Dustin Mahrt

My fiancee and I saw Yes last winter in Bloomington Illinois. Musically speaking it was the best show that I have ever seen. The background vocals were so much more powerful than what any Yes LP can reveal. Benoit's voice was perfect. I really dug his Tormatoe performance. The quiet guitar part in "And You and I" almost brought this 34 year old to tears. With the silence between each note (unlike on Yes Songs) it was so powerful! I do not know how to describe the power in the contrast between those notes and silence. The band was incredible, yet not loud enough! Also, I paid hundreds of dollars for 2 tickets to hear Yes songs not solo efforts. That was very discouraging. Anyway with that said, I think that you guys are awesome and I hope that you keep Benoit. I hope that in 2010 Yes, Elp, and maybe Uriah Heep can come to America on a tour. If you come back I will see you again in Illinois and hopefully at Red Rocks- I had tickets to your show their 2 summers ago but it was cancelled.

Dave

Friends, I am a long time Prog Rock fan. This was the first time I have seen Yes or Asia. Personally, I thought the show was great. I can't think of any show I have seen with a higher level of musicianship. I thought the sound was mixed very well. Finding a ticket for the 12th row in front of Steve Howe undoubtedly made the experience much better than I had anticipated. (I was planning to get a ticket for the lawn, but someone had an extra.)
We're used to the trains going by at Riverplace. They help to remind us of another time before heavy industry and manufacturing were replaced by tourism and gambling as the primary sources of income in our community. Sigh.
Also, FYI, Musikfest is spelled with a K to reflect our Pennsylvania German heritage.
I'm sure it would have been great to see and hear Jon Anderson with Yes, but Benoit David was fine. People should really be thankful for his being there and not criticise him. Without him, there might not have been a tour at all. Or else someone who DOESN'T sound as much like Jon Anderson. Maybe the band can patch things up with Jon and they could both sing two-part harmony together. Wouldn't that be great? Maybe they could get Bill Bruford back and have two drummers like the Grateful Dead! Maybe if Rick Wakeman is feeling better they could have two keyboard players!! Maybe Steve Howe could get a stem cell transplant and grow a second pair of arms!!! Then he wouldn't have to switch guitars, he could play both parts simultaneously!!!! Holy s***!!!!! Do you think Chris Squire could keep up with that band? You bet!

Ian P Jones

Awesome show. First saw "the lads" back in '75 at the Capitol, Cardiff (Wales). Have seen many stellar Yes shows since, both in U.K and U.S.A. as well as solo performances by Jon, Rick and Bill Bruford.
I must admit, I was most apprehensive/pessimistic about the potential of Benoit, but I have to concur - even being a huge Jon Anderson fan for nearly 40 yrs, that he did an outstanding job. Sounded like Jon - 30 years ago. Great range, and pitch, virtually flawless. Well done, Mate! As other contributors have stated here, would still love to see Yes with Jon again, but Benoit has to be the ONLY guy on the planet who can pull this off!
Oliver was solid, and, yes, not unlike his Dad - and taller than Chris! Does he play football (soccer to US readers) against the BBC, too?
As for the rest of the band - Squire, White, and, especially "The professor' Steve Howe - a remarkable accomplishment to be around this long and to be performing at this level so well. Steve Howe's catalog of music must be enormous! Came away from the show most impressed - and happy. The old fella's (and the younger one's) still got it! Will definitely go see them again. With or without Jon. But, preferably with.

Rich Stone

Well, after the frustration of a rained out Yes show (see National Harbor, MD 7/23), I did the 7 1/2 hour round trip to check the guys out in Bethlehem last night. Well worth the trip!

The set list was as described in other reviews, and given 33 years of studio material, a ~2 hour time slot, and an audience ranging in age from 6 to 60, it was pretty darn effective. Everything was performed well - if I had to pick highlights I'd go with Machine Messiah, And You and I (always a highlight), and the closing trio of Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise (always a highlight), and Starship Trooper -- all played perfectly and with tons of energy!

Steve was, as always, superior (big screen providing close up of some of the fretboard action was nice); Chris outstanding; Alan (sometimes maligned in these reviews) was spot on; Benoit did a fantastic job; and (though I wasn't quite as swept away as reviewer Lori R.) Oliver hit the keyboard parts just right.

Here's hoping for some new studio material and another tour in the future.

BTW, missed Asia this time, but they did get their set in completely in Maryland before the rain and it was great, too!

Bryan McLean

Hello all,
I saw my 18th Yes show tonight and it was outstanding. I've never seen the band start a tune over (Owner when Chris' amp apparently died) or had trains coming by (nice touch :)). Steve was brilliant. He showed energy I have not seen in the last few years. Chris and Alan were as tight as ever and Oliver Wakeman is a great talent. I enjoyed Benoit's energy and efforts. He has a great voice and a pitch similar to Jon's. I'm not sure if he has the range though. I agree with the others who want Jon back. It's time. Hopefully in 2010 we'll see them back with their leader. Too much time, so many albums and concerts and history to ignore the tradition. Favorite part was end of Starship Trouper. Wow!

Lisa Gelsebach

I attended this show with my sister who introduced me to Yes way back when. The ticket was a birthday gift to myself and I was totally enthralled with the whole experience! Outstanding and unbelievable performances by all of you. I could not believe Steve's fingers flying on the guitars and the intensity with which he plays. Vocally, I was very impressed with Benoit's beautiful sound. The harmonious blend of voices, which I so much love, was fantastic! Chris rocked on bass and Alan's drum solo incredible! Oliver, you really remind me of your father, I wish you would have done some more solos on the keyboards! Amazing!

It certainly would have been wonderful to hear everything, but of course that is not possible. I could have sat there all night listening, however!

We all may be getting older, but that doesn't mean we have to slow down and that was proven by the energy that exploded on that stage last night as well as in the crowd!!

I was a bit distraught that my sister was reprimanded for flicking her lighter up in the air (as well as someone else behind us). That is what we did at concerts in the 70s to show our love and appreciation.

This was a great birthday present and I will never forget the great show I just saw. Thank you so much!! Please come back to the area!!

Lisa

Eric Law

Asia opened up with familiar tunes and 'Fanfare for the common man' was stunning! I truly enjoyed hearing them live for the first time.

This was the third Yes concert for me, however.

A was a little apprehensive about seeing Yes without Jon, but the first song removed all worries. The traditional 'firebird suite' set expectation high. The band was tight and Benoit was spot-on. Yeah there were slight nuances that are different from Jon in songs they played later on, but no other person likely comes close as a stand-in. {I'm not sure you qualify for 'member' status unless you write some music on an albumn IMnsHO}.

The weather held-out (rain was predicted) and forgiving the sound-man for excessive bass drowning out Steve a couple times (it wasn't Chris just being showy... the sound equipment was greatly distorting the bass... couldn't handle it I figure), it was a 'fantastic show'.

Lets hope they come around again soon!

Jimmy G.

Impressions from Asia/Yes at Musikfest 2009 in Bethlehem, PA:

Asia:

Overall a good, tight, enjoyable 55 minute set. The band's musicianship has held up well over the years. With the shorter time slot, their set was tailored towards more well known material. The "covers" they did were very impressive, and first album (Asia) tunes were very solid. The highlight of the show, in my opinion, was ELP's Fanfare for the Common Man, as John, Geoff, Steve, and Carl put their own personal marks on this tune. Carl Palmer never ceases to amaze me behind the skins. The acoustic versions of the two Alpha tunes (Don't Cry, The Smile Have Left Your Eyes) and the new tune, An Extraordinary Life, were OK, but drained some energy from the set.

Yes:

After being treated to the reunited classic Anderson/Squire/Howe/Wakeman/White lineup in 2002 and 2004, I wasn't sure what to expect with the new lead singer, Benoit David, and new keyboardist, Oliver Wakeman. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with Yes's excellent set. The setlist as I can best remember (not sure if this order is perfect):

Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
I've Seen All Good People
Tempus Fugit
Astral Traveler
And You and I
Steve Howe Solo (Masquerade/Intersection Blues)
Owner of A Lonely Heart
Machine Messiah
Roundabout
Heart of the Sunrise
Starship Trooper

Notable moments of the night-

Benoit David: He nailed every tune he did and did the legacy of Yes music great justice last night. Very high energy level on stage. As much as I hope one day the "classic" lineup will reunite again, I definitely think he's earned a place in this new lineup.

Steve Howe: He seems like a new man this time around. The previous two shows I'd seen him at (State College, PA 10/02, Allentown, PA 9/04) he was very solid but seemed to keep to himself on the stage. This night he was above and beyond. Amazing versatility on all tunes, great crowd interaction, was joking around with Chris Squire, moved around the stage constantly, and was even jumping around quite a bit! Also added a lot of great fiery extra improvisation to his song solos. The best I'd seen him at a Yes show. His playing by itself was worth the price of admission.

Chris Squire: Always a monster on the bass. This night was no different. Great interaction with the crowd, and backing vocals were as good as ever.

The Setlist: A great blend of the classic chestnuts we've been accustomed to for many years and the long overdue revival of other tunes (Tempus Fugit, Machine Messiah, Astral Traveler). Machine Messiah was, with the 2002 and 2004 versions of South Side of the Sky, one of the truly surreal moments in the last several years. Astral Traveler was like being transported back to 1970, and with a rare but great Alan White drum solo to go along. Starship Trooper was a well chosen closer and the playing was on fire!

The mix: Other than the moment during Owner of a Lonely Heart where Chris's bass inexplicably dropped out (and the band humorously stopped and restarted the tune), an excellent well balanced mix.

Overall a pleasantly surprising, excellent show. Here's hoping the new lineup leads to a new, well overdue album.

Ken Jonach

Awesome concert in Bethlehem! The rains held off, and it was a beautiful night for a show. After Chris Squire said "Hello Bethlehem", he added, "I always wanted to say that". The band was tight, and Benoit David seemed more comfortable on stage since last year when he joined the band. Steve Howe played 'Masquerade' and 'Intersection Blues' during his solo section, and he was on fire all night! The band was about a minute into 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', when they all stopped playing in unison (actually Chris Squire's bass was not working from the start of the song). A tech came out and gave him a new guitar, with no luck - and then the tech tried to plug the new guitar into the power pack on Squire's back - still nothing. The band caught on quickly that something was wrong. Squire looked understandably upset, but handled it very professionally. The band stopped playing, with Squire basically saying they wanted to play the song correctly. The problem was solved quickly, and they started again from the beginning, with Squire's bass roaring - at which point he gave a thumbs up. It was a memorable moment that was handled very well by the band. Other highlights for me were 'Astral Traveller', 'Machine Messiah', 'And You And I' and 'Starship Trooper'. This was the third time I had seen Oliver Wakeman play with Yes. He was good the first two times (Asbury Park and Montclair), but this time, his keyboards were equal in the mix with the rest of the band, and his playing really shone through - I was very impressed! Chris Squire was amazing - it is a lot fun hearing that thunderous bass. It is clear to me that he is the best there is at what he does. Oliver Wakeman did a very nice job on the Drama songs, but I couldn't help but wonder why Geoff Downes didn't join the band for 'Tempus Fugit' and 'Machine Messiah'. I'm sure there is a good reason, but I couldn't help but think they missed the boat with that. With Asia opening for Yes, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. That said, the show was amazing, and I'm looking forward to seeing Yes again in the near future!