I don’t often have moments in my life in which something I see or hear completely and fully changes my perspective of things. A recent event in which such a revelation occurred was while I was on my travels through India. It was New Year’s Eve, 2012, and we had arrived in Agra that afternoon, After a quick lunch, we were driven to the parking lot of the West Gate of the Taj Mahal. Once we finally saw the Mausoleum with our own eyes, I was immediately taken in by the true devotion that was put into creating that beautiful building. So much detail and talent went into every aspect of its structure. It created proof that the human imagination is often larger than our physical existence.
To me, such a thing is just about as eye opening as, say, going to a concert. That is when you are truly able to see how much time and care went into creating the music you hear and love. Which is exactly what I did on the evening of March 6, 2013. And not just any concert, but a concert of a band that has helped change my life over the years. I’m talking about the band Yes, the fourth group I was introduced to during my mass discovery of the majesty of progressive rock. They had just begun a tour in which they would play three of their albums in their entireties, including Close to the Edge, Going for the One, and The Yes Album. Apparently, Yes guitarist Steve Howe had always wanted to embark on such a tour, but never got to until now. The third show of their tour landed right in Los Angeles, at the Orpheum Theatre, which has grown to be one of my favorite places to see concerts. March 6 landed on a school night, but having enough experience with handling school-night concerts, I was not bothered by that.
The entire block must have been prepared for the crowd of people destined to show up at the Theatre, for even a restaurant next to the one Dad and I ate at proudly displayed a blackboard offering a discount of “$1 off for all Yes fans!” We enjoyed our meal and walked back to the Theatre, just when people were beginning to arrive. After taking a minute to snap a picture of the marquee and then of the promotional poster by the doors (a tradition we’ve adopted after three years of concert going), the security let the growing crowd in.
No chance of picking up anything from the merchandise stand, for everything (even the CDs!) was greatly overpriced. That wasn’t a tremendous loss for me. I was happy with my tee from their 2011 tour to promote their album Fly From Here.
Our seats had us concerned for a minute. While we did have orchestra seats on Steve’s side of the stage (a plus for me as a guitarist!), we wondered how well we would be able to see the man at work. Nonetheless, I was thrilled just to be there and knew that, in the end, the music matters most. Another “tradition” I have adopted is, if possible, to go to the very front of the stage to check out the equipment, usually just the guitar setup (amplifiers, guitars, pedal boards…). I try to take in the whole stage setup, to give myself an idea of where to look when show time came. After this small moment of “self amusement,” I returned to my seat, and waited with the rest of the crowd, which was getting more and more pumped every minute.
Finally, the lights dimmed. I was glad to see that they actually started fairly close to the time in which they were set to start (8 p.m.), about ten minutes late. Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, a piece I was familiar with from live Yes albums, primarily Yessongs, filled the room, and the screen above the stage began to project a montage of the band’s history, showing photos of the band onstage, in the recording studio, and in interviews. The five of them finally entered the stage. There they were, in all their glory: Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Geoff Downes, Alan White, and their current singer, Jon Davison. The last time I saw them, they had Mystery singer Benoit David on vocals. I had grown to admire him for his unique stage presence and enthusiasm for performing, and was shocked to hear that he had left the band for good due to an ongoing respiratory illness, so I was not sure what to expect of the next “new guy.” All I knew was that he also came from a Yes tribute band called Roundabout, sang in a progressive rock band called Glass Hammer, and played multiple instruments. Sounded promising. I was willing to give this one a chance.
Up first was Close to the Edge, for once they all took their spots onstage, the sounds of waterfalls, nature sounds, and a growing crescendo that any Yes fan would recognize created the majestic atmosphere of a concert that was destined for greatness. That was a great sign for me, given that there 2011 show at the Greek Theatre was, after thinking about it for a little longer, quite a disappointment, especially for me, that being my first time seeing them. They shared the stage with American prog band, Styx, so that forced them to shorten their set to, literally, a “best of” set list. The guys in Styx were fantastic, but unfortunately, that made the guys in Yes look more tired and less motivated. Alright, alright, back to THIS show! The minute the sound effects broke off and the band began the menacing guitar break to open the album, I saw an amount of energy I certainly had not seen from them before. They were all completely into the music, moving around, encouraging claps, and playing with, truly, all their might. It very quickly became obvious to me that they had a genuine love of the albums they had selected to play, Jon Davison included. They all played and sang with much excitement
Close to the Edge was overall played with a stunning level of precision and care, musically and vocally. I couldn’t help but notice that Jon appeared to have a more trained singing voice, for I caught hardly any vocal struggles. “And You and I” was just as beautiful as it I expected it to be, but sounded more powerful live, as it always has, from the various recordings I have heard of it from the ‘70s onward. The best part about live music is that it can often give the listener a new perspective on the song that’s being played. You can really grasp the tone of the song, and the message that is intended to be expressed, since it feels like a story being told to you from grand raconteurs. “Siberian Khatru” closed the album with a fun, playful sound to it.
Going for the One came second, just as I had hoped it would. It just seemed to make more sense that The Yes Album be played last, since it features some of their most well known tracks. This album is where Jon Davison’s abilities as a musician came into play. He picked up an acoustic guitar on “Wonderous Stories” and even played keyboard during the middle movement of the last track, “Awaken,” a piece which delighted the entire crowd, for it is a piece loved by most Yes fans, including the members themselves. But I was most pleased to be able to hear “Turn of the Century,” the second track on the album, for I have always loved its (prepare for a little corniness!) magical, and mystical sound, from Steve’s lovely guitar work, to Rick Wakeman’s (well, in the case of this show, Geoff Downes’) emotional keyboard work.
After this came a 20-minute break, where a beautiful new Yes logo was projected on the screen. A mix of red, orange, yellow, black and white, it had a look that very much reminded me of a butterfly.
The third album of the evening was The Yes Album. Not a favorite of mine or my Dad’s, so we were not necessarily thrilled about this album, but coming away from hearing the whole thing live, our opinions on it changed up a bit. It was also a chance to see Steve get his own solo time to perform his acoustic piece, “The Clap.” I had seen him back in August 2010 with his band Asia, when he played another two acoustic pieces of his called “Australia,” and “Mood for a Day.” Both were meant to be beautiful and soothing. “The Clap” managed to also be beautiful, but at the same time, energetic. These solo moments show me the skill that he put into composing these pieces that we all as proggers have come to know so dearly. Of course, my respect for him as a fellow guitarist grew immensely, watching him stamp his foot rhythmically to encourage claps and his hand cascade up and down the fret board. The fifth track on the album, “A Venture,” had never been played live before prior to this tour. While it is not one of the most popular songs, it was still an honor to hear it. “Perpetual Change” ended the main set list, and “Roundabout,” a somewhat anticipated track, finished the show, and the band disappeared backstage.
When will I see them again? Who knows? Maybe the lineup will be different, or maybe it will be the last time. I have grown to believe that you simply cannot count on everything to happen as you want it, so that is why I make it a priority to embrace every moment of a concert from beginning to end. Coming away from this show, I definitely hope I get to see them again. Or, if not, in the words of Neil Peart:
I wish that I could live it all again.
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