It was a chilly March Saturday evening in Orlando with thousands
of people showing up to see Yes perform a free downtown concert
in Capital Square. Free concerts bring out all kinds of people
you wouldn’t normally see at a show. Looking around, it’s pretty
obvious which people are there for free entertainment and which
folks are actually into the band. The former make these types of
concerts far less enjoyable than they should be. These people
take up prime real estate better left to actual fans of the
band, talk incessantly, don’t recognize any song that isn’t
regularly played on classic rock FM radio and often rudely force
their way through the crowd as they leave early.
Having forgotten to bring along a portable folding chair, I
stood and watched the spectators, while awaiting the arrival of
one of progressive rock’s biggest bands. I’d seen Yes in 2004,
with the classic lineup. There has been much debate about
whether or not the current lineup even qualifies as “Yes” or
whether it is a glorified tribute band. I can see both sides and
am rather noncommittal about it. The fact is that Yes is a great
band, there was no charge to get in, it was 20 minutes from my
front door, and these guys aren’t getting any younger. Knowing
this could be my last shot at seeing them, I had no choice but
to take it. The promise of live performances of songs from the
Drama album sealed the deal. I had to be there.
The band took the stage and launched directly into
“Parallels,” from Going for the One. Although I’d
seen footage of the Benoit David-fronted Yes on YouTube, it was
still amazing to see this guy and hear Jon Anderson’s voice.
While not identical, the two certainly possess eerily similar
vocal sounds, and since Jon’s is so distinctive, it seems odd
that anyone else is even in the ballpark. David passes the test
with flying colors. And when was the last time you saw Jon
Anderson leap off a drum riser? David spent the entire show sort
of fronting the band from behind, as it were, while Chris Squire
and Steve Howe alternated as the band’s spokespeople. That was a
bit off-putting, but not in any kind of detrimental way. Getting
back to the opening number, Oliver Wakeman’s keyboards certainly
sounded like his old man’s, while Howe, Squire and drummer Alan
White all played well.
After the opener came the first real treat – “Tempus Fugit”
from the Drama album. Since Jon was averse to singing
anything off of Drama, this would prove to be one of the
bright spots of the current lineup. It didn’t disappoint,
although it seemed a bit slow from a tempo perspective.
Afterwards, Squire announced the next song dated back to 1970,
bewildering a 40-something-year-old woman directly in front of
me. It was “Yours is No Disgrace” from The Yes Album.
At first, the song seemed a little sluggish and uninspired, but
Howe really smoked on the extended instrumental jam and the band
rallied around him. In fact, Howe was the most energetic of the
bunch all evening long. Even at age 63 and looking like the
Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt, Howe may be
currently at the top of his game. He seemed better to me than he
was in 2004.
Howe remained in the spotlight after YIND, playing acoustic
guitar on “Leaves of Green,” an excerpt from Tales
from Topographic Oceans, blending into “To Be Over,”
from 1974’s Relayer. It was beautifully played, but kind
of killed the momentum the band had established with the
blistering instrumental section of YIND. Considering the
audience, Howe received a very nice ovation, and then everyone
finally got a sing-along song with “I’ve Seen All Good
People,” a second offering from The Yes Album. I
thought the band did a pretty good job with it and the non-fan
portion of the crowd finally got a chance to participate in the
festivities.
Treat number two appeared just after, as the menacing opening
strains of “Machine Messiah” filled the cool Florida air.
Yes hit this one out of the park. It was worth the trip downtown
and a $10 parking spot for this song alone. Oliver, who seemed
positively invisible at times, did a nice job with it. Due to
curfew constraints, the band dropped the usual “South Side of
the Sky” at this point. Bummer. I love that song.
(Apparently we also didn’t get “Soon.”) Instead, the
casual fans and hangers-on got a second sing-along with
“Owner of a Lonely Heart.” I know the band feels compelled
to play this song every tour, but it just sounds completely
wrong with Howe’s interpretation of the guitar solo. Love or
hate Rabin as you wish, but his guitar work is great on the
studio version of “Owner.”
“Long Distance Runaround” followed, giving the Fragile
album its first appearance in the show. Once again, I
enjoyed it and thought David did a good job. Yes followed with
another Fragile tune, “The Fish,” which featured by far
the best moments of the night from Squire and White. To this
point, I thought the aging rhythm section may have been
responsible for some of the early songs that seemed to lag. But
this song proved that both men can still scorch. Squire
blistered his bass and White thrashed his way through the
obligatory drum solo, but it was one of the most exciting and
energetic moments in the show. I don’t know how long it went on,
but it was probably longer than it seemed. Afterward, the main
portion of the show concluded with a very strong rendition of
“Starship Trooper,” another offering from The Yes Album.
Each member of the band shone on this one.
After a brief retreat from the stage, Yes appeared for the
typical “Roundabout” encore. Since I’d only seen the
ragtime version performed live in 2004, this was actually not a
yawner for me. I bobbed my head in approval as the band soared
through their trademark classic, capping a very enjoyable
evening. Had I been forced to spend wads of cash on a ticket, I
may have expected a longer, more substantial show. The temporary
outdoor venue likely prohibited some of the stage effects that
might otherwise have been included and it certainly led to a
shorter show. At any rate, I’m very glad I went.
I did notice a marked lack of stage presence without Jon. Benoit
sang just fine, but it seems Squire and Howe are not content to
give a newbie the opportunity to actually front the band between
songs. Neither of the older gentlemen seemed particularly adept
at playing emcee, so perhaps they should let the “lad” have a
go. Other than that, and a few numbers that seemed a step slow,
it was a fine show. It was a memorable evening for me, and I got
out cheaply - $10 for parking, $7 for dinner at The Pita Pit, $2
for a bottle of water and $20 for a T-shirt, which was knocked
down 20 bucks because it was from the 2010 leg of the tour.
I would recommend this tour to any Yes fan. The band may not be
as young as it used to be and may be using some replacement
parts in place of beloved prog icons of old (Jon Anderson & Rick
Wakeman), but they still play well and Howe is absolutely mind
boggling. If they pass your way, give them a look-see.
Setlist:
Parallels
Tempus Fugit
Yours is No Disgrace
To Be Over (Steve Howe acoustic spotlight)
I’ve Seen All Good People
Machine Messiah
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Long Distance Runaround
The Fish (including Alan White drum solo)
Starship Trooper
Encore:
Roundabout
