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Saturday, September 8, 2001 New York City, New York Radio City Music Hall 6,200 capacity 21 years, 4 months and 19 days ago
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Mark Emanuele I have been a YES fan since High School (1975). I was a music major in HS and College, and was always impressed by the "Classical" musicanship of the group, and had been waiting for them to do a concert with a full symphony orchestra since then. It was worth the wait! I got 4 comp tickets (I am the GM of a Classic Rock radio network) and was sitting right next to the mixing console (Perfect Seats). I had my 3 best friends with me (One of them was killed 3 days later at the World Trade Center). I just could not get over how great these guys sounded after all that time. The only complaint I had was when I met them backstage after the concert. There was nowhere near enough room for all the backstage guests, and we were packed almost shoulder to shoulder in a very small room. (Not the band's fault) Otherwise it was a GREAT concert, and I am glad that I invited my friend Rod to see them for what turned out to be his last time (He hadn't seen them since the 1980's). charlie188 I have seen yes almost every year since 1975 this show that I saw this year ranks up there with some of the great shows I was fortunate enough to see. The setlist was great,the music sounded tight as ever...the only thing that was missing was the "lasar beams" shooting off of the buildings in NYC like they had in 1975 or 76 Edward Jerlin Excerpted from [Link] September 8, 2001 The Yes concert at Radio City Music Hall is probably the best concert I've ever experienced. Yes are playing with the Long Island Symphony for the second night in a row & the sound is crystal clear. There is no better place to hear a concert from an aural perspective. They don't call it "The Great Hall" for nothing! It is the last concert of Yes' North American "Yessymphonic" tour. I'm getting to hear the orchestrations in exquisite detail for the first time. I hear French Horns. I hear flutes. I hear glockenspiels. I hear harps. I hear woodwinds. I am eating up & relishing every single moment of this concert. Okay, you're probably asking what the relevance of this is. The relevance is that this was one of those little "peaks" in my life. And it would be the last time that I'd be able to truly enjoy music for some time. And it's relevant because of what Jon Anderson, Yes' lead singer, poignantly said at one point during the concert. Since I recorded the show, here's a word-for-word transcription of some of Jon's between-song comments: "Thank you so much, great to be here in NEW YORK CITYYYYYIIIEEE! [loud cheers] We always seem to arrive at nighttime, get into the hotel and you wake up in the morning get out in the street you go, '[gasp/inhale] wow it's New York City!' [more cheers] It's wonderful... crazy... (pause)... How do you do it?" "This is the end of our tour. It couldn't have happened at a better place or a better time for us." Reportedly, Yes & their entire road crew left NYC on Monday night, the last "normal" night NYC would see for a long, long, time... if ever... Al Reisser PHENOMENOL, MAGICAL and HYPNOTIC! After about thirty Yes shows over the years, dating back to the Relayer Tour, I must say that this one may very well have been the best. (I didn't feel nearly this positive about the Philly show last month). We were in the eleventh row directly in front of Steve and no better place to be on this night. He was so right on. His solos were probably the best I have ever heard or at least in recent years, and one right after the other. Radio City is a great place to see a show. ( I hadn't been there since I was 7 and saw the Rockettes). Great sound. We could hear the orchestra where as in Philly they seemed to be lost. I applaud the band for taking this bold step and experimenting with new and creative ideas, as usual. I know that they have taken some heat over the orchestra. The audience was vibrant and electric. Saw some old friends and made some new ones. It seemed as though there were more people there from Philly than from NY. We are in the beginning stages of developing a web site for fans in and around the Philadelphia area (every one else is invited as well) who want to stay in touch with one another, share archives, photos, recordings, pre and post show get togethers, etc. There will be a section of the site that will be entitled
before 'Don't Go' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Great to be here in New York City. We always seem to arrive at night time, get into the hotel andyou wake up in the morning get out in the street you go, 'Wow. It's New York City!' What's going on here? It's wonderful..crazy. Hey! How do you do it? We're going to do a couple of new songs. We have a new album coming out pretty soon. This is..uh a song about the idea 'you can't take love for granted'. Love is everything that is. It is only the greatest and the utmost everything. Love. The most..so we love [???]. Don't beat yourself up so much. Here's a song called 'Don't Go'. New song. before 'In The Presence Of' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Thank you. During the time we..uh started recording. I think we..certainly, certainly get together about midday and..uh most everyday when I get to the studio, Alan White here, Alan White here. He's..uh always playing the piano as he is known to do. [???]. We're going to do a song called 'In The Presence Of'. before 'Gates Of Delirium, The' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Thank you. [???]. I'd like to introduce you to William Stromberg and the Long Beach Symphony. The Long Beach Symphony. [???] Long Island Tea. They are so wonderful, they just come up this afternoon and rehearse and then play. So we decided on this adventure that we're doing. This is our last gig by the way. We survived. We survived. We survived. Right, up Until now. We're going to do a song which..uh we wrote in the middle of the seventies when life was a little crazy and zappy. Anyway this is sorta a [???] the position they say. Let's do it with a symphony orchestra. Why not? Hey. It's a song called 'Gates Of Delirium'. before 'Solar Winds' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Its just the intensity [???] that makes us play so good. Thank you so much. And to leave you with the capable hands, fingers and guitar styles of Mr. Steve Howe. before 'Perpetual Change' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Mr. Steve Howe. I used to play like that as well. In my dreams, you know. before 'And You And I' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Woo! before 'Ritual' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:Thank you so much. Thank you. I was thinking half-way through. We've been together for such a long time. It's kind of amazing. So wonderful. Thank you so much. Here's a song that..uh my soul mate Jane, we travel together all the time and she loves this song. I caught her singing this song very loudly to the record one time in our house. I couldn't believe it. That she would know and love this song so much. It's from 'Tales From Topographic Oceans'. We [???] so many ways each song we play we relate to mother earth so much and this is sorta a homage to mother earth. We will bang drums and we go a little crazy here. A song called 'Ritual'. before 'I've Seen All Good People' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:On bass guitar, Mr Chris Squire. Chris and on the drums, Mr. Alan White. Alan White on drums. Introducing on keyboards, Mr. Tom Brislin from New Jersey. Of course Mr. Steve Howe. Don't forget the Long Island Symphony and William Straumburg. {???]. I'd like to..uh we're going to do a song we're going to sing along to a song. This is for a special lady. She's eighteen years old today. [???]. Lille, where is she? [???] Melissa. [???]. Sing along to this song. Here we go. In the key of. before 'Roundabout' transcribed by: Pete Whipple Jon Anderson:This is the girl that has been [???] all the way through the tour backstage. She's one of the greatest girls around. Sherry. Woo! Every night she's [???]. This is the end of our tour. It couldn't have happened at a better place or a better time for us. We want to thank you all for being here this evening. Very, very memorial time. Thank you so much. |