Alexis Paez

The concert was spectacular, I never had seen anything like this since the 1994 Peter Gabriel concert here in the city. I really enjoyed it. I almost cried when the Firebird kicked off. The king of the night was the guitar, nothing to complain from the people or the lights, but sometimes the sound had a tremendous feedback that even Jon complained to the technicians. Overall the concert was really great and completely filled my expectations.

Manuel Fernández Otero

A sold-out Rios Reyna hall greeted Yes on their first Teresa Carreño date. If fact, it seems that tickets were all sold out in a couple of days -for both presentations, even though the price was an outrageous $110 aprox. for prime seats. Not surprisingly most audients were grey-haired (those who still had hair) geezers and your average yuppie; but I'm sure the younger ones were upstairs in the second, cheaper floor. Of course, the promoters and their VIP suck-ups and suckees took up the front rows. Yeah, and this was a Rock concert.

The opening band was the local (but french-signed) Tempano. I dismissed them beforehand as a radio-friendly outfit so common from last decade here; but it turned out they were real outstanding prog-rockers and they blew me away, along with the rest of the audience who gave them a standing ovation. The singer, a popular local pop icon, half-jokingly suggested that some rich friends bring on King Crimson next. This made the crowd go wild. Promoters, take notice! All in all Tempano was amazing, specially from the minimalistic gear, time and stage area they had alloted to themselves. Quality stuff!

A deafening roar welcomed the band, who inmediatly launched into "Yours is no disgrace". I'm sure that many people there, just like me, couldn't believe that this was happening. The yes group that materialized before us was there to give the venezuelan crowd a long-overdue dose of historic songs, as most of them were the early classics we all love. Stephen hawking is wrong -you can travel back in time! I think of the almost certain impossibility of watching a Gabriel-era Genesis, for instance, and felt very lucky to experience a classic yes performance.

The band was awesome. They have a reputation for accuracy toward their recorded material and I suppose this show was no exception; even down to the actual tone of their instruments. Squire's trebly bass was definitely there; and more dear to me, Howe's inimitable tone from his multiple guitars. I wonder if this guy is using the same vintage set of pedals/strings/amps from the early days, as he sound exactly the same. I sure would like to hear them jam and improvise more, but it's yes' nature and you don't fight nature. Of course, Steve played Clap and we all went wild.

Yes' ultimate instrument -Jon's voice- was absolutely perfect. This guy is not human. He must be an elf or a hobbit or something like that. Even in middle age he manages to sound youthful and beatiful, and he doesn't seem to make an effort at all. Whatta guy.

It felt a bit odd, but it was very interesting to see (and hear) Steve Howe play the power chords of the intro to "owner of a lonely heart". I noticed many women among the group of people who inmediately jumped of joy (literally)and started to dance. Clearly, that was the song they came to hear; and it was obvious that many of the female audients were dragged along to this concert by their enthusiastic partners. A few of them left before the concert was over, and I felt a bit sorry for the true fans that couldn't get a ticket. "New guy" Billy Sherwood took center stage for a while during his rendition of Rabin's wacko solo for this song and it was clear what his role in this band seems to be: Reproducing rabin's parts so Steve doesn't have to "bother". I must say in his defense that I haven't heard Open Your Eyes or the ladder albums yet; so i can't judge his role from this concert alone, but his parts are not very substantial.

Anyway, the majority of the people did gather here to hear the classic songs and we got more than our fair share. Holy cow! They even played "close to the edge" in full. And "America". Some people might dismiss yes as a nostalgia act; but I think that they miss the whole point. You just don't go around calling Beethoven or Tchaikovsky's music a 'nostalgia act', do you? And I, as well a a whole bunch of people there that night, were barely being born when "The Yes Album

Gabriel Meza

I am just arriving from the concert. The best Venezuelan theater complete sold out.

There were little troubles at the beginning (off the record) because YES denies to play after a local support band. Everything was fixed and we enjoyed a wonderful Yes show. It is the first time Yes come to Venezuela so there were people from 10 to 60 years old. I assisted with my two younger brother who arrived today in a 5 hours bus trip just to see the concert,. I found people coming from all the country, they are returning just now to assist tomorrow (today) to their job. The program changed a little. They started with Firebird suite, then yours is no disgrace, America, a new one, time and a word, the ladder, the clap, somme soleil, and you and I, perpetual change, hearts, Owner of a lonely heart, close to the edge, long distance runaround and Ive seen all good people.

At the end of the classic songs there were standing ovations for 3-5 minutes. Jon seems very happy. Chris was the frontman, traveling along the stage, joking, jumping all night.

It is the first time I assist to a Yes concert and I recomend to everybody in Mexico and the States that DO NOT MISS this gig.

If you liked the Yessongs Video, you have to see these marvelous musicians, playing with their hearts as if there were 25 years younger. The sound, the instruments, the emotion is the same that 26 years ago.

Close to the edge was unforgettable, actually this concert is unforgettable to all the lucky people who assisted today.

By the way, I never was a Yes fan, but since today I am.

I got some short sound clips from this concert that I will post later.