Chris Lenox

Tuesday, August 10, 2021 9:51 PM

I don’t have much to add that was not mentioned by others, but it was a great show and a really festive night due to The Saints just winning the Super Bowl. The crowd was extra happy, and I think the band picked up on it. Astral Traveler was probably my favorite. There were TONS of Nola musicians there. At least 20 or so that I knew personally. As I have met more people in the years since, invariably I run into yet more people who were there. I made the rather rough audience recording of this show that does the rounds. Hopefully someone else comes forward with a better recording one day.

Leaving the venue, I saw Benoit walking to his hotel and was able to shout a “great show, man!” At him from my car. He was surprised, but waved to me and had a big smile and some pep in his step. Makes me smile thinking about it still.

Tormato

Just like to say that I love this tour because they are playing in places where you can stand the whole show and enjoy. I hate sitting down for concerts. If Jon and Rick were there you would be in bigger places and you wouldn't be able to stand the whole time.

Jack Torino

Good show.Maybe they could do a short tour(since Jon can't do a longer one)and Rick prefers "special"shows w/that line-up(Tales/GFTO)playing all of Tales w/orchestra at 'classical'type venues(i.e. Chicago's Symphony Center)w/local orchestras-i.e;CSO.And how about this for next album;"Aliens","Touch me Heaven","Axis of Love",the new one(s)Jon wrote w/Trevor and Peter Banks and a new Steve Howe acoustic piece?

David Landry

Some of the highlights beside the great songs played (see set-list below) were an excellent Alan White solo during Astral Traveler. In the 20 or more Yes concerts I have attended I have never seen Alan play a solo of that length. It was great to hear such fantastic drumming for that long.

Another highlight/sidelight for the crowd was Benoit David coming out after Steve's solo sporting a New Orleans Saints T-Shirt. That drew, at one point, a sonic wave of "Who Dat?" cheers interspersed with the ecstatic crowd responses that followed just about all the songs and passages played.

The Set-list was:
Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
Your Move/All Good People
Tempest Fugit
Onward
Astral Traveler (including Alan White solo)
Yours Is No Disgrace
And You and I
The Clap (and slower classical-ish piece leading up to The Clap that I've heard Steve Howe play before but don't know the title of)
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Machine Messiah
Heart of the Sunrise
Roundabout
Encore: Starship Trooper

Eric Sandford

My wife and I stood against the railing on the bottom floor going up to the bar on the left side, so we had a good line of sight for the show, we were about six feet from Steve Howe, and four feet from the PA. Excellent show, all members seemed to give 100 percent and enjoy their performance. Steve looked to be playing a triple pickup version of his ES 175 Steve Howe edition. Oliver was very audible in the mix and sounded his finest on Machine Mesiah and Starship Trooper, he could have been louder on the Roundabout solo. Chris was brilliant on Heart of the Sunrise and Starship Trooper. It was, all in all, a wonderfull evening, but I must agree with most of the folks around me, I would gladly pay double to have a seat. Summary: Great show, terrible venue.

Kenneth Bahlinger

It was great to have Yes back in the state of Louisiana.

I echo the postitive comments in the previous posts.

The HOB offers a small venue where most everyone is not too far from the stage. Though this appears to provide challenges for the band and crew.

I was one of the first in and was able to get a spot on the very front just a few feet from Chris. This offered a unique experience indeed. It was awesome to watch Chris jam away from such a short distance. I thought I played good air bass but after watching Chris I see I am nowhere close.

There was a good mix of young and old. Even had a young college student behind me who had never seen Yes before.

Benoit looks like he is more comfortable on stage than when I saw Yes in 2008.

Only adverse comment I have is that we are not young anymore. While I am not a spring chicken and am a little sore from standing for about 4.5 hours (standing in line and waiting for show included)there were others even older, some of which I am sure are worse off today than I am. It would be nice to be able to sit.

Ryan Talbot

So after the Saints winning the Superbowl, what could be better? YES!!
This was my third Yes concert (also the third one with this lineup). This was the closest I've been to the stage, only about 6ft. away. Very small venue but packed to the prim. The setlist was great! I especially enjoyed Yours Is No Disgrace cause it was the first time I heard that one played live. I just wish they could play something else in the place of Owner. Steve Howe didn't look very pleased throughout parts of the gig, and made a comment at the end of the show saying, "Maybe next time we come they can get a better PA."
I waited around after the show, and Oliver, Benoit, Alan, and Chris signed my Close to the Edge CD!! Apparently someone said Steve ran in the bus when we weren't looking. There's always next time.

Jack H Hingle

Just got back from the show, my 3rd time seeing this lineup. Great crowd and vibes tonight from the very opening of Firebird to last chord of STT. Benoit also commented the "good mood you're in tonight" to the packed house(he came out later half of show wearing a N O football type shirt). Thought the set was really just right although as previous poster said could live without Owner but crowd still liked it. They started out(SK and SAGP) as usual not really to blow away but getting acoustically set with vocals/instr. which was fine by 3rd(Tempus). I am a long time student of YES especially CS and could not find any technical (instr.)flaws, if someone did let us know. Did Benoit hit every note? No, and he is not Jon , but still fills in admirably for live shows. Every time I see Steve and these guys live it is like religous experience and seemed good for everyone tonight. Steve made a comment about the house PA apparently he did care for it. All in all a very enjoyable night of classic YES!

nolamule

I got the privilege of going to the YES show at the HoB in NOLA because a colleague couldn't make it so he gifted me the ticket. What a gift right! Well I received the gift because my colleague wanted a twenty-something person to go and I filled the bill. Now some background, I first saw yes in Park City, UT while they were touring the Talk album. I considered that concert a life changing experience despite being quite young. YES has provided me a solid base for which to compare other music too.

Last night show was excellent. The band was tight, the crowd was into it, and the setlist was appropriate. The effect of Jon Anderson not being present was more of an issue for me than it was for others I spoke to. That is not so say that Benoit David did not do a good job, because he did. Benoit just has big shoes to feel, very big. Some of the nights highlights for me were Astral Traveller, Onward, And You And I, Owner OF A Lonely Heart, Heart Of The Sunrise, and of course the Roundabout > Starship Trooper encore.

Ryan Talbot

So after the Saints winning the Superbowl, what could be better? YES!!
This was my third Yes concert (also the third one with this lineup). This was the closest I've been to the stage, only about 6ft. away. Very small venue but packed to the prim. The setlist was great! I especially enjoyed Yours Is No Disgrace cause it was the first time I heard that one played live. I just wish they could play something else in the place of Owner. Steve Howe didn't look very pleased throughout parts of the gig, and made a comment at the end of the show saying, "Maybe next time we come they can get a better PA."
I waited around after the show, and Oliver, Benoit, Alan, and Chris signed my Close to the Edge CD!! Apparently someone said Steve ran in the bus when we weren't looking. There's always next time.

Mike Zikmund

Saw the boys at HOB-NO tonight. Great show! They did do "Astral Traveler" tonight (which was KILLER!). Stood to the right of the stage on stairway (looking Chris Squire square in the eyes!). This is my 3rd Yes show (75 Relayer tour, 80 Drama tour). Benoit did a good job (does he remind anyone else of s hort Sean Hannity?). Oliver didn't seem to be mixed too low (as some others have suggested from other reviews). Loved "And You and I", "Yours is No Disgrace", and HOTS". Could have lived w/out "Owner" and the excrutiatingly long drum solo!

The crowd was huge and the band seemed to be enjoying themselves! GREAT SHOW!