Paul

Thursday, August 17, 2023 11:29 PM

This was a Miserable show.

People were throwing cherry bombs from the upper level of the stadium down into the throng of people on the stadium floor.

Saw Yes 3 times at the Capital Centre. Those were great shows.

Todd

Thursday, July 8, 2021 7:04 PM

Great concert!! I saw Yes any time they were near where I lived. They always sounded great live. I took two of my daughters to one of their concerts in 2001 and it blew them away on how they sounded. As for this RFK concert all I can say is Strawberry Fields!!!

John Troy

Friday, February 28, 2020 10:05 AM

I was in the Pousette-Dart Band. There was no Ace. We opened the show. Then Wright, then Frampton, then Yes. Right on.

Martin

Monday, April 2, 2018 10:25 PM

My first concert too, near as I can recall. Definitely my brother's first. He was 17 and I was 20. My dad came too; he was 63. I was home from college at UVa. It was the first return to RFK stadium for us in five years, since watching the old Senators play baseball there. It was just DC Stadium then. We all sat in the bleachers for Gary Wright. My brother and I went down to the field after Wright; we told dad that we'd meet him at the car after the show. Frampton was in great form. Unbeknownst to my brother and I, my dad left after Frampton closed, thinking (understandably) that Do You Feel Like We Do was the end of the show. So he missed Yes entirely. But we didn't. A few years later my brother and I saw ABWH at Newport News. Not sure which concert was best.

Geoff Gentry

Saturday, December 16, 2017 1:53 PM

I was at this show. I was in college at Texas Tech Univ, 20 years old, visiting my father who lived outside DC and worked in the Senate. I don't remember most of the show, but I do remember the fireworks being tossed off the balconies onto the people below. I wasn't into Yes then but became so later. My 16 year old son is a big fan, too. We saw Jon Anderson solo with Youth Orchestra in San Antonio a few years ago and we've seen ARW in San Antonio in November 2016 and in Denver September 2017. Looking for an opportunity to see Jon again.

Jimmy in Arlington

Saturday, August 19, 2017 9:06 AM

First concert I ever saw, I was 10 years old.

My brother who was 12, had ZZ Top tickets, they cancelled. Somehow they offered him 2 tickets to this show in exchange. Somehow I wound up with the other ticket and somehow my father decided to buy another ticket and follow us into the show.

First of all, I had no idea who Yes or Frampton were. Never heard any of their music until that day. The day was overcast and unseasonably cool for June. I remember it topping out in the 60's or so. I remember the novelty of the open cannabis smoking, which I had never witnessed before.

Previous poster, KEN, has a great memory. I also remember the firecrackers, (M-80's) being tossed in the air. I even remember Wings "Let 'em in" played over the PA. I also remember the bleachers behind the stage with the chairs folded up to spell out FRAMPTON and YES.

I don't remember Ace playing. I remember Pousette-Dart Band because I couldn't figure out the name. When Gary Wright came on, I recognized "Dream Weaver". Wright played a keytar, never had seen one before.

Frampton did a really energetic and well received show.

Yes to me sounded like noise, I didn't understand it at all. I think the audio was bad in retrospect, as I became a huge fan after revisiting them a few years later. We left before the end of the show.

For a little brother who just tagged along, I had a good time and it was a great experience.

Mike Baskett

Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:03 AM

This was a rather strange concert. It was the only one in the daytime I ever went to and that just added to it's noticeable difference. The solo stuff just didn't cut it, but at least the power being cut off near the end of Roundabout provided everyone with a laugh. They cut off the power and everyone booed, and then laughed at what I suppose was the well synchronized booing. Jon Anderson gave a sign like he was thinking "Oh well" and smiled and that was that.

It was great finally being able to hear "All Good People" live finally.

Bob

Monday, April 6, 2015 1:13 AM

I was at this show. Personally I thought they sucked this day. My friend and I were very disappointed. We left as Roundabout started. As we got to the car I remember the sound being cut off because of a curfew (I heard later).

Steve Lander

I was near the upper deck in centerfield...
Yes had just entered the stage after Peter Frampton gave an intense performance and asked "what song do you want to hear?"

I yelled with a strong LOUD reply " T H E C L A P "

Steve Howe played it to begin the concert!!! :)

Jim Hopkins

I was at the show just after High School graduation. With my girlfriend and a pint of Cuttysark. Hazy memories but I also recall the plug being pulled on Roundabout. I had forgotton about the prevoius bands before Gary Wright and Frampton. Thanks for the opportunity to post some comments.

ken

This was my first concert. I was about 14 and my older brother took me to see my first "rock show". I had been CRAZY about Yes. I remember walking into RFK...the crowds...the faces...the heat - an overcast afternoon. Seeing people with bongs and beer walking right past cops on horseback. Into the tunnel we went and out into the concert seating of RFK. It was between acts - we missed ACE and Pousette (this was the first time I knew that someone other than Yes Frampton & Gary Wright had played). I bought a cheesy ripoff version of a concert T shirt...a bright YELLOW T with some hack's version of the Dean logo. We copped a spot on the field and sat. I heard the pounding of the bass line of the intermission music - Wings "let 'em in" - first X I ever heard the song..was hard to hear it over the DUNK DUNK DUNK DUNK of the bass line.
Fireworks being throw off the upper deck...a buzzed head...too many beers...then...Gary Wright played - just remember "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive"...was great - kinda looked like a bunch of disco boys on stage - all with keyboards. Then another intermission waiting for Frampton. More fireworks....more bong hits and beer....beach balls being battled around...then Frampton and his Talk Box. His playing was great (by a 14 year old's standards) and I remember seeing a play fly over the stadium pulling a "FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE" banner - the things they used to do to promote album sales !!! Then intermission...I squeezed up to near the front on the stage right side. Saw a sign hand written by roadies duck-taped to a speaker cab... "SHOW US YOUR TITS !"...muddy ground...way hot...crowded...then...YES !!!
I was in heaven...dont remember the songs too well - had never heard Relayer and it was VERY different than Close to the Edge & Fragile which I had listened to all summer long. I remember Moraz moreso than the others....was hard to see. I spotted Mayor Walter Washington and his wife standing on the side of the stage clapping to the music...struck me as odd...and older guy at this concert where pot and wasted people were watching modern music being played live.

They came back out for an encore / curtain call and played "Roundabout"....but about 30 seconds left in the song the power was cut to the stage....the place went NUTS !!! I remember seeing the helpless look in Steve Howe's eyes saying "PLEASE dont be mad at us...the cops cut the power...not us".
Was an unbelievable day - bringing back many fond memories writing this..

30 years later I an 43 years old...have 2 kids, married and live in California. I have seen Yes about 6 or 7 times...most of them great, a few pretty good...with and w/o Jon A, Steve Howe, added Igor and the other guitar guy - Billy something. Im older now than my parents were when they let me see YES for the first time. If any of the members of YES ever read this...I would like to say "thanks for being such an integral part of my life in terms of music". Thanks to whomever setup this site - was fun to leak out some memories !!

Guitboxplayer

This was the 3rd time I had seen this band. I was completely in awe of their collective musical prowess having seen them in 74 & 75 also. I got there late & missed Ace & Pousette-Dart. Gary Wright was good. Frampton had the first wireless guitar I had ever seen. I remember him twirling around so he didn't have to worry about a cord getting tangled. The last song was not Roundabout but rather Starship Trooper. The power was cut to the song as dusk was approaching. I remember seeing Steve Howe screaming in disgust at his sound going away less than a minute from the end of the song.

Jon Emge

This show was great! It was my third Yes concert. I had graduated high school just recently and while all my friends went to OC for graduation, Mark and I worked at Ginos to make extra cash and had tickets for this concert.

We go to the stadium early, there was about 5 of us. As soon as they let us in we saw a guy selling programs. The programs were $2.50 each. Both Mark and I handed the guy a $5 bill but he did not have change, so we got 2 programs each.

It was a long day, and we started out right in front of the stage for Gary Wright and Pousette Dart Band But when Peter Frampton came on it got crowded and a bit rough, so we split and headed to the back of the stadium. We watched Peter Frampton from the back of the stadium and really enjoyed it. He sounded great and played all the songs we all loved.

Once Frampton left the stage the entire front area cleared out, so we headed back down to the stage. We wound up about 10 feet from Chris's side and waited for Yes.

It was a great show. I didn't know we missed the crab stage show until years later. And they pulled the plug on Yes due to a curfew right at the end of Roundabout.

Later that night when I got home I watched parts of the show on the news. That was great to see the crowd on the news and know I was just there!

Phil Smith

This was the show at Wash. D.C.'s RF. Stadium w/ Gary Wright and Peter Frampton. It was the first time I had seen YES in an outside concert. The show itself was great, the sound surprisingly clear. It would have been perfect it hadn't been marred by a few quirks. 1) Jon getting PO'd at people throwing firecrackers around at each other and even onto the stage 2) All the stadium power going out during the last 30 seconds of "Roundabout" 3) My camera going on the fritz and 4) Getting an 80 MPH speeding ticket on the way home on I-95.