Dane Carlson

Oh, What a night! YES all the internet was a buzz with the talk of a Yes show with the fab five in SLO. Panic ensued, when? how do I get a ticket? This is so cool! Lucky for me (for once) I live near San Francisco so going to SLO was no big deal I was given the time off at work and the green light from my (ex) Wife. But I had no ticket. As a reader of AMY I found an advert from the host of this very sight (SS) and acquired the sole ticket he had to offer (I believe I had to write an essay about why I wanted to go.) Then I stood in front of the theater with a sign, looking for Mr. Sullivan. After all that my friends said we already got you a ticket, so now I had a ticket for nights 2 and 3. The best couple of days a Yes Fan could ask for. The band was outstanding, my tears of joy clouded any mistakes that occurred in the material, the set list was solid. Two incredible evenings.

Doug & Glenn Gottlieb

December 21, 1994

Change Yes Must
Copyright © 1994 Yes Magazine/Douglas Gottlieb & Glenn Gottlieb. All rights reserved.
(Used with permission)

What happened to the Yes we once knew so well? Hard as it may be to believe, it has been 17 years since the last truly great Yes album was released. Going For The One was the last album Yes made that can sit comfortably alongside the classics. So it probably shouldn't come as such a surprise when we see that concert attendance has fallen to a low unheard of since the earliest days of the band, or that sales of Talk are reportedly a fraction of those of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, and Union, an album which even the band didn't like. It doesn't take a degree to figure out what's going on - it's called backlash. You don't dismiss three of the principal architects of the classic Yes sound - Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford - without some serious repercussions. The current members of Yes, their record company and management, underestimated the degree to which losing Bruford, Wakeman and Howe would impact the fans. They also underestimated the role of artist Roger Dean. Dean's contribution directly impacts album sales, and perhaps even more obviously, it impacts concert merchandising sales, which are also slouching this year. Given the prospect of yet another album without that classic Yes sound, many fans simply tuned out before even hearing Talk. That's too bad. Trevor Rabin has made a terrific album - maybe the best of his career. But Talk is not Yes music. No single member, not even Jon Anderson, can make a great Yes album on his own.

While the Yes sound and style developed and evolved all throughout the seventies, each album had one unyielding, unchanging facet - the 110% involvement of all five members of the band. Sometimes the Yes men were musically and personally at odds - each pushing to get his sound to the fore. But by the time a Yes album reached the stores, everything and everybody was working in perfect tandem. Everyone was well represented in the music and in the mix, because each member of Yes sat at the producer's desk and made sure that his best bits were included. And each member of the band inevitably contributed more best bits than could be squeezed into one mix. Listen to any Yes album made before the eighties. Focus in on any one of the five players, and you'll hear enough music, enough energy, enough involvement coming from that one member, to carry the whole track. Yet somehow the four other musicians managed to weave in and around the others' work - feeding and bouncing off it, challenging, and chasing one another 'round and 'round - creating a tapestry of sound and emotion unlike any that had come before or has come since. Talk is the product of the tireless work of one member. It's no secret that Trevor Rabin wrote the vast majority of Talk. Nor is it a secret that his production shaped the sound of the album. His vocals are utilized in equal quantity to those of "lead" singer Jon Anderson. And while there has been speculation that Trevor played a bit of uncredited bass on the album, he is credited with all keyboard work on Talk except Hammond organ. If Yes music is the result of five musicians putting everything they have into every passage of music, then Talk is not Yes music. That's not to say that it isn't good. It just isn't the band we came to know and love as Yes. Judging from album and concert ticket sales, Yes fans are nearly unanimous in their agreement.

Yes can continue recording and touring with the current line-up. Given their history, this would probably result in an album every four years or so, which would do little to maintain the band's fast eroding fan base. Without that elusive hit single, Yes will, for the first time in two decades, be forced out of arena-sized venues and into smaller theaters if they are to tour. In recent years, Yes has bounced from label to label, dropping fans along the way. Isn't it time to stop chasing hit singles, and to stop making music that bears little semblance to that which brought them their fanbase?

Yes needs to get healthy and focused. They need to make amends to Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman, and bring them back into the fold. Chris Squire needs to take a more active role in the band again. Yes needs to make an album in one studio, in one country, and they need to do it together, simultaneously. They need to collaborate. No more coming to the studio individually to "add their parts." As the ABWH project has shown, a great Yes album cannot be assembled, even if the talent and material is there. It must be written and recorded as a band, without outside musicians or producers. They need to pump each track so full of music and energy that it bursts at the seams. They need to make a Yes album - an album of staggering complexity, finesse and taste. They need to stop chasing hit singles and follow their hearts. The false promises, squandered opportunities and empty lip service to lofty visions and aspirations need to be put right.

Do the members of Yes still have what it takes to make a great Yes album? Solo projects such as Turbulence, The Grand Scheme Of Things, the Earthworks recordings, The Classical Connection, and The Power Of Silence all indicate that the creative batteries of the players remain charged. But as a band, Yes has a lot to prove to its fans next time around. If things don't change soon, there may be no Yes fans left to wonder what happened to the song we once knew so well.

Mike Tiano

May 23, 1995
It is now official: Trevor Rabin has quit Yes, and Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman have rejoined. So the Yes lineup will consist of the 70s band: Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, and White.

The 'new' Yes will be finalizing plans in the upcoming weeks, including management and record company issues. Tony Kaye is stepping off the stage and behind the scenes, taking part in the band's management and direction.

Stay tuned for more details!

Notes From The Edge

July 14, 1995
IN THIS ISSUE

- Notes From the Edge: A Message from Yes

KNOW THAT THIS IS YES

A message to Yes fans from Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White:

21 years ago, at Stouffer's Hotel in Cincinnati on Chris' birthday, March 4, we, the members of Yes--Jon, Steve, Rick, Chris, and Alan--decided that if the world was still together and that we were able as musicians to work together, we would unite in 1995 on the 4th of March in order to perform yet again not just for one album or one tour, but for the next five years in order to take the band and its fans into the 21st century and beyond.

A document was created which we all signed that evening in the year 1974 Thankfully, not only for ourselves but for Yes fans around the world as well, we have decided to follow this prophecy through into THE FUTURE!

Be ready. KNOW that you are part of the future. KNOW that you were part of the past. KNOW that we will deliver the true YES MUSIC.

Mike Tiano

July 31, 1995
Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White all met in Los Angeles on July 12 and committed to working together again as Yes. As we reported Tony Kaye will be working closely with the band behind the scenes in tandem with longtime Yes supporter and friend Lee Abrams. The plan is for the band to begin rehearsals in early September.

Handel Richard

September 15, 1995
If you want to hear some interesting information, call the yes information line at 209-522-1937. Apparently, Jon and Chris are laying the foundation for the new songs right now, with Howe and White to join in later this month. Wakeman is due to record in October. The info line also says that a major label is about to sign Yes and that this label will give Yes the freedom to create the type of music their fans want to hear. I think (pray) that this means we will never have to suffer through another Saving my Heart or Walls again. The BEST news is that Yes is open to the idea of playing material from Tales and Relayer on the next tour! Call the Line! This seems to be the best and fastest way of getting current information about Yes.

Steven Sullivan

September 15, 1995
The [YIS] also says that we 'long time fans and supporters' of Yes should be assured that the band has OUR best interests in mind.

And that they're willing to play some Tales etc.

How much higher can they up the ante???

Mike Tiano

September 21, 1995
Jon, Chris, and Alan (the Yes men on the US West Coast) are going to meet in mid-October to begin rehearsals for the new Yes album, with Steve and Rick joining later that month. It also appears that a label deal is imminent; hopefully details will be available later this week.

Lee Abrams

September 21, 1995
Jon Anderson asked me to investigate the possibility of a weekend Yescamp for a limited number of Fans. This would be a weekend up in Northern California later this year during the Yes rehearsal/recording to hang out with the band, check out some rehearsals, talk about Yes, etc....This is NOT a definite thing, but something that if you'd be interested in attending, you should let me know by paper mail or fax, and it'll be discussed further. It's sort of a way for true long time fans to gain unusual access to Yes and Yes music. If you have thoughts or are interested, please contact me by mail or fax, and it'll get discussed further:

Mike Tiano

October 25, 1995
The band sans Rick (who should be arriving shortly) has been running through a combination of new ideas and old tunes. Though there are no details on a record deal the plan is for the band to perform a short tour at the beginning of the year, garnering a cd and video from it. A full scale tour tentatively wouldn't occur until the latter half of 1996.

Toni M. Poper

October 25, 1995
Jon Anderson was, very unexpectedly, in conference on CompuServe, on October 23rd, 1995. Unfortunately, because of the lack of publicity for the event, not all that many people were in attendance. But it was a very good session, and Jon let us all in on quite a number of things concerning both his solo endeavors and Yes' current plans.

YES, (WE WANT TO) KNOW!

As you might expect, most of the questions he was asked were about Jon's relationship with Yes, and Yes' current plans. Jon also verified that they have started rehearsals this week, and that things are going great; however, the schedule he announced at the conference is quite different than what we've heard earlier. According to Jon, Yes will do a short tour this coming February! This tour will be filmed. The big tour will start this summer and go through the fall. The U. S. portion of the tour will be in September and October. Yes will also release a 2 hour film and CD of classic Yes songs, along with some new songs.

Jon says the music for the new album will not at all be similar to the music that was on "Union" or on "ABWH." Jon said that the songs are being created with the idea that they will be performed live, and will be group-oriented. Jon, Chris and Alan have all been working on the new music. Jon promises that, though the new album will take them some time to create and finalize, "...it won't be anything like you've heard before."

Jon mentioned that some of the songs will be partially in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Ethiopian, as well as English. When Jon was asked if the new album will contain longer format songs, he replied, "Most definitely!" He said that he believes in longer format pieces and is always developing that kind of music.

As to which songs from the past they might sing, Jon said that the only song from "Drama" that might be considered would be "Tempus Fugit." Jon also mentioned that Yes is thinking about doing acoustic versions of "Roundabout," "Survival" and "Time and a Word" on the tour. When asked about performing songs from "ABWH" such as "Brother of Mine," Jon said that he was not sure if they will perform any songs from that album.

Jon was asked about the process by which Yes is currently creating new music. He said that they all have ideas, and they all know what they want out of the music. Jon said that he feels that the music should take the listener on a journey, but that each of them has a different angle, a different approach. So the "fledgling" ideas are all thrown together, as if into a hat. Then they sort of pull it out, see what it sounds like, and integrate it all together. Jon mentioned that many styles of music, such as ancient, world, and several others, combine to evolve into "Yes music."

GEE MOM, I WANT TO GO TO YESCAMP!

The subject of "YesCamp" also came up during the conference. Jon said that, when the time comes, we will all hear more details about it. The idea is still being worked out. It will not be held until next year. It will be a long weekend in which some Yes fans will come to watch the band rehearse and perform. The fans will get to spend time with the band, and a documentary will be made of the entire event.

CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

Jon was asked how well the members of Yes get along, especially concerning the rumors during "Union." Jon said that 80% of the time things were fine, but 20% of the time they didn't talk to one another. He said that all bands have such problems now and then. But they have to remember that the important thing is the music.

Jerermy

December 01, 1995
They're planning also to do a mini-tour of the West Coast, hopefully to record a live album, and drum up some prospects for a record company.

Mike Tiano

December 04, 1995
The band has been running through a combination of new ideas and old tunes. Rick Wakeman did not attend the sessions, reportedly due to the illness of his mother. Though there are no details on a record deal the plan is for the band to perform a short tour at the beginning of the year, garnering a cd and video from it. A full scale tour tentatively wouldn't occur until the latter half of 1996.

Yes and their management stress that tour rumors are premature as negotiations are still underway. Alan White advised Notes that a rumor that was circulating on the net of a six month tour was not correct. When all is finalized YesWorld will have all the details for Yes fans.

Yann Clochec

December 10, 1995
As far as I could gather from bits of information on alt.music.yes, the CURRENT line-up is Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White. Wakeman is said to be out for the moment because he is working on/releasing a Christmas album, or some stuff of that sort. Various sources say they are rehearsing in San Luis Obispo, California and should hit the road soon, perhaps only for a "mini-tour" of the US West Coast. Wakeman should be in for the tour. Other rumours/informations are that the tour will be recorded for a live album and that they will release a studio album sometime in 96. Tony Kaye still works with them for their management. Rabin is out, nobody seems to know where and nobody seems to care. Hope this helps, surely others can add details.

Mike Tiano

January 12, 1996
Yes has signed a record deal with Alliance/Castle Entertainment to record a live album, which will include a combination of old songs and new tracks. The entire band (including Rick) will resume rehearsals and all members will be together by January 28. (Alliance/Castle Entertainment will also release the 1979 Philadelphia video domestically though no date is set at this time).

In the Xmas edition of his newsletter (the Rick Wakeman Communication Centre) it was reported that he did not attend the first round of rehearsals due to the fact that at the time no contracts were signed, and he could not foot his own bill to attend the rehearsals. Though not mentioned in the newsletter apparently his mother's health was also a major factor.

No tour dates are confirmed at this time.

Doug & Glenn Gottlieb

January 13, 1996
Yes will be meeting again at the end of this month (January) to rehearse and discuss the next album, which now seems to almost certainly be a live album of classic material, plus 2 new studio tracks. The lineup will be Anderson Howe Squire Wakeman White, and will most probably be recorded on the west coast over a short series of dates (still to be determined). A full scale tour is still only a possibility at the moment. Nothing regarding the east coast has been set. 8-(

Still, its good to see things FINALLY moving along - a live album would at least get the ball rolling again, and two new songs would be great. Once the momentum picks up (and hopefully album and concert sales) a new studio album and full tour would conceivably follow.

Tami Freed

February 04, 1996
Rick called my fellow YISer Nic C. this morning with a very promising update! All is going well in San Luis Obispo, with all members (finally) together and working very diligently. Rick gave Nic a very tentative set list for the ONE show. Is everyone sitting down? Okay, here goes: ALL, YES ALL of CTTE will be played (including Siberian Khatru! Nic specifically asked about that), Awaken, Onward, America, Survival, Time and a Word, Starship Trooper, Roundabout, and... The Revealing Science of God, and the "Leaves of Green" "Nous Sommes du Soleil" parts from The Ancient and Ritual, respectively. This ONE show will be in San Luis Obispo, sometime within the next couple of months, maybe around Easter time. This show will be recorded and will be part of the two CD set to be released by Castle. The CD set will be 1 1/2 live, 1/2 (approx 30 minutes) new material. A video of the concert IN FULL, will be out as well! Nic will be speaking and/or meeting with Rick towards the end of the week.

Mike Tiano

February 08, 1996
The entire band--Jon, Steve, Chris, Rick, and Alan--are together and rehearsing new songs and older ones, the latter including many that have not been performed on stage since the 70s (or at all!). No confirmation yet on live dates but one or more performances in or near San Luis Opisbo, California, seems likely.

Handel Richard

February 15, 1996
Yes is playing in 3 weeks!!

The new YES message says that YES will be recording their live concert for the upcoming release the first week of March! I didn't expect things to happen this quickly. Maybe we will see the CD around May or so.

Urchin

February 16, 1996
Our local rumor mill has it that the concert "tour" is two shows at our wonderfully preserved, art deco movie theatre. It seats *maybe* 1,200, but the atmosphere and acoustics are exceptional. I'd say playing our theatre is a better venue than playing atop the Apple building in downtown London.

Of course, Jon lives here. Besides the new Yes project and some other stuff, he's reportedly working on a project that will be part of our new Performing Arts Center grand opening at the local college, Cal Poly. Jon is a whirlwind. Thanks to him, a number of local artists have had their work installed at the Yes studio, for the band's inspiration. It's techno-sci-fi-trooper-stuff.

Steve recently hosted a guitar demo and discussion at a local music store, and you can rub elbows with Chris (and sometimes Steve) at a particular local tavern. Chris recently showed up at our alternative rock radio station to shoot the breeze, as well.

I saw my first movie, Jules Verne's "Fantastic Island," at our theatre 35 years ago. I saw my last Yes concert 20 years ago, featuring the same five guys tuning up to play here.

Either it's a funny world, or we have heaven...

P.S. Assuming the venue doesn't change, I'll post as soon as I hear anything about tickets. Should be plenty left for the AMY regulars. At last count there were less than 1000 Yes fans living here. (Hey, it's a small town.)

For you set list watchers, the only certain rumor so far is that the band has been rehersing all three tracks on CTTE and have at least four new tunes.

Wendy Vig

February 16, 1996
Hi everyone, this is new from the YIS message as of Feb. 14,

Yes will play TWO concerts at a small theater, seating 1,000 in San Luis Obispo, the first week in March. This will be recorded for the new album. First cd will be live, and about 30 minutes of the second cd will be studio recording Yes has yet to do. Yes will play The Revealing Science of God, and the parts of Ritual and The Ancient Tami mentioned. All of CTTE, Roundabout and Starship Trooper. Also Onward, Turn of the Century and America! Sounds like YIS is trying to secure some tickets for their subscribers. Also from what Doug and Glen say subscribers to Yes magazine will be getting a postcard in the mail about tickets. Nic said to look for a hefty price. Tickets will also be available through TicketMaster. Nic also said he does know the exact dates but can't reveal them just yet.

I've always loved the West coast.......NOW I know why!!!!!!!!!

Who else out there is going to make one or both of these shows!!!

Steven Sullivan

February 16, 1996
Here's what I hear from my 'deep source' near the Yes camp. Obviously not to be taken as holy writ, given the flux surrounding Yes these days:

Two back-to-back concerts in the first week of March (3/4 or 5/6) in San Luis Obispo. Seating around 200 people (this has been contradicted by YIS and teh Gottliebs, both of whom claim 1000 people). Some $50 seats sold to locals, the rest by invitation only (presume these 'invitees' include people getting tix via YesMag or YIS). No touring after these shows unless the cd/video sells well. No new music at the concert.

However, YIS is now saying that Ticketmaster will also be selling tickets, so the situation might not be *quite* as dire as outlined above. But in any case, it's going to require some fast and determined action on the part of eastcoast Yes fans to get tix. The most potentially disappointing news is that a real tour doesn't seem to be in the cards for now.

Doug Gottlieb

February 16, 1996
The 1000 seater is definitely out at this point. Had the band played in Santa Barbara, this would have been possible. The shows will be held in San Luis Obispo on March 5 and 6 (the middle of the week) and YES, this is a bummer for us eastcoasters.

Yesworld Announcement

February 16, 1996
YES in Concert

Jon Anderson * Steve Howe * Chris Squire * Rick Wakeman * Alan White

Two special performances to be recorded and filmed March 5 & 6, 1996 - 8 PM

San Luis Obispo, CA

Reserved seating: $50 (limit 2 per person)

Ticket purchasing information and venue will be coming to you soon. A limited number of tickets will be available to YesWorld subscribers via mail-order: watch your inbox for details. E-mail address to join the official Yes Internet mailing list: YesWorld@yesworld.wilmington.net Web page: [Link]

Yesman Lee

February 18, 1996
Yes is coming March 5 & 6 to the Edward's Fremont Theater on Monterey Street in SLO. The house holds 800 people, and Yesmagazine and YesWorld are battling with reserved tickets. Tickets are $50 each and reserved to TWO per person per night. I tried TicketMaster at 8:00pm on Saturday night, but no listing on their computer, yet.

Doug Gottlieb is selling tix to subscribers only. YesWorld is, too. But everyone is a YesWorld subscriber, aren't they? Three weeks!!! How can we get tix? Terri and I are driving to SLO tomorrow ....for the drive! Maybe we'll see Rick or Alan with that red Mustang that they are posing by on the new photos posted on YesMag's page.

ZMOQ

February 18, 1996
Personally, I think that this two-night small venue idea has too many strikes against it from the start. If I were Yes, I'd have my publicist and/or manager fired! Here they are, with a recording contract that would cover only a single release, and a chance to recapture some of their credibility and what does Yes do? They plan a venue and make it as hard as possible for a person to attend...

1) Shows are in San Luis Obispo. Basically over 200 miles away from the San Francisco Bay Area, and at least another 200 miles away from L.A. Oh great. This is a 4 hour drive from either direction.

2) Yes chooses an 800 seater. Over two nights, this makes 1600 seats. Who's the genius? Even during the _Talk_ tour, (which wasn't very well attended) Yes sold more than 1600 seats at the Shoreline in Mountain View. Even in the state that Yes is in these days, I think that their local fans would comfortably fill a 3500 seater.

3) Yes chooses a pair of weekdays. First off, one has to arrange time off from work on very short notice. So, what kind of hotel accomodations are available, and how does one amuse one's self between shows? For some people, this little event would mean 4 days off from work. Presuming, of course... that one has the tix.

4) Limited ticket availability. I'm certain that Yes Magazine and Yes World would find that the demand for the tickets outstrips the supply (like, 6 tickets) so using some sort of lottery system would be logical. So out-of-state YesFans get to compete for a handful of tickets, while, presumably, the majority of the tix would be available to folks in the San Luis Obispo area. My my, how this contrasts with the very-nicely-organized YesFest '91 (Philadelphia), where one was able to buy YesFest tix well in advance, and concert tickets to see Yes at the Philly Spectrum were plentiful and also sold in advance. An out-of-stater got everything nicely packaged, with no unpleasant surprises or worrying about little things slipping thru the cracks.

5) $50.00 tickets. What's goin' on? Yes at the Shoreline (1994) was $25.00. Lawn seating was 2 fer the price of 1. Yes at Oakland Coliseum (1991) was $22.50. ABWH at Shoreline (1989) was $18.50. Has Yes suddenly become the Eagles? Does having Steve and Rick along, plus a slew of _Topographic_ material justify a 2x price increase? Is Yes going to have a Pink Floyd or Kiss-styled spectacular stage show, justifying this cost? Wouldn't playing a larger venue bring down the ticket price, not to mention, make a larger number of people happy? Or does any of this matter?

Harmless

February 19, 1996
[About the Freemont Theatre] There definately is such a place. I used to go to midnight movies there (you know, Song Remains The Same type stuff) when I lived there in the mid-80's.

If someone had told me at that time, that in 10 years I'd be seeing NewOldYes there doing a concert, I would have classified them as bonkers !

Should be very interesting.....

Mark Robison

February 20, 1996
...but I think they're selling out. People aren't paying to see the new music (e.g. Talk)...Jon's highly in debt...what would work to get the old fan base back from their heyday (which financially ain't now)?

OF COURSE! Play all the old stuff! But make sure that you can sell out the venue - so limit the size to only those crazed fans that will actually pay that $50 to see them. DO you really think that they could sell out a 6000 seat venue with $50 seats? My guess is that whoever is dealing with Yes realizes that if they try a major venue (which maybe Yes themselves can't even afford), they would stand to go absolutely down the tubes. So go to an easily affordable place, though SLO is WAY out of the way.

Of course, I'll probably buy the album :)

ZMOQ

February 20, 1996
What's annoying about all this is this "short notice" bit, and the fact that nobody can say for sure how exactly how many tickets are available, and from what sources. If they can't do the 1-800 number bit, something concrete like this should work (that is, if they'd do it correctly):

Reserved seating as follows:
Out of 1600 tickets
Yes Magazine has 250 tickets available for subscribers.
YesWorld has 350 tickets available for subscribers.
The remainder is being sold at the theater's box office, call xxx-xxxx or TicketMaster, call xxx-xxxx.


(This is wishful thinking. Too logical, too organized)

The concert is 17 days away. Now for east coasters, do you REALLY want to plan a trip around something as vague as this?

I'll make my plans once I'm certain that tickets will be in the mail. (more wishful thinking).

Doug & Glenn Gottlieb

February 21, 1996
Tickets to the general public will go on sale at 9:30 am on Friday, February 23 at Boo Boo Records, on Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo, CA. Call (805) 541-3181. YES Magazine subscribers should have their money orders on the way by now via overnight service if you are interested in purchasing from the reserved block of seats we are holding. Check out our webpage for further details.

Again, there are only a few hundred tickets being made available to the general public on Friday. Any YES Magazine, NFTE or YIS subscribers might want to check with the fan clubs first - you stand a better shot of getting hooked up. Good luck!

Derek

February 22, 1996
But really, don't you think the issue is being *able* to sell out a 6,000 seat venue (at any ticket price) with no album and no publicity? I suspect that if they could sell out that size venue, they *might* do so and sell the tickets for a lot less.

There's also something to be said for the atmosphere that will be created by having such a small venue and with the show being promoted the way this one is - that is, to the real fans (or the ones who happen to have Internet access or a subscription to Yes Magazine or YIS). Consider the energy that will be created by playing some of their best material to those who would most appreciate it in such an intimate setting. The whole audience/band interaction bit, and therefore, one hopes, the performances, should be incredible.

The stated purpose of the band to do this show is to "play in" the new material before recording it and to really get the creative juices flowing to create more YesMusic in the classic vein. Isn't it rather arrogant to assume that one knows the band's *true* motivation and that this motivation is a cynical lust for moolah? Considering the costs of recording and putting out a 2-CD set includign studio material, this seems like a pretty stupid way to do that.

Yes could've used some "playing in" of their material in times past. And based on recent material, I'd say they could use some musical and personal inspiration, as well. More power to 'em.

Roger Phillip

February 24, 1996
Inside Info on the YES Show here in SLO Town:

The theater starts out with app.850 seats. Their importing a stage from LA which will eliminate 250 seats right off. Lighting trusses,mixing consoles and speaker wings should do away with another 100 or so.

The band has taken about a hundred tix for their friends and family.

Various other comps leave around 450 seats for the shows.

People were lined up for 24 hours around BOO BOO's for tix.Lined streched around the block for many hundred's of feet. It's no wonder they sold out so quickly.

Local grunts working the set-up won't even get to see the show.

Yes has been in town recording and rehearsing for about 4 months at a downtown location. Full blown 48 track digital set-up. They will be recording the Fremont Show as well.

Word is they will attempt to out on an outdoor show near here sometime in April before they go on the road.

Kate Muir

February 25, 1996
[About ordering tickets at Boo Boo Records] You were not alone with your speed calling. I've read about others who did the same thing you did and couldn't get thru. Seems it was a US wide happening. My guess is the phone circuits got over loaded from around 9:30 PST till later that afternoon.

Then there's the poor dude ( an AOL'er) who lined up at 6:30 AM outside BOO BOO records SLO in freezing cold and wind, patiently waiting. Tickets went on sale at 9:30 and those in line were informed that only 275 tickets for each night were going to be sold. Well this guy felt good ( wouldn't you?) as he was definitely in the first 100, in line.

Five hours later, this guy was about 30 back from the front, when the news came out that the "YES entourage" had just requested more tickets for England, and that there were now going to be only 188 tix per night to be sold. Then he was about #10 from the window and then the tickets were all gone.

This whole thing is causing bad feelings all the way around. I'm not happy about any of these stories either. And this is too much short notice for many and someone is running way too fast with all this, to think & plan this event properly.

And now rumor has it that YES may be playing another one of these shows, but outdoors around April, maybe in the SLO or Santa Barbara area. Now IF that happens, will someone tell the manager of YES to get this gig set for the WEEK END??!! Not everybody can drop everything and leave their family and jobs, etc., to go see YES in the middle of the work week!

Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoy YES ...been a fan since '73. But get real! Not everyone can hang with this price, with the long distance travel, hotel accommodations, etc. Not all YES fans have the time or the money to do this show... not the way THIS is set up! If the news had been give sooner, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. But yeah , like ZMOQ said, this almost sounds like another Eagles concert. And no, I don't think the return of Howe or even Wakeman justifies a $50 charge ticket charge. A larger venue could have brought in more $$$ and more happy YES fans. Then most everyone would be happy.

And as for calling long distance, and not getting thru for 2 hrs, wouldn't more than one line, say an 1-800 number, for ticket sales, have made a difference? I mean come on... where are these people's head at?

The publicist or manager should at least be smacked upside his/their head(s) so he/they can think a bit more clearly next time ( if there is a next time) and think about the long range effects on the real fans of YES (old and new) instead of thinking of 'self' or not thinking...period.

I can't help but wonder who is running this show. Too many things were left out and not enought thought went into this IMHO. But if it's worth all the upset and being P'd off, maybe the April date will come around & those who can't go this time, will get their turn. But ONLY if someone gets their head working better in the planning dept.!

I believe 800 x's2 is too small. The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN would do just as nice a job as it would hold close to 3500 and every seat is a great seat! And they have an extraordinary video and audio set up as it is also a TV station and a huge stage. Great acoustics as well! Now you mean to tell me there isn't anything that can come close to something like this, in CA?? I don't believe that!

As for economics on the YES end of it, I truly think this could have been pulled off better, by more word of mouth to those who don't have a computer. Like I said, the word is already out about Howe & Wakeman so whats the problem? And this show could have been in every music section of every paper in the US ( AP or Reuter is wide spead enough, right? ) and any rock radio station could have said something about it. Or is it people don't care anymore about historic events like this one?

But simply put, there may not be that much time left. Even though the YES crew is still pretty active, there are no guarantees they will be together still in a few more years. Who knows what may happen tomorrow?

I really hope you , and others who have tried so hard the last few days on the net, do get to either THIS show, or YES will break down and do another show in April. The rumor about the April show seems to be something I'm seeing more of.

Bottom line, better planing, more advanced notice, a better venue, better price, more seats, another manager a better publicist.

PS I'll wait for the video

Jeff

February 26, 1996
According to Nic at YIS information service they gave 'South Side Of The Sky' [during the rehearsals] a try but decided to drop it.

Tami Freed

February 27, 1996
Here’s some very important information for all those going to the SLO shows. Yes Information Service, Yes Magazine and Notes From The Edge will be handing out the tickets to the shows on Tuesday, March 5th at The Coffee Merchant (1009 Monterey Street) between 2:00pm - 4:00pm only. Please make sure you are there during that time!! To try and keep things fair, the three fanclubs will be combining all the tickets and drawing them from a container. From my understanding, all the allotted tickets are very decent!

David Mazzarella

March 01, 1996
According to Yes Magazine, Yes may play on Monday March 4th at the Fremont Theatre, making it a three-show run. They emphasize that it's just a rumour, but I should hope Yesmag wouldn't report something that isn't actually being considered. If you're going early for the Tuesday show, or if you live in CA, you might want to pursue this possibility.

I hope it happens for those looking for tickets!

Willow Polson

March 01, 1996
Just called the YIS line, and to what should my wondering ears appear...?

A NEW SHOW HAS BEEN ADDED FOR MONDAY, MARCH 4TH. TICKETS GO ON SALE SUNDAY, MARCH 3RD AT 10:AM.

Call (805) 541-3181, the number for Boo Boo's records. They will also be available on a walk-in basis.

Ya gotta check that recording! You never know! 8-)

David Eyes

March 02, 1996
"YES has added a show on Monday, March 4 at the Fremont. Tickets go on sale early Sunday morning at Boo Boo Records, on Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo, CA. Call (805) 541-3181! DON'T EMAIL US FOR TICKETS!"

As the guy who caught the rehersal in SLO said, "perseverance (trans. - whining) furthers"

Steve Sullivan

KNOW THAT THIS REALLY WAS YES
Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo CA
March 5 & 6 1996

"You can't go home again', wrote Dylan Thomas, but *home again*, musically speaking, is just where a reconstituted Yes journeyed for three nights last week, taking with it an enraptured throng of pilgrims. I was lucky enough to attend the last two shows; in those six hours, Yes pretty much erased a decade or more's worth of my disappointment, indifference, and disgust with their music. No mean feat, that, from a band that since the mid-70's has so often promised more than it delivered. Who'd have thought that return and redemption would become main themes for a musical enterprise so prodigal for so long? But from the opening swells of the 'Firebird' to the last hammer-blow of 'Wurm', it was clear that the grand Yes of old was back, with a vengeance.

The Fremont Theater, decorated in a style Jon Anderson aptly dubbed LSD-inspired, proved the perfect setting for this family reunion. While the elaborate stage mechanics of tours past were not in evidence, a few Greek columns scattered about the stage seemed oddly fitting to the 'classic' nature of the show (while the occasional whiff of things cannabinoidal vividly recalled other aspects of the arena gigs of the 70's). Special lighting effects -- mostly geometric images projected against a backdrop -- were rather charmingly retro, not to mention rudimentary, but in all keeping with the intimate tenor of the event.

The setlist was an unregenerate 70's Yeshead's dream, traversing most of the Yes firmament from 'Time and a Word' through 'Tormato'. From that period only 'Relayer' went completely unrepresented, an omission that would have been more distressing had the rest of the setlist been any less thrilling. Two songs -- 'America' and 'The Revealing Science of God' -- had not been played for over twenty years, while another, 'Onward' had never been performed in concert. Others, like 'Siberian Khatru', 'Turn of the Century', and 'Going for the One' had been in retirement since the late 70's, or, like 'Close to the Edge' and 'And You and I' had been inadequately or indifferently realized by various Yes incarnations in the last decade. Here, all the songs were performed with a fine balance between faithfulness to the originals and thoughtful reinvention. In the case of 'Onward;', the latter was so thoroughgoing as to constitute a metamorphosis. The addition of a lovely acoustic guitar introduction and *tasteful* -- yes, you read it right -- accompaniment by Wakeman helped highlight the charms of this deceptively simple song (I say deceptively because it, along with the more obviously challenging Revealing Science of God, were the two songs Anderson said required 'a thousand breaths' to sing). In other cases the changes were more subtle, and, to an inveterate musical nit-picker like myself, all the more delightful for it. At one point near the end of "Close to the Edge', for example, Chris Squire replaced his trademark dive-bombing glissando with a wide and vigorous finger vibrato, demonstrating in one stroke that he'd actually rethought his parts, rather than just relearning them, and that his physical prowess with the instrument has not diminished. And who else can sling around one of those weighty Rickenbackers -- not to mention that enormous three-headed dragon he plays on 'Awaken! -- with such grace? This was Chris Squire restored and fully engaged.

Some changes were perhaps unavoidably dictated by the passage to time. 'Going for the One' was transposed down a whole step, allowing Anderson to sing it more comfortably and giving the tune a more aggressive edge overall. Similarly, the last verses of 'Turn of the Century' were played in a lower key reached by a curious modulation a la the live version of 'Close to the Edge' (Howe returned to the 'studio' key for his acoustic outro). These changes were only momentarily distracting, and perhaps only then to musicians in the audience, since Anderson was in such good voice that it seemed churlish to begrudge him a little pain-ease. On tunes like Siberian Khatru, he hit notes with precision he hadn't shown in the late 70's, while on the more rocking tunes he belted them out with abandon. If his grasp on the lyrics occasionally loosened, as it did during 'Revealing Science' and 'Turn of the Century', that too seemed more amusing than anything else. Time's toll on Squire's voice, too, had to be accommodated, and this was accomplished mainly by eliminating some of his backing vocals on some of the tunes. However, it was hard to predict what Squire *wouldn't* sing; it wasn't always the highest parts. Moreover, it often seemed as if my ears were 'filling in' the backing vocals, when my eyes were telling me that only Anderson was singing. Was this just time taking its toll on *me* or a combination of the Fremont's beautiful acoustics and the judicious use of echo in the terrific house mix?

Steve Howe tore into the tunes, hauling out one magnificent dreadnought of a guitar after another (with allowance for the tiny violin-size axe he strapped on for 'Time and a Word'). His approach to all the songs rang of maturity, a synthesis of the flowing, river-like riffery of the early 70's and the more angular, behind-the-beat syncopations of his later work. The only real improviser in the band and always the one most likely to mutate his set parts, he seemed to revel in embellishing the latter while getting himself into real musical fixes in his solos. Listening to him find his way out of these was half the fun; the other half was watching him catch fire during songs like 'America' where his jack-rabbit leaping excitement had the audience roaring its delight.

Other high points? A personal one had to be the heartfelt rendition of 'The Revealing Science of God' -- I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had a big lump in his throat during the chorus of 'what happened to this song?' Many of us really *had* been waiting all our lives for this musical moment, and Yes obliged us with a beautiful performance. The opening chant was performed with greater rhythmic drive and accuracy than on any of the extant boolegs, and elsewhere the band's gasp of the changing dynamics was nimble and sure. Much of the credit has to go to Alan White, whose drumming here and elsewhere in the set could only be described as immaculate. Indeed, Squire/White rhythm section, complemented by the outstandingly clear mix, evoked a sense of massive forces under fine control throughout both nights'sets. The intensely rhythmic drive imparted to the tunes revivified them and had the audience bopping in unison.

Quibbles? Rick Wakeman occasionally seemed not quite able to get the timbres he needed from his Moogs -- they sometimes lacked the snaky smoothness that was his trademark in Yesses past. His playing ranged from dead-on perfect -- the descending piano run that ends 'The Preacher the Teacher' was fabulously rendered -- to maddeningly not-quite-right, e.g. that climactic ascending riff in "I Get Up I Get Down' (but then again, he's *never* gotten that part right, to my ears). In his favor, he did manage to some lovely sounds -- modern sampling technology has allowed him to revive the Mellotronish flavor of the much of the older material, and in some cases, such as the mighty pipe-organ in Close to the Edge and Awaken, to surpass the tinny original versions. He toned down the flashy soloing of years past -- indeed, one of the biggest reliefs of this set was its avoidance of solo showcasing; no 'Clap', no 'Fish'. Wakeman's longish ramblings during the middle of Awaken were the only exception and, for me, the weakest part of the show. (I'd add, though, that the rest of the song was more impressive than I've heard it in any past performances). The only other segment of extended jamming was 'Wurm', and here I'm going to have to wait for the promised documentary CDs to be released before deciding whether or not the palpable frenzy the band generated during its trading-eights was of the 'hadda be there' variety. I also noted that the band's energy level seemed a tad lower on Wednesday night than on Tuesday, perhaps because Jon in particular seemed to be feeling the strain of the hot lights and high emotions (he had to leave the stage several times during the course of the night's set.)

But mainly, it was heartening to see the band looking and sounding so good and apparently (with one exception) having the time of their lives. Squire in particular was in jolly good spirits, perhaps buoyed by the three ovations of 'Happy Birthday' he received in the course of the gigs. He was constantly interacting with White, Wakeman, and Anderson, not only musically (he even got Jon to do the heavy-metal swaying bit with him during 'Wurm') but personally, with little whispered jokes and asides. Jon too got a big laugh from him and the audience by telling the 'how little Jon met big Chris' story, goofily exchanging their sizes on Wednesday night's retelling. Wakeman (or "Rick Wake-up' as Jon teasingly called him) could not be induced to come out and tell a joke, despite the audience's pleas, claiming he only knew dirty ones. However, one couldn't help feeling that at least *some* of the whispered jokes might have been at Steve Howe's expense, because if 'stage sociology' was any indication, clearly Yes 1996 was configured as Anderson/Squire/Wakeman/White ....and Steve Howe. Howe and Squire seemed to make zero eye contact -- rumor has it that when Howe excoriated the lighting crew during rehearsals, Squire quipped into his mike 'You too can be a vegetarian.' -- and the guitarist was left out of the hug-fests that accompanied the end of each show. Clearly too Howe is a perfectionist, which may not be a bad thing at all for Yes at this juncture, if they can hang together. Whether they do or not they've given the pilgrims new memories to last a lifetime.

Mike Tiano

"SLO Seems Like a Dream to Me Now"
Notes on the YesSLOws

YES fans from all over descended en masse on the little town of San Luis Obispo in California to witness an event that many thought would never happen: the reunion of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. The combination that created TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS and GOING FOR THE ONE were going to perform three shows at the Fremont Theatre in SLO which will result in both a live video and audio release, the latter to include some new tracks recorded in SLO over the last few months.

This is the closest that Yes fans have come to a Grateful Dead-like experience: traveling from far and wide to get off on the amazing music that only this combination of musicians can create. How many artists inspire their audience to make last minute plans to attend their performance, cost be damned? Here they were, from Maine to Hawaii, from Florida to Vancouver, all in SLO practically at a moment's notice, ready to see a special concert and party with others who speak the unique musical language we call Yes.

The Dead analogy went beyond trekking from afar. For the first time Yes had let the fanzines sell a block of tickets for the first two scheduled performances on March 5 and 6 of 1996. Yes Magazine and Yes Information Service joined Notes (under the YesWorld banner) in getting the tickets to the most dedicated fans. Only a limited number of seats for these shows were sold to the general public through a local SLO record store, named Boo Boo's. Those few tickets sold out so fast that a decision was made at the last minute to add the show on Monday the 4th. It went on sale Sunday the 3rd. There was also an added highlight. Many of the visiting fans knew each other and yet have never met, not so ironic in today's world of cyberspace (believe it or not after all these years I've still never met Jeff). It was a chance to get together and get to know each other, even to enjoy a Yes concert together (and not just any Yes concert), all the while knowing that everyone is just as in tune to this special music. An AOL contingent wore shirts supplied by Stan Hendrix, their email names emblazoned across their backs. There were Prodigy Yes shirts, and a couple of Notes shirts were sported as well.

The Fremont Theatre, built in the '40s and recently refurbished, is a small movie house that could accommodate about 700 people, boasting an ornate ceiling and deco artwork flanking the screen. Seats were removed from the front to be replaced by the stage, decreasing the theatre's capacity. The seats were also new, cushy and spacious with a high back, perfect for resting your head for those quieter moments. Three white columns stood on the right side of the stage, uplit in tandem with the light patterns on the theatre screen, white curtains balancing the design on the left. Steve anchored the left side of the stage while Rick performed on the right end, Jon in the center with Chris to the audience's right, and of course Alan on a riser behind.

Monday's show was originally slated to be a full rehearsal, and was a bit rough around the edges. Too often Rick wasn't loud enough to be heard, and the backup vocals of Steve and Chris were too low in the mix. But it didn't matter; to a great many in the audience this performance was a bonus: they were already in town for the next two shows--arriving early to take advantage of airline fares, enjoy the area, and meet other eager fans-while for those who were attending this show alone it was probably their only chance and they were grateful just to be there. Who cares if it wasn't perfect, they were together, up there playing, for the most part hitting the mark and having fun.

And the band cooked. Taking the stage to the trumpeting Firebird Suite they launched into Siberian Khatru which ended with a memorable solo from Steve. Close to the Edge steamed hot on its heels; there was no dry ice for I Get Up I Get Down yet the mood and tempo were perfect. On just this particular performance the tinkling sounds were absent from the song's conclusion, and it was intriguing to hear the band play their closing parts devoid of the background effects.

A rousing All Good People followed. Then came the first of many surprises: Time and a Word, with an intro of the chorus from Rick, Steve first playing on 12-string, switching to an electric mandolin for the song's end. But the real surprises were yet to come, following the next song, And You and I. During Eclipse Steve wasn't getting enough light on his pedal steel for him to see, and despite his consistent gesturing to turn the lamp up it was not bright enough (having a green gel probably didn't help). Steve was visibly unhappy, and he channeled it in his performance at that moment, playing fast and frenetically, attacking the strings with fast ascending runs instead of the usual slower gliding ones. It added an interesting dimension and the song remained as powerful as ever.

Then it was time for the first shock, the song that Jon introduced as having to take 1000 deep breaths to sing ('and it is worth it' he said the first night). I envied those in the audience who hadn't seen the set list and didn't otherwise know what was coming (like David Tratt, a Notes sub I met on the TALK tour who was there that evening), what a powerful moment it would have been when Jon started singing 'Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources...' Jon mentioned that he wanted to shorten parts but Steve wouldn't have it, and The Revealing Science of God triumphed in the process. The structure and melodies were virtually perfect, matching the album version all the way, despite the fact that it has not been performed since the original TFTO tour of 1973. I missed the harmonies in the opening and closing chants as Jon sang them solo, and would have preferred he sang the first 'They move fast' verse from the album (he sang the last one in its place). But those are minor quibbles as the band's performance shone. Ironically the longer pieces this evening seemed more together than the shorter ones.

The band then roared into the neglected classic Going For the One, not performed since the tour supporting the album of the same title. If there is one straight-ahead rocker in the band's repetoire then this has to be it; it was good to see it back in circulation and the band had it down.

Between songs Jon invited the audience to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Chris, which led to a humorous moment. Upon its ending Chris shook hands with Jon, Rick, and Alan; however Steve was busy tuning his guitar for the next number, his back to the others and oblivious to what had just taken place. Chris looked towards Steve, and seeing that Steve was not going to join the others blew him a kiss, causing the audience to howl.

Turn of the Century was next. Although it started fine, the intensity beautifully culminating between Steve's elastic guitar runs and Rick's flowing keyboards, the song eventually fell apart during the instrumental, with Chris trying to show Rick where in the section they were supposed to be. Eventually it came back together, with an unusual twist: the intro to final verse began as it did on the album but immediately changed keys (Steve later told me that Jon didn't care for the original key of the final verse).

If The Revealing... was unexpected (to those who didn't know the set list) then the next number may even have eclipsed that jolt. America has not been performed by the band reportedly since 1972 and here it was, performed as it was when it was originally recorded, all the parts intact. This is really Steve's vehicle, and he was jumping around the stage, clearly in his element as he attacked his ES-175 with glee, the band cooking, almost swinging, behind him. Jon combined the second verse with the last (the result was 'I'm empty and aching and I don't know why/it took me four days to hitchhike to Saginaw') although it's unknown if this was intentional. The haul-ass ending went without a hitch, and the crowd was on its feet.

Onward was another rare gem. It opened with Steve playing a full verse on classical guitar; when it ended he had skillfully transitioned into the repetitive triplets that he performed on the original LP, the band majestically building behind him as the song opens as on the album. Rick's solo, almost exactly mirroring the sound of the original recorded horn, was exquisite. The last song before the encore was Awaken, building steadily towards the ethereal section with Jon playing his harp along with Alan's tuned percussion, Rick's haunting keyboards giving way to the crushing sounds of a church organ. The song propelled towards an emotional climax, and the band exited the stage to an enthralled and cheering crowd.

A rousing Roundabout was the first encore, with the band attempting the extended ending that was done on the UNION tour. The band left and returned for a fine Starship Trooper, dynamically building in Wurm toward the solo section, with Rick, Steve, and even Chris all taking a blow before a slightly rocky end. The band had finished its first show since 1979.

Tuesday was the day of ticket distribution by the fanzines. Terri Reay, the general manager of the La Cuesta Motor Inn, had suggested holding the gathering at the Coffee Merchant, which was just a couple of doors away from the Fremont. Mark, the owner, had graciously agreed to let us hold the function there, and it was perfect: the establishment was large enough for a few dozen Yes fans to party while sipping on lattes. Glenn Gottlieb of Yes Magazine explained the lottery, Nic Caciappo said a few words, then turned the mic over to me.

I mentioned something that I and my s.o. Cindy had done for years: at the end of Your Move we stand up and sang the 'Give peace a chance' background line back to the band, a kind of ritual if you will. I suggested that we blow the band's mind by all standing up and do it together (some indicated they already did it too). We handed out the tickets to eager fans who were psyched to be partying here together in anticipation of the next show. The event even made the next day's Telegram-Tribune, with a color photo of a kazooed Luke Rauch retrieving his tickets. (The newspaper mentioned Nic, Glenn, and myself by name but curiously not those of our fanzines; I particularly got a laugh as they singled me out for working at Microsoft, as I doubt they would have mentioned it if I worked at, say, McDonalds.)

Tuesday's performance was better with the members refining their performance. The Firebird Suite was abruptly stopped and restarted when it began while a local dj was chattering. Turn of the Century went a lot more smoothly, and Jon again sang the combination of verses in America. Alan was having monitor problems ('like playing in Braille' he would later say; he missed a cue in Awaken--where the band abruptly stops/starts during Steve's solo in the 'Awaken gentle mass touch' section--as he was trying to resolve his dilemma) but his performance belied that fact. Steve's lighting problems weren't quite as bad; Eclipse again wasn't bright enough at the start and he gestured to increase the intensity, and this time it did (the green gel had been removed). He smiled and visibly said 'thank you', and his playing was more characteristically relaxed. Unfortunately he was again in the dark at the intro of Starship Trooper and ran into Jon's light, smirking at the lighting crew as if to say 'Remember me?' This night the band didn't leave the stage between the two encore songs.

A few rough edges aside this performance overall bested the one from the night before, the band being more together. Members of the audience did follow my suggestion: many of us stood up together to sing 'All we are saying is give peace a chance', with Jon delightedly singing with us. We sang happy birthday again to Chris, who remarked that it looked like it was going to be a long one. When the band left the stage the audience cheered for what must have been literally 20 minutes or more afterward.

After this show I attended a party with some of the Yes fans I had met at SLO, many of them steadfast Notes contributors who I've never met, like stalwart Roy DeRousse. I knew a few of them only by alias; I'd be introduced to a person whose name I wouldn't recognize until I learned the email name! Everyone was having a blast, discussing the finer points of the concert, and phoning those less fortunate to give them the lowdown on the show and what which Yes members they ran into that day. I met so many people, too numerous to mention, and to those I want to say a collective it was great to meet you.

There were many stories of fans' encounters with band members at various times and places, but the topper was probably one Steve recounted. Fans had camped out at Boo Boo's on Saturday night to purchase tickets for Monday's added show the following Sunday morning. A figure wearing a hat and carrying a guitar on his back approached the fans, and was instantly recognized as Steve, who threw his hat on the ground and began to play for those in the queue, busker-style, hammering out Mood For a Day and Roundabout among others. One fan reportedly jammed with Steve on the spot, and someone even threw a dollar into the hat (which Steve returned). Steve's unusual and unexpected visit enhanced the magical and festive air of these few special days.

Wednesday was the best show of the three, the band hitting their stride. Due to an apparent technical problem with his 12-string Steve would play the electric mandolin through all of Time and a Word (he later called the occurrence 'spooky'; ironically he originally wanted to perform the song that way but was vetoed by the rest of the band). The second verse of America was the correct one on this night. The band was finally coalescing and finding its feet, and generally the performances were right on target, alternately emotional and rollicking, providing a satisfying climax to the last of the three shows. (Due to a few heated words at that evening's sound check Steve was brightly lit the entire evening.)

Over the three nights there was some funny between-song patter, stretched out to accommodate the changing of tapes. One running joke was where Jon, in reference to the GOING FOR THE ONE sessions, would place the band in Switzerland, and the reference to that country started to pop up whether the next song was recorded there or not (at one point Jon was introducing some song and Chris piped it, 'it was in Switzerland'). In his intro for America Jon referred to his first meeting with Chris where they discovered they both liked Simon and Garfunkle; the first two nights he looked up, shaking Chris' imaginary hand, then looked down and did the same as if he were Chris, but on the third night he reversed the names (i.e., Chris was looking up at Jon). And so Alan would get an introduction Jon would announce, 'And now to count off this next song is...ALAN WHITE!'

The mix was good and seemed the right volume, and the lighting was as imaginative as could be expected for a video shoot where for the most part the band was brightly lit in white. The real videotaping took place on the last night, though amazingly there were no restrictions on cameras and even camcorders despite the warning on the back of the ticket!

On all three nights the songs were performed at a steady, sometimes relaxed tempo. With longer compositions there could be a temptation to hurry through the changes to quickly get through it. But the quieter portions were almost serene, played unrushed and with feeling, and never did I get the impression they were anxious to speed through the song to get it over with. Also it was satisfying to have the Yes trademark vocal sound back: Trevor Rabin is a great singer but the timbre of his voice was so markedly different from Steve's that the familiar Yes harmonies were lost in the process. (One last concert note: there was no intermission on any of the three shows.)

In the way of merchandise there was an Opio table, dedicated to Jon. For Yes there were two styles of shirts with the Yes logo on the front, surrounded by Yes' signatures, with the logo with '96' on one sleeve and the following on the back:

"Keys To Ascension"
Ascension of the Spirit is the Reality of our True Being,
We all made this Agreement to be here in this world at this moment,
These are the Masterworks of YESMUSIC
Written, Performed, and Recorded by
Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, and Alan White...
March 1996
San Luis Obispo, CA

There was also a giveaway, a four page pamphlet titled 'Masterworks' with the 'Keys of Ascension' statement on it as well; inside were rehearsal photos of the band and the same text from the shirt. On the back is a color photo of the blackboard listing the songs the band rehearsed, including ones that were not performed: 'South Side of the Sky' and 'Leaves of Green/Nous Sommes du Soleil'. I won't soon forget this special event and the good vibes that went with it. Thanks to all--band and fans alike--who made it a a memorable event. What a buzz. Let's hope there are many more.

Yesman Lee

San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune Wednesday. March 6, 1996
Carol Roberts

SAN LUIS OBISPO - The biggest Yes fans could turn out to be the motel and restaurant owners here who are playing host this week to hundreds of concertgoers from all over the United States and Canada.

Eddie Lee, who became a fan as a kid in Hong Kong, came all the way from Honolulu. Erich Toll, who makes education al films, flew from Boulder, Colo. He brought along his wife and son and picked up his mother in Los Angeles. "Thanks to Yes, my son is getting to visit with Grandma," he said. Paul Seale, a lawyer from Vancouver, B.C., arrived Tuesday with his wife, Sheryl, a Canadian "Mountie." just to see the rock group. Lee, who manages a small company on Oahu, was staying at the Lamplighter Inn and looking forward to getting together with other fans he's met for dinner at 1865 Restaurant. Toll and his family were staying at the Apple Farm. The Seales Were booked into the Madonna Inn. They were enjoying the decor. "We cracked up at our fluorescent green room," Paul Seale said. "It's really quite a place." All were among the fans who crowded into the Coffee Merchant downtown Tuesday to see where they would be seated for last night's and tonight's concerts at the Fremont.

They paid $55 a seat, ordered through a Yes magazine, the Internet or a Yes newsletter. They bought their tickets but didn't know where they'd sit until their names were drawn out of a hopper by three men who had told fans far and wide about the performances. Mike Tiano, who works for Microsoft in Seattle, manages the main Yes fan magazine on the Internet. Glenn Gottlieb of Long Island puts out a slick Yes magazine from there and Nic Caciappo of Modesto edits a Yes newsletter. They handed out a block of 150 tickets for Tuesday's concert that had been ordered through the Internet, their magazine and newsletter.

The fans at the Coffee Merchant not only planned to sleep and dine locally, they were eager to do some sightseeing and visit downtown shops. "This sure looks like a real tourist town now," said Seale, who was here from Canada about a decade ago. "I like it so well, I've picked up some real estate tabs to look at homes."

Some of the fan's hosts at local restaurants and motels knew of Yes, but were more excited about the influx of guests than the rock group. "Yes was a little before my time." said Tom Sherwood, the 23-year-old desk clerk at the Lamplighter. John Fayre, a bartender at 1865. said he was a fan in the 1970s, but had no plans to attend the concerts. Larry Ward, the president of Heritage Oaks Bank in the county, said ne first saw Yes in Denver in 1974. He lamented Tuesday that previous plans would keep him from the concerts here. But the bank, he said, has done a little something for the group. Heritage Oaks was scheduled to open its second San Luis Obispo branch in a leased building on Santa Rosa Street soon. Yes has been using the building, owned by Rob Rossi and others in the Santa Rosa Group, to record an album tor the past few weeks.

Yes wants it for three more weeks, Ward said, so the bank has agreed to wait until after that to start its remodeling.

Yes fans are nothing if not accommodating. "We're good guests, said Eric Melleby. a postal worker who came from Dayton Ohio, for Tuesday's concert. "We're friendly. We're clean. We're sober. We just love the music.

Yesman Lee

San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune Wednesday. March 6, 1996
Carol Roberts

SAN LUIS OBISPO - The biggest Yes fans could turn out to be the motel and restaurant owners here who are playing host this week to hundreds of concertgoers from all over the United States and Canada.

Eddie Lee, who became a fan as a kid in Hong Kong, came all the way from Honolulu. Erich Toll, who makes education al films, flew from Boulder, Colo. He brought along his wife and son and picked up his mother in Los Angeles. "Thanks to Yes, my son is getting to visit with Grandma," he said. Paul Seale, a lawyer from Vancouver, B.C., arrived Tuesday with his wife, Sheryl, a Canadian "Mountie." just to see the rock group. Lee, who manages a small company on Oahu, was staying at the Lamplighter Inn and looking forward to getting together with other fans he's met for dinner at 1865 Restaurant. Toll and his family were staying at the Apple Farm. The Seales Were booked into the Madonna Inn. They were enjoying the decor. "We cracked up at our fluorescent green room," Paul Seale said. "It's really quite a place." All were among the fans who crowded into the Coffee Merchant downtown Tuesday to see where they would be seated for last night's and tonight's concerts at the Fremont.

They paid $55 a seat, ordered through a Yes magazine, the Internet or a Yes newsletter. They bought their tickets but didn't know where they'd sit until their names were drawn out of a hopper by three men who had told fans far and wide about the performances. Mike Tiano, who works for Microsoft in Seattle, manages the main Yes fan magazine on the Internet. Glenn Gottlieb of Long Island puts out a slick Yes magazine from there and Nic Caciappo of Modesto edits a Yes newsletter. They handed out a block of 150 tickets for Tuesday's concert that had been ordered through the Internet, their magazine and newsletter.

The fans at the Coffee Merchant not only planned to sleep and dine locally, they were eager to do some sightseeing and visit downtown shops. "This sure looks like a real tourist town now," said Seale, who was here from Canada about a decade ago. "I like it so well, I've picked up some real estate tabs to look at homes."

Some of the fan's hosts at local restaurants and motels knew of Yes, but were more excited about the influx of guests than the rock group. "Yes was a little before my time." said Tom Sherwood, the 23-year-old desk clerk at the Lamplighter. John Fayre, a bartender at 1865. said he was a fan in the 1970s, but had no plans to attend the concerts. Larry Ward, the president of Heritage Oaks Bank in the county, said ne first saw Yes in Denver in 1974. He lamented Tuesday that previous plans would keep him from the concerts here. But the bank, he said, has done a little something for the group. Heritage Oaks was scheduled to open its second San Luis Obispo branch in a leased building on Santa Rosa Street soon. Yes has been using the building, owned by Rob Rossi and others in the Santa Rosa Group, to record an album tor the past few weeks.

Yes wants it for three more weeks, Ward said, so the bank has agreed to wait until after that to start its remodeling.

Yes fans are nothing if not accommodating. "We're good guests, said Eric Melleby. a postal worker who came from Dayton Ohio, for Tuesday's concert. "We're friendly. We're clean. We're sober. We just love the music.

Yesman Lee:
NEW TIMES February 29-March 7, 1996
A.J. Schuermann

I had been waiting in line outside Boo Boo's for six hours, periodically going up the street to get coffee, listening to the street sweepers go by, thinking about my childhood, young adulthood, friends, family and the irony of life. Then, at 3 a.m., the morning Telegram-Tribunes arrived hot off the press. "We made the front page," I announced to a few people on the street who were still awake, and gave them a copy of the paper. Our clandestine vigil for Yes tickets had been discovered and exposed on the front page with a headline asking, "Is it worth the wait?" A silly question for Yes fans. But for everyone else, perhaps an explanation was needed.

Call it supply and demand. You see, only 500 tickets were available and more than 500,000 Yes fans might have shown up had this thing been widely publicized.

So I went down to Boo Boo's at 9:30 on Thursday night and there was already a line. l think l was No. 19. I saw NewTimes writer Steve Jones the following morning taking pictures of the jubilant crowd outside Boo Boo's. "I didn't know you were a Yes fan," he said. "Oh, yeah," I said. "I've been listening to them since I was a kid." That statement, perhaps, provides the best framework for my explanation of why this concert means so much to me, and why I would stand in line for 12 hours freezing my ass off for two tickets.

My brother and I have been listening to Yes for nearly 20 years. We've seen the band before, in the '80s and '90s, but we never got a chance to see the classic Yes lineup from the '70s and this was the Yes we always wanted to see. We lived in New York City in the '70s, and often regretted being too young to go to Madison Square Garden to see Yes. My mother wouldn't let us take the subway which was probably wise of her. But we still resented being born too late to see our favorite band. "Don't worry. They'll still be around when you guys are 18 and can do what you want," my mother said.

Not exactly. Yes broke up and went through several personnel changes over the years. We moved to Southern California and by the time I saw them in concert in 1983, they were more of a glorified pop band. MTV, and all that stuff. As a Yes fan in California, I was something of an anachronism, somewhat out of my contemporary time and place. When I told people I liked Yes, they would say, "Oh yeah, 'Owner of a Lonely Heart,' right?" To which I would issue a dismissal. "No. More like 'Parallels' and 'Turn of the Century,' and the stuff off of 'Tales."' "Tales'?" they asked. Why bother? I thought. These people don't understand the art of the 20-minute song. They had no patience for "Close to the Edge," "The Gates of Delirium," or "Ritual." They barely got through an eight-minute piece like "Roundabout. "

The symphonic song, a trademark of Yes for many years, is only for those with sophisticated and patient ears. Their music is spiritual, jazzy, and classical, and quite unlike anything else in the world of rock. I came to San Luis Obispo in 1984, went to Cal Poly, and now I work there. My brother came up here one year to visit and we hiked up Bishop Peak. Lookingout at the Morros, he commented that the view looked like something off an old Yes album.

True. The surrealistic landscapes created by artist Roger Dean resemble the same kind of spirit found at Montana de Oro, or in the Elfin Forest, or Poly Canyon, or any number of beautiful landscapes in this area. I've been trying to tell people this for a number of years.

My brother and I joked then that San Luis Obispo is Yes land. lt's not so much of a joke any more, since I met San Luis Obispo resident and Yes lead singer Jon Anderson outside of Buona Tavola a week ago. The next thing I knew, Yes was scheduled to play at the Fremont Theatre and it's the lineup from the '70s.

So I got my two tickets and called my brother with the good news. He said nothing but I could hear him playing the Yes song "Rejoice" over the phone. He was waiting for my call and knew I would come through for him, for us.

The answer is Yes. It was worth the wait. I have been able to capture an opportunity missed many years ago. Time and money mean nothing to me. I am grateful to bring back, if only for one night, a bit of my youth. I can't get those years back. But I never thought I'd get the chance to do something I always wanted to do back then. And all of this is happening in my neighborhood.

Freelance writer A.J. Schuermann will be in the audience Wednesday night.

Erich Toll

I needed to get a ticket for the Monday night show, and someone told me to call a Yes fan named Steve Staub at La Cuesta motor inn. I called, and the hotel operator connected me with a guest with a British accent (as you know, fans came from all over the world for these shows). The person said he would leave a ticket for me at the front desk.

When I saw Steve Staub at the concert that night, he denied having left a ticket for me. I was puzzled, and wanted to pay the $50 to the person who left the ticket for me. The next couple days, I talked to various people - including Glenn Gottlieb of Yes magazine - to find out who left a ticket for me, and even posted a sign at La Cuesta.

Wednesday I was eating breakfast, and Steve Howe and Glenn walked in. After a few minutes, I walked over and said hi to Glenn, then introduced myself to Steve Howe. "Ever so gently" was his effete response when I extended my hand and said my name: "Erich Toll." "Erich Toll," he said. "You owe me money." Glenn and I were both shocked to figure out that Steve Howe, not Steve Staub, had left a ticket for me.

This could have all been a very funny coincidence. But not with Steve Howe. I explained to him I was trying to reach a person named Steve Staub, and never in my wildest dreams thought I had spoken to Steve Howe. I didn't even know Howe was staying at La Cuesta. "You're full of shit," Steve said. He continued: "How could you not know it was me with a British accent." I told him that fans cakme from all over the world, and I assumed Steve Staub was from England. Nonetheless he remained very pissy and cold.

Here I was - a fan of almost 20 years - and he cusses me out and calls me a liar for no reason. The whole restaurant heard this, and I was so embarrassed and sick to stomach I couldn't even finish my breakfast.

He then refused my $50. I later asked a waitress to bring him the money, and Glenn said Howe went through the roof. He even tried to cancel an interview with Mike Tiano, blaming me?! The truly disgusting thing is that Glenn knew I had been asking around for 3 days to find the person who left the ticket for me, and probably told Howe. But do you think that fucker Howe would apologize to me?

I'm a man's man, and I don't cry often, but I cried that morning.

Anyway, he's on my shit list for life. Every other member of Yes I've met: Anderson, Squire, Moraz, Wakeman - was very friendly and cool.

Tom Adams

My name is Tom and I have a tale to tell about the rock n' roll band Yes. I should begin by giving you some background about the relationship between myself and Yes to put things into perspective. My first encounter was not with Yes as a band, but with a solo Rick Wakeman. It was the summer of '75 I was 15 years old and a friend of mine had seen an "In Concert" ABC broadcast of Wakeman's "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" concert (which to this day I have still not seen). He purchased the album and got me hooked on keyboards in general and Rick Wakeman in particular.

Soon I was absolutely enthralled with every rock n' roll keyboard opus I could find (and quickly leaving the folds of AM radio for the more "progressive sound" of FM) recording on tape anything that smacked of keyboards, Argent's "Hold Your Head Up", Cat Stevens "Morning has Broken" (unknowingly with Wakeman), etc. But there was one song, with a really wicked organ solo, I wanted on my tape called "Roundabout" by a band called Yes. So, I borrowed the "Fragile" album and, lo and behold, Rick Wakeman! I became an instant Yes fan.

Around the Christmas of '76 (as a senior in high school) I was asked to play bass guitar for a quartet that had a bass and amp but no player. I had never played anything more that a tape deck, so they showed me the three notes to play for a basic blues cycle and there I was, "instant musician". I was so turned on that I borrowed that bass and amp, went home, put "Yessongs" on the turntable and started painfully learning Chris Squire chops (by this time my interest in Yes had graduated from just Wakeman worship to an appreciation of the entire band). Unfortunately I was still so steeped in Wakemania to allow purchase of "Relayer" and I'm still not as familiar with that album or "Tales of Topographic Oceans" (hey, I was a dumb 16 year old, I took "Topographic" back to the record store 'cause I thought there wasn't enough Wakeman solos!).

Anyway, my first "brand-new" Yes album purchased was "Going For The One" it instantly became my favorite. My very first rock concert was the "Going For The One" tour in '77 at the Forum in LA. I was blown away, not just to hear them sonically fry my mind, but with the fact that "there they were in the flesh, my heroes, wow!".

As the years passed I have had the opportunity to see most of the band past and present in various groups and venues. Bill Bruford in King Crimson, ABWH, and in a duet in a small Santa Barbara club with Pat Moraz. I have seen Steve Howe with ASIA, and ABWH. Chris Squire in a club in LA with Alan White headlining "The Chris Squire Experiment". And my hero Wakeman only once more in ABWH (but he blew everybody away at that show). But I have never seen another Yes show.

Jump to the present....

One of my best friends, Alan (who is also my neighbor), called me on the phone and said he heard on KOTR (quite possibly the finest radio station in the world, totally prog!) about a Yes concert and album being made in San Luis Obispo, a small college town 55 miles to the north of where I live, Lompoc. If I remember correctly my first reaction was "bull***t", I immediately called KOTR to confirm the news. The GM for the station called me back the next day and said "Yes" to Yes, saying they had been in town for months recording a new album. I got very agitated, how could those slimy SLO folks hold out on me for so long? I switched into high gear and started making phone calls.

Sometimes, when it comes to having contacts, being a pseudo-musician has its advantages and within a few days, with a little help from my friends, I had ferreted out where Yes was hiding (this was the following Tuesday), and also had the word that this rehearsal hall was going to be torn down by Friday. In fear of a shrinking window of opportunity, I rushed to the location (a former savings and loan on the corner of Marsh and Santa Rosa) that night at around 10 pm and found no band but a couple of guys spray painting a large wooden box. Being totally cool, I allowed myself to be sized-up by these completely innocuously-looking individuals. They hemmed and hawed a little, and finally said "come back Thursday at 4 pm, they rehearse from 4-6". I asked "what should I do when I come back?" and they said "just walk in (I swear I'm telling the truth!) and sit down on the couch" I also asked the one holding the spray paint can what the box was for, "one of Rick's Moog stands" he smilingly replied.

So far, I had been pretty cool about everything, that is until I turned the knob on that door two days later. My heart was palpitating, I was starting to sweat, and my nerves were singing an aria from La Bohem. The knob turned, the door opened, and there down a small corridor and through an opened doorway was a rack of Korg and Kurzwiel keyboards. As I approached the open doorway a figure walked past holding a cup of coffee, it was....CHRIS SQUIRE! he looked right at me but wasn't completely focused, as if he had a thought bouncing around in his brain and was fighting for concentration. "Can I help you?" he asked, and the last thing I wanted to do was go tharn before my mentor. "Ah" I stammered "Ah, Hi my name is Tom (shake hands) I've come by to listen, I promise I'll be a fly on the wall" Chris said "Oh, OK well, have a seat" and motioned to the left toward the couch.

As I entered the rehearsal room and sat down on the couch, everywhere my eye landed caused another sharp breath to escape me. "There's Alan White's drum kit, and there's Alan White!", "Jeez, there's Steve Howe, And there's his pedal board!", "Humm, I smell incense, Oh hello Jon", "Oh man, there's Fishy's 4001". Just imagine sitting there trying to look disinterested whilst your insides are doing a "3-Stooges-On-Caffeine-Dance-Of-Joy". Now I know what a microwave burrito feels like.

The band lay before me in concert setup, left to right Steve Howe, Alan White/Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Rick Wakeman who arrived about five minutes after me. I sat in an alcove in front of the band. There was a couch, a recliner, two smaller chairs, and a burl wood coffee table strewn with newspapers. Along with the furniture there was various pieces of artwork, statues, wall size photographs, a well-worn Hammond B3 and bench, a Leslie and the Hammond's footpedals disattached laying in the corner, and sundry recording equipment not currently being implemented by the crew all laying "roundabout" me (sorry). Two huge concert cabs (used as room monitors) were perched on either side of this alcove, the two nearest me were resting on Squire's rig flight cases (90125 painted logo, Denver Nuggets sticker, "SQUIRE" stencil, etc.)

To the left of me there were two people sitting near the couch, a man and a teenage boy (possibly his son) and that was it, it was like a personal concert, damn near one on one, I sat down and took off my jacket. Jon was gluing something together (a small shaker I believe), Steve was noodling on his ES175D, Alan trying to get his monitor earpieces to sound like they did the day before, Chris strapping on the old Ricky and making some runs, and Rick breezed in, touched base with Chris and Jon and his two techs then taking his position, it was time to begin.

With a countoff by Al (that's what they call him), Steve broke into the intro of "Siberian Khatru" and the band was off and running. The sound was perfect, not too loud, definitely a good working volume, my eye was immediately drawn to Chris. Chris Squire is probably the most dynamic bassist in the history of rock n' roll. Oh sure, there have been bass layers who've developed unique playing styles, and bass players who look and move with a certain panache on stage, but never have the two combined with such ferocity as they have with Squire. Even in rehearsal the man is a walking, stalking volcano, accentuating nearly every riff with movements of his body almost as if he cannot control himself (what I call the "Billy Preston Syndrome", you know "...gonna let the music move me around").

Christopher seems to be using a bit more chorus effect on his bass than usual, but it still had that "Fishy Sound". He was using his trademark Marshall head and 4x10 flat-face cab, 2 (side by side)15" Energy cabs, all stacked top to bottom with 2 large 8x10 Ampeg cabs on either side flanking the stack and topped off with a Marshall mini-stack (red mini-head on top of the main stack, red mini-cabs on each Ampeg cab) if this is hard to visualize you'll be able to see it in the live video there shooting in SLO, he's got the rig right on stage. His effects were behind the stack so I'm unclear on his processing, but he did have that good old well worn pedal board and Taurus Pedals.

They played SK straight through, no stops, pretty incredible considering its been years since this version of the band has played together, but they had played it before for years so I guess its not surprising. I knew when the playback started issuing forth waterfalls and dripping sounds shortly after SK was finished that "Close To The Edge" wasn't far behind, and sure enough they played that straight through in real time with the sound effects, way cool.

With very little down time between songs they went on to play "All Good People" and then to a simplified version of "Time And A Word" (Al on brushes, Steve on his Martin 12-string Acoustic, Rick on a sweet piano patch, and Chris on a semi-hollow acoustic/electric bass, I couldn't get the model) it was very gentle and nice to hear that song (I'd never heard it live before). Then they played "And You And I" (and, perfectly, I might add).

The next song was "Revealing The Science Of God" but because I'm not as well versed in "Tales Of Topographic Oceans" I didn't recognize it at first but I will tell you one thing for sure, Wakeman had a solo in it that curled my hair, everybody turned to look at Rick in the middle of that solo who literally had blurs for fingers!

By this time a few more people had entered the room, a pro photographer hustling for a job, a radio station shmoozer, etc. and Chris Squire's wife Melissa. Here's a tip, if you ever get in this kind of a situation (loads of strangers and want to fit in) always carry Lifesavers, they're great for starting conversations with strangers, case and point: Melissa Squire. A lovely woman, actually, a Babe. She and Chris have been married three years, and get this, she didn't even know he played bass when they got married! we had a nice conversation and she was very friendly.

It was now five o'clock, break time at the ol' "Rehearsal Corral". Some band members split to get grub or Cafe Latte's from a near-by coffee shop, I stood my ground. The strangest thing is that nobody hassled me, I saw both of the guys I had met earlier (the ones painting the box) and one of 'em even mentioned that I was being a good "fly on the wall" but no ugly stares, no whispers of "would you please refrain from making direct eye-contact with the band members" nothing, just completely, utterly cool.

After a 45 minute break (it was now quarter to six), and after I got Jon and Al to autograph my Going For The One CD (I usually despise autographs, but hey, I'm a shlub from a podunck town, I gotta have something to prove I was there) they played "Going For The One", it turned out to be the least energetic song of the evening. It seemed as if they dropped the key of the song a step, and Steve didn't seem to have enough overdrive on the pedal steel, the song was kinda like a warm, flat beer. Hey its beer, but not under the best circumstances!

The next song was "Turn Of The Century" and, of course, it sounded great. Then was a treat for me, one of my favorite Yes songs (and it isn't even a Yes song!) they played "America", with that great, dopey, "Duane Eddy" guitar lick in the middle by Steve and that "Drive-Me-To-Hell-With-A-Sledge" rhythm of Squire/White. The second half of the rehearsal really picked up at this point. During the "America" lead, Chris and Al were making big-time eye contact and both had big-time grins from ear to ear I thought a revival was gonna break out. It was a real gas and the whole room lit up afterward (or was it that warm, flat beer?).

When I was younger, and "Tormato" had just been released, I used to put the song "Onward" on my headphones and drift off to sleep, that song really relaxes me. When they started playing it next, I switched over to the recliner next to the sofa, put my feet up and almost went to sleep, yeah, like that would really happen.

The last song they played that evening was, appropriately enough, "Awaken" When I was at the '77 concert they closed the show with "Awaken". Of course, back then I was completely numb by the time they got to it, but I do remember a couple of things. One was the massive power cords that end the song, and how it nearly rearranged my features when they played them. The other was Chris' three necked bass, a huge piece of wood that nearly covered the trunk of his body, a most impressive apparatus. Imagine my surprise when he strapped that ten ton beast on and proceeded to blow my head off with it!

Somebody flicked off most of the neon lights in the room just before it started, and all that was left for illumination was blue and red gels covering a row of neon's just over the band, it was quite simple yet very effective. All evening long, regardless of how many people were in the room, dead silence followed after every song (you don't applaud in a rehearsal, or your found out to be a Philistine and cast to outer darkness), but even Jon applauded lightly after that incredible performance of "Awaken".

The rehearsal was over. There were no cheers, no applause, just five guys busting a sweat and tryin' to get it right, I still had to get the last of my autographs. Rick was next, and even though I wanted to say something to him in the worst way (I had even rehearsed a heart-felt speech in the car on the way over) it just didn't seem appropriate. I held up my pen and CD as I approached him, he was busy talking to one of his techs. I said something stupidly timid like "Sir, please?" he seemed to always be smiling and his smile got brighter "Oh, sure" he said and took the items and with a flourish of pen handed them back to me, "Here you go, Sir" he said, "Thank you, Sir" I said (we were so genteel about the whole thing, I though we might end up having a cup of tea).

Steve was a little more intimidating, not because of any attitude, but because he seemed more "down-to-business", not as affable as Rick but, you know, it all comes down to timing. On the one hand you don't want to get in their way, and disturb them. But on the other hand, you can't sit around and wait for the "I-May-Be-Approached" lamp to be lit, 'cause it may not. I just put myself in his shoes, and using my experience as a musician tried to time it just right. When I did finally go up to him, he gladly signed up and went right back to business.

Chris was the toughest of all. Timing an approach to him was like trying to jump on a moving freight train. According to Melissa, when Chris is rapidly approaching "Performance-mode" he gets a bit intense (not in a bad way, just a little myopic) he's all over the rehearsal hall, walking around, talking to band members, sound crew, his tech, its hard to get him to stand still. When I did corner him he happily obliged the autograph.

I went back to the couch and gathered my things. The place was eerily silent, maybe because my ears were still ringing from "Awaken", maybe because I expected hordes of groupies, booze, and drugs to descend from rock 'n roll heaven (ya know, even the gods of rock know when its Miller Time). But no, nothing, just scattered chatter from the guys at the board, and the quiet hubbub of guitars being put away and cases being latched. I though I might stick around, but figured that I had gotten so much more than I had bargained for I better not press my luck. Wakeman was gone, Howe was on his way out, the rest of the band had wandered off to other parts of the old bank, maybe upstairs, who knows. I split.

I could probably spend an hour or more trying to tell you how I felt as I walked through the light drizzle back to my car, but I won't, I'm sure you can imagine it for yourself. I had no tickets for the shows, and this "Former-Home-Federal-Savings-And-Loan" nirvana would be gone by tomorrow or the next day, I didn't even get to thank anybody for letting me sit in on the rehearsal. It was now 7:00 pm and I still had to go back to my job and finish up my 8 hours. I had in my hand a piece of scratch paper, I had written the rehearsal song list on the back. When I got back to the office, I noticed that it was a fax header for Jon Anderson. It didn't have much on it, but it did have his personal fax number! so I faxed Jon and the band a heartfelt thank you (I also promised to never use the number again, nor divulge it). Then, I got on the phone and told my other best friends L.J. and his brother Kevin (both bona fide Yes fans with many concerts under their collective belts) my adventure, and basked in the jealousy that only a true jerk, like me, can enjoy.

Little did I know that my adventure was not over. Not by a long shot.

Kevin decided to drive up to SLO on Saturday and located the building as per my instruction (all the while, sure of his inevitable disappointment). But no, they were still there rehearsing! This time the door was locked, so Kev waited by the door. A break came and Jon, Chris, and Rick scooted off to the nearby coffee shop for more Lattes (I don't know if that's what they drink, other than just plain Juan Valdez I don't know any other "coffee bar" drinks). When they came back Kevin asked Jon if he could come in, "sure" I think was the reply, so he got in for what was left of the practice (couple of hours).

Ok, I hope your getting the picture, three friends, all die hard Yes fans, two get in, one is left out. Fast forward to Sunday. I get out of church and receive a phone call from another friend with an extra ticket to Mondays show. I say "let's give it to L.J." (hey, maybe I'm not a jerk after all!). Its agreed by all to give it to Eljers, but we all make a pact to go with him even if we can't get in.

Monday morning I hear a rumor about tickets being returned by the band are available. I dial Boo Boo Records repeatedly for 45 minutes, get through, and get two tickets for Tuesday night! Yahoo! Now the plan is this: we all drive up to SLO, L.J. gets his ticket and goes to the show, I get my Tuesday night tickets (whom I will share with my lovely wife, Nina), and Kev and I will hang out near the backstage for the rest of the evening. At 4:30 its off to SLO we go. We take L.J. to the bank to show him where the band was but now the room has been torn down, we walk about a hundred yards to the rear entrance of the Fremont and, by-golly, look who's there Rick and Alan getting ready to split after the soundcheck. So L.J. (bless his little heart) gets to meet some of the band after all, good for him.

It seems that they were waiting for Chris to get some coffee from that coffee bar they've been frequenting (its midway between the rehearsal hall and the Fremont), Rick is sitting in the car with the door open, Al is standing around with crew members, and we're standing in the middle of 'em all. Rick pipes up and says "C'mon Fishy!" that's when I spot Chris coming out of the coffee bar. My brain is screaming at me to initiate some conversation with Rick, I'm standing just inches away from him. So I say to L.J. "Tonight its you, but tomorrow its my turn". Ha, it worked, Rick looks over at me and said "You've got tickets for tomorrow night?" to which I retort "Yep, my wife and I are in the back row" (I said this like a twist on Bob Uecker's "in the front row" joke) he says to me, with his smile broadening, "Good, I hope you enjoy the show" "I'm sure we will" I said and then they were off. OK, I'm a realist, and I realize it wasn't much of a conversation, but it meant the world to me, so there.

But wait! At 6:30 Kevin (that bastard!) scores a loose Monday night ticket, I'm left alone. But don't cry for me Argentina because I dump them at the Fremont door and go back around to the rear entrance, make friends with the Event Security guard (Jack, a nice guy, but not his real name). Then I proceed to hang out backstage, with the band! (well kinda, they didn't know I was hanging out with 'em, but, it counts just the same).

Now get this, as the band members come out of their respective trailers, I'm standing at the rear stage entrance like a guard with Jack (I'm 6'4" 300 lbs.). Nobody with the band hassles me 'cause I look like a guard, nobody from the Event Staff hassles me 'cause they think I'm with the band. Even Jack's boss stops by and we chit chat pleasantries. I'm standing inches (maybe one or two) from Jon and the boys as they take the stage for Monday nights opener, talk about excitement! I always wondered what Yes does just before they hit the stage.....turns out to be nuthin', they just stand there, take their que, and go, it was quite amusing. I was able to walk down the small ramp to the stage monitor board and watch the first four songs, but I wanted to go home so as not to spoil any surprises for my show the next night. Before I left, I talked with a fellow named Josh (not his real name) who was working as a sort of a Valet for the band, driving them around SLO, getting them stuff, you know, a helper. Josh fills me in on a lot of details, like where the band is staying, this information was most appreciated.

I reluctantly left SLO knowing I was doing the right thing, a patient wife waiting for me to come home, children wondering where could daddy be, and besides, I hadn't missed an episode of Murder One yet this season and I could still make it home by 10. Well, my friend, that decision was a big, bad mistake. L.J. and Kevin both told me that "Revealing The Science Of God" was a show stopper and that "Going For The One" was killer, oh well, I did get to see Murder One (yippee). What's worse is that they got to talk to Rick Wakeman after the show. It seems that the band had rented a small restaurant right next door to the theater for the "After-Gig-Social-Hour", and after the show Eljers and Kev walked back around (where I had been all evening!) only to find all the guards gone and Uncle Rick standing there all by himself. They, quite obviously, availed themselves to profuse "thank you's" and "good-show's". What coulda been my luck, ended up their luck.

Here is another tidbit from the "luckiest-man-on-earth", when you are in a situation where imminent luck must be quickly obtained, buy a hat. Something that looks nice, not too ostentatious, an easily recognizable color, something trendy, almost pithy, written on the face. Why, you ask? Well, I bought one from Kmart on my way up to the rehearsal, mainly because it was raining and if I had to stand outside for any length of time I wanted some protection from the elements. But second, because a face can sometimes be unmemorable (as in my case) but a big red hat that says SPAM is unforgettable. If your totally cool in one situation, then you want all the players to remember that you were cool, and allow you into other situations because, they trust, you'll be equally cool (my wife tells my I'm nuts), the hat will help you be remembered. I was wearing my lucky hat when I got into the rehearsal, I was wearing it when I was with the band before Monday nights show and I was wearing it, now, as I entered the Fremont Theater with my wife for Tuesday nights high mass with amps. The hat had been pretty lucky (who am I kiddin', it was awesomely lucky!) and I thought maybe that luck would give us a dynamite show. It did.

Before we walked into the theater, I went to the backdoor to visit with Jack. The atmosphere backstage was considerably more tense than the night before. I was told the band was in the theater that morning at 10 am trying to workout the monitor bugs and that tonight more music industry types would be among the crowd. I parted from Jack after shaking his hand and telling him thanks (he didn't even know who Yes was, that's Ok he'll do his job and not get carried away by the music, he was a good guy).

The atmosphere in the theater was completely opposite to the outside. Inside, soft waterfall sounds and birdsong, accompanied by warm polyphonic synthesized tones gently played through the mains. Old friends and new friends swapped Yes tales and recounted favorite albums, cuts, alumni, chance meetings with group members, and for the real Yesheads, favorite tours, and even favorite single performances of individual songs! Our seats were one row down from the main board just left of center, the word I heard from the event staff was that six rows were taken out to allow setup of the mobile stage, that left approximately 700 seats available for each show (in fact, the stage took up less space than they figured, that is why so many tickets came available at the last minute).

The show started at about 8:20 much the same it had on Monday. KOTR's very own Lady Tye-Di wished the faithful "welcome" and "please no flash photography" as Firebird Suite played under her knowingly playful voice, and swelled as the band took the stage. Now, there has been some amount of discussion amongst the real sticklers as to what the band was wearing on-stage at San Luis, please allow me to set the record straight, at least to the best of my recollection (remember, I am not a stickler but I was with them before they went on Monday night, and they had to wear the same thing each night to keep continuity for the video).

First of all, Steve Howe was not wearing leather pants, OK? he was wearing black jeans, and a white cotton shirt. Rick was not wearing Armani but black jeans a white shirt with a large but modest cross around his neck, and a black sportcoat (but he's in such good shape I can understand the Armani confusion), Alan was wearing a black heavy-cotton muscle T ( I didn't notice his pants but I'm sure he was wearing some, and they were probably really tight). Chris won the grand prize at the costume ball, He was wearing the proverbial Seinfeld "Puffy Shirt" open to the sternum with a silver and turquoise spangled necklace, "second skin" Spandex pants, and knee high suede boots folded back at the top (hey, the duds made him look pretty awesome, but I swear, when he got out of the car and entered the theater Monday night, I had to bite my lip to keep from saying "Aye,Aye" as he walked past me. I have since dubbed him Cap'n Chris). Jon was wearing all white. A white linen shirt and loose fitting pants (which showed his preference to boxers), white shoes that, according to front rowers, where also white on the bottom!, and a full length white macramé cloak, most impressive.

On stage, Steve grabbed his Gibson ES335 Stereo, bit into the opening rif of "Siberian Khatru" and we were off and running. The volume was just right, and Jon's vocals really clear, the bass challenging you intestinal fortitude. Wakeman seem to be slightly down in the mix maybe 5 to 10% under everything else, I would have had him mixed him slightly higher. Chris' vocals seem to be a little lost in the mix as well, but overall the sound was superb. Steve then proceeded to play the most scorching solo I have ever heard on any version of SK. He was really "on" and I could tell that, tonight we were in for something special. Unfortunately, someone got lost during the last few measures (where Steve repeats the opening riff, this time, in tempo to close out the song) and SK ended up just laying there like a dead duck (maybe they can fix it with the tale end of another nights rendition of SK, I sure hope so, it would be a shame to lose that lead).

Sounds of water rushing through the mains signaled the start of "Close To The Edge" which they played close to flawlessly. The crowd was really "up", there was nearly a mosh pit on either side of the stage in front of the mains, where people danced and moved to the music. The place was packed but there were isolated seats available around the theater, even though I'm sure you don't want to hear this, if you could have gotten here, you probably could have gotten in (sorry). After twenty minutes of being close to the edge it was time to be "All Good People", I never get tired of this song and I don't know why, I guess its because its such a crowd pleaser. Alan's electronic drums triggered the downbeat pulses during the "Your Move" portion (with a little help from Chris) and I love that moment when he drives in with that snare roll to start the second half rockin', suffice it to say, the joint was jumping.

By now I knew the songlist by heart. I'd heard it in its entirety at the rehearsal (sans encores), Jack had supplied me with a sneak peek of a songlist he swiped from the stage on Monday before the show (he put it back), and here we were following it on Tuesday by rote. I anticipated next "Time And A Word" and was right, Jon introduced Rick who played a very sweet intro on that piano patch to begin the song, am I good or what?

The only other audibly noticeable flaw to me (after SK) for the evening was the ending on "Time And A Word", I believe it was due to monitor problems. You see, the arraignment calls for a retard on the refrain, a full stop, then a pickup run by Al on the brushes, and Jon sings the final word "love" over a full band coda to end the song. Everything slowed down fine on the retard, but Alan looked like he might have been having some problem back on the kit, Jon was facing the crowd and couldn't see him, he waited till the pause got uncomfortable, then Jon moved his arms like he was playing the pickup on invisible drums (doing what Al should have been doing) and then sang "love", the rest of the band was with him, except for Al who right then did the pickup run. I only detailed this mistake to give you an idea of how minimal the faux paxs were Tuesday night.

Next, Steve picked up his vintage Martin 12-string acoustic and played the intro to "And You And I" it sounded friggin' incredible! Steve is, flat-out, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and he proved it to 700 people that night. I can't think of anybody (maybe Carlos Santana) that can match Steve's improvisational style and expressive approach to lead playing, but couple that with his technical prowess on acoustical instruments, and baby you got a franchise. Imagine, all that technical ability and it never interferes with his expressiveness. Steve's abilities are rarely equaled, and never surpassed. At the finale of "And You And I" (after those pedal steel dive bombs), he went back to the 12-string to end the song. To hear that song played on the proper instruments (and quite possibly the actual instruments it was written and recorded with) was an absolute delight.

Jon then spoke about a "thousand breaths" he would need to take before he would attempt to sing the next song, and my mind instantly flashed back to the rehearsal and how he quipped the same line (more or less to himself) just before the began "Revealing The Science Of God". Jon also remarked how, when they first started talking about these concerts, It was his intention to finally perform "Revealing" but to do it they would probably have to trim the song somewhat (what they could possibly trim I have no idea!), and that Steve was the holdout insisting that the song be done in its entirety as per the album. The night before (on Monday) L.J. and Kevin both said this song was a showstopper, and tonight the crowd was going nuts as Jon was introducing it. It was obvious the extra time and effort the band put in rehearsing "Revealing" because they seemed more relaxed than they had all evening. They nailed it, every time signature, every change, every lead, everything. But, when they finished it, "average" would be my assessment of the crowds reaction, maybe I expected more from people seeing something for the very first time, maybe they were just simply awestruck.

Jon then mentioned a time when they left their homes and went to Switzerland, and how they made music in the mountains, sometimes making music together even when they weren't together (an obvious reference to the live recording of "Parallels" from "Going For The One" when they ran miles of audio cable down the road to a Montreux chapel so Rick could play their pipe organ while the rest of the band played ensconced in the recording studio). Then they went into "Going For The One" which sounded to me just like it did in rehearsal, a little tired, but the crowd sure ate it up! Don't get me wrong I love the song, and it is my favorite Yes album, it just, well, I would have rather heard "Parallels" (believe me, its no gripe).

The next song was "Turn Of The Century" which is a deceptively hard piece of music to perform, the band showed a lot of guts attempting it and I'm here to tell you they nailed it, even the difficult timing in the middle (Steve's pedal steel glissandos over Rick's piano). A few people sitting behind my wife and I had spent their nest egg to fly here from Tampa, Fla. and the women were practically squealing with delight over this song, I excited to see them excited. The song began with a beautiful Spanish guitar intro by Steve and I thought I might have heard a modulation somewhere in the song to a lower key, because when Steve played the Spanish guitar at the closing, he modulated back up to the albums original key to end it (pretty slick, Steve!).

I've already told you that "America" is one of my fave's and the boys did not disappoint, they rocked the house down. It was, in my opinion, the coolest thing that Yes has ever done, defiantly a showstopper (for me). At the time I am writing this it has been a few days since the concert, and just thinking about it is starting to make my pulse quicken, I was having the best time I had had in a long time during "America" and that was worth the $50, no doubts.

"Onward" was beautiful and allowed the leftover energy of "America" to be focused and controlled. Steve played the intro and first verse on the Spanish guitar then switched over to ES175D. The Squire harmony was beautiful. Jon mentioned that this song has been used over and over at weddings throughout the world. Thank you Chris.

With the appearance of the 3 necked monster, "Awaken" began.

I'll be honest, deep down I'm a softy, I cry at movies, I listen to Beethoven and get choked up (the second movement of the seventh symphony is particularly stirring), I don't read Harlequin romances, but some poetry makes me cry (I still can't get through Rupert Brooke's "The Funeral of Youth" dry-eyed) and I wept during "Awaken". It was one of the most powerful performances of any kind I have ever seen, and I'll leave it at that. 'Nuff said.

The Encores.

"Roundabout"- it was a new found treat to finally be able to hear the real thing. Up until a few years ago the intro had always been played on an electric. In ABWH, Steve played an acoustic on the intro but there was no Fish in the frypan. Now all the pieces were back together and it sounded energetic, rejuvenated, and yes, even fresh. What a pleasant surprise.

"Wembly Wurmers" aside, this nights version of "Starship Trooper" was, by far, the most intense I have ever seen or heard (live, album, or video). During "Wurm" (does anybody ever talk about another part of that song?) it was a real kick to see Chris get into it, he did his signature 22nd fret syncopated "duden-duden" line for, what seemed like, a good twenty measures, bringing the house down with him! Man, how I love to see musicians get into a groove!

My wife and I walked out knowing the band had nothing left (to play or to give) while the crowd stayed on for another twenty minutes tryin' to get 'em to come back (One of the band members, I was told, had already left for the hotel). We walked to the backstage entrance but the place was pretty much overrun with fans so we split. I don't have a radio in my car so we drove in near silence, except to utter occasional observations from the show in the husky voices of satisfied concertgoers.

Wednesday afternoon I was squirming in my chair at work, something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I was tired, I had gotten maybe eight hours of sleep in the last seventy-two, but I knew that wasn't it. Something was bugging me and I just couldn't figure it out, until I talked to L.J. that evening. "I can't stand it" he said "Yes is getting ready to go on in a few minutes and we're only an hour away from there!", that was it, how could we deny the siren's song of Yes nirvana just 60 short minutes away? there was a momentary pause, and then we both said in unison "Let's go!".

Our wives, the long-suffering lot that they are, gave us reluctant blessings and minutes later we were blasting up a rainy highway 101 with "Sound Chaser" thumping on the stereo. No money, no tickets, just hope and my lucky SPAM hat to see us through. When we arrived at the backstage area of the Fremont the band was already into "Revealing", and the security seemed tighter than ever. We were asked to remain on the outer side of the little cable fence that surrounded the perimeter of the Fremont backstage area, to which we complied, for a while. But soon we were over the cable and standing as near to the backstage door as we dared. Why do I use the word dare, you ask? well, I'll tell you, Sparky. You see, in all our adventures to date, whether together or alone, L.J. and I had learned one very important lesson: Stay Away From Graham!

Graham is the bands road manager, responsible for (among other things) the physical aspects of the show, the stage, setup, breakdown, security, etc. He is a fairly imposing man, very gruff, yet very professional (Do your job, no problem. Don't do your job, big problems. And don't expect "atta-boys" from him either). He seemed like the kind of person who thrived on confrontation, but to be honest, he's the kind of guy I would hire to get the job done, what we yanks call a Ramrod. More on him later.

I asked one of the security guys if my buddy Josh was around, he said he was and that he would get him for me (Hey, you never know, maybe he had two extra B.S. passes). Josh came out and we exchanged pleasantries, then I dropped the bomb on him "is there any way in God's green earth we can get in?" he said, in effect, that an ice cube has better chances on a Barstow sidewalk in August. I let it go.

The more we stood there, the more it became apparent that nothing was going to happen, unless we made it happen, so we made a major change in plans. Entertainers in general, and Rock n' Rollers in particular love to have a post gig parties, its inevitable like death and taxes. Our new plan was to find out where the party was, and, if not crash it, at least hang out by it. I asked Josh if he knew where the party was, he hedged and said "I dunno, I think at the hotel" I didn't believe him, hey he's just trying to do his job. So we stood there listening to the band through the back door and keeping our ears open for any info we could pick up about the party, we weren't waiting long.

After the first encore ("Roundabout") I got as close as I could to the door, I could see down the ramp to the monitor boards, and Graham standing there watching and smoking a cigarette. I thought this might just be my last chance at some quality "inside information" so I decided to break the ice with Graham and chit chat. As he walked back up the ramp, I said "Your name is Graham, right?" he looked up, and in that moment before he spoke, I realized I was in way over my head. "Yeah?" he said warily, his eyes squinting with a "size-up" process that can only come from many years experience of thousands of dead beat, non-paying fans tryin' to get freebies. "Ah" I faltered "How's the crowd tonight, compared to the other nights?" all the while that squint never left his eye, then suddenly it was gone! he took a drag off of his cig and said "I really wouldn't have any idea" then he turned around and said to the guard in a low terse voice "I don't want anybody near this door when the band comes off" and walked slowly back down the ramp.

Well, it unnerved me, I don't know why, but it did. I told L.J. "let's get back over the fence" which we did, a short time later our big break came. Jack's boss (head of Event Security) came out through the door with a really big dude, they stopped under a light and he had a map in his hand, we leaned in. We could only catch snatches of the conversation but the two most important points we heard, "Cafe Roma" and "Where Osos street dead ends". L.J. and I looked at each other, big, dumb grins on our faces, and sprinted for the car. Of course, we got lost.

"Cafe Roma" is a quaint little eatery near the railroad station in east SLO. By the time we arrived, there were loads of people already inside scarfing down free food and adult beverages. The big dude was there at the door checking for B.S. passes for entrance, he seemed to be a fairly laid-back individual, we said we didn't have passes but if it was cool with him we'd just hang out, he said he was easy with the idea, I asked if any band members were there yet, "just Jon" he said, so we pulled up a curb and tried to act cool.

Over the course of these events I had gotten to know some of the cars the band members drove. Alan was the first to drive up, second, Chris and Melissa were dropped off, that left Rick and Steve. Josh was shuttling VIP's from the Fremont to the cafe, but Steve and Rick were not among them. On the last shuttle of the evening, we overheard someone ask Josh (in the drivers seat) "Where's Steve?", "...Something to eat" was all we could make out in the reply. We surmised that Ricky and Stevie went out to eat somewhere else.

Watching the shmoozers through the window got a little boring, so we decided to go find the lost boys. Thanks to Josh, I knew where the hotel was, so we started there and worked our way back to the theater, checking every eatery in sight for Steve's car (we didn't know what Rick was driving). Since it was 12:30, most places were closed, so we decided to cruise back by the Fremont one last time, and there was Steve's car! We parked down the block and walked back up to the theater. As we neared the Fremont, Steve got into his car and headed past us down Higuera street. Damn, so close.

But wait, L.J. turns around to see Steve stop the car about 50 feet down the road, he has his dome light on, looking at a map. L.J., that bright boy, says to me "I bet he's looking for the party, we know where the party is, lets show him the way!" and he starts running to Steve's car, I'm in hot pursuit. We get to the car and L.J. motions to him saying "Mr. Howe, Mr. Howe (he rolls down the window) excuse me, but if your looking for the party, we can show you the way". Just think, in some small way we get to give something back, I know it sound stupid but we were thinking very sincerely. "Oh, well thank you, that would be great" Steve said with a smile and L.J. took off to get the car, I stayed on the curb so Steve could keep sight of one of us and not think we abandoned him. But, when it came time to follow us he changed his mind sighting that he was tired and that he would head back to the hotel, we understood, and were only slightly crushed (actually we were really afraid we might have scared him, if anybody reading this is close to Steve, tell him we weren't going to rob him, thanks). After that, these two poor shlubs went back to their podunck town and called it a week.