. wakeman still seems nervous hanging out with his dad's chums,but as the show goes on he warms up. benoit, he is awesome. great singer, it's that canandian draw that let's him sing like jon, but with enough of his own to give it character.

what i saw was alot more interaction between steve and chris, it's like the cats away lets play. and they did nearly all of the talk to the audiance that would be left up to jon. actually seen wakeman smile. sound wasn't bad, they had trouble with the stage right line array. still it's all up to what the sound guy hears. i run sound also for bands.

but bottom line is...to all the negitive poeple, go crawl back under your rock so the rest of us can enjoy one of the greatest bands to ever rock the J-town stage...

Jerry D

Jamestown Savings Bank Arena good venue. Both Asia and Yes were awesome. We came from Hamilton, Ontario to see Yes. We saw them last fall in Hamilton. This was even better this time around.

Asia was superb. Carl Palmer is a very technical drummer with great finesse and good showmanship. All were excellent.

Yes continues to shine. Oliver is becoming Rick and even smiled tonite. Benoit keeps the stage energetic and has great vocals.
Alan played well. Chris is enjoyable to watch and keeps this band going. What can you say about Steve. He is the master. I don't know how he does it night in and night out and with two bands.

Hope to see these guys back in Canada.
Benoit, how about bringing the band to Montreal.

howard storey

Great Show! The last time I saw Yes was in 1977 at Rich,The croud was too big and rowdy, this time I really got a chance to enjoy the show. I have been a fan since the first time I heard Roundabout.I remenber all my buddy's could not get into Yes,except for my buddy Joe,well a day before the Jamestown show he calls me up and tells me he's got an extra ticket.I wish Jon Anderson was there. All in all this concert was one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Never Say Never

Yes, Way! At Westbury, they played WURM only.

Relayer

I don't think any of this is correct.
Here you have Starship Trooper with Wurm dropped. Wurm was not dropped. It's part of Starship Trooper and IS NEVER DROPPED. I guess you have it that way because you have Wurm listed on the show before and not on this show, so it's considered dropped, but Staship Trooper is dropped also at Westbury, because you have Wurm only. I was not at the Westbury show. You must be listening to the person who posted the set list below with Encore : Wurm So you think they did Wurm without Starship trooper. No Way. They have done the whole song the entire tour. There is no way they just did the Wurm part of Starship Trooper at Westbury. Someone, will eventually confirm this. On On Big Generator Tour they did Wurm by itself after And You And I. That is the only time. So you will end up with Starship Trooper at Westbury and this show with nothing dropped.

Paul

I'm looking forward to the day we see 'Owner' in that dropped section

your_host

Dear EXCITABLE ALL-CAPS PERSON:
The FY script that indicates additions (underlined) or 'dropped' setlist items doesn't know the structure of Yes songs. It only compares setlist titles from night to night. So if they play only 'Wurm' one night and the whole song the next night, you see 'Wurm' as dropped and 'ST' as added on the second night.

The mistaken inclusion of both 'ST' and 'Wurm' on the 7/31 setlist has been corrected and the guilty party has been sacked. And then rehired.

Relayer

WURM WASN'T DROPPED. IT'S PART OF STARSHIP TROOPER. THE NIGHT BEFORE, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LISTED AS A SONG AFTER STARSHIP TROOPER. NOW YOU HAVE IT AS DROPPED. NO BIGGY

Rob

BRILLIANT !

all that needs said.