2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES and longtime drummer Alan White have today (7/26) announced that Dylan Howe, son of guitarist Steve Howe, will be joining the band's rhythm section on this summer's 31-date North American YESTIVAL tour creating a twin drum powerhouse alongside White, in similar fashion that Bill Bruford and White brought on their Union Tour in the early 1990s with two drummers playing simultaneously.
"It's a pleasure for me to welcome Dylan Howe to the YES stage," shares White. "I've known Dylan for most of his life and I'm proud to think I've helped to be an inspiration in his musical journey. I'm very much looking forward to performing with him this summer for the upcoming YES tour."
"I feel very honored and fortunate to have got the call to join YES this summer," adds Dylan. "This to me is, quite possibly, the musical zenith of my career - my love for this music and the great musicianship that runs through it has always been a massive inspiration to me. Bill and Alan's drumming is why I started playing the drums in the first place, and to have the opportunity to honor their great contribution to drumming whilst playing alongside Alan with my brilliant father and this outstanding lineup is a dream come true for me."
YESTIVAL features special guest Todd Rundgren and an opening set from Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy honoring the magic of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, as well as a few special "Evening with YES" shows. The tour kicks off August 4 in Greensboro, NC and will travel throughout the U.S. and Canada until September 19 with stops in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Boston and many more. Tickets for all YESTIVAL dates are currently on sale, except for the newly added September 15 show in Rochester which goes on sale Friday, August 4 at 10am EST. See below for full list of YESTIVAL tour dates and go to www.yesworld.com for all ticketing information.
Click here to watch the YESTIVAL promo reel.
This summer's annual trek will feature a set list of greatest hits from all of the band's studio albums up to 1980, showcasing the storied history of one of the world's most influential, ground-breaking, and respected progressive rock bands. YES--Steve Howe (guitar since 1970), Alan White (drums since 1972), Geoff Downes (keyboards; first joined in 1980), Jon Davison (vocals since 2011) and Billy Sherwood (guitar/keyboards in the 1990s and the late Chris Squire's choice to take over bass/vocals in 2015)--will treat fans to such hits as "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper," performing at least one song from each of the band's first 10 albums starting with 1969's Yes to 1980's Drama.
Beginning this Saturday, July 29, YES will start releasing a video diary in conjunction with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Live Nation to give the band's dedicated and longstanding multi-generational fans, and all music lovers, a look at touring from the band's point of view. The series will be updated regularly throughout the tour on the YES website www.yesworld.com and across the band's and Rock Hall's social networks.
In addition, as part of the Cleveland YESTIVAL date, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate the 2017 Inductees with a week-long series of events August 15-20. Fans are invited to the Rock Hall to celebrate the music and influence of YES with a week of live music, programs, films, and a dedication for the 2017 Inductee exhibit with members of the band. Visit www.rockhall.com for more details.
"YES is an immensely talented band whose fans tirelessly pursued recognition for them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," said Greg Harris, President and CEO, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "We're celebrating the sounds and legacy of the prog-rock giants and 2017 Inductees with a week of events at the Rock Hall with fans around the globe."
