Prog rock pioneers and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES are receiving praise for the in-progress U.S. leg of their “The Album Series Tour 2022,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1972 iconic album, Close To The Edge. This marks the band’s first trek in the U.S. since 2019 and kicked off with two shows in Glenside, PA at the Keswick Theatre on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8. It will wrap in New York at the NYCB Theatre on November 19. See the remaining tour dates below.
“Yes kicks off 2022 U.S. tour with stunning performance of 'Close to the Edge’…greeted so rapturously by the sold-out crowd that loved every minute of this glorious performance…As always with a Yes concert, the sound, lights and visuals were uniformly excellent. Yes always sounds great live, and this show was no exception. The lighting was well-done…The video screens showed beautiful imagery throughout, well-timed to the songs and featuring some Roger Dean images and animation along with other breathtaking photos and graphics that enhanced the emotion of the songs.”
--GOLDMINE MAGAZINE, 10/11/22
“This is the first Yes tour with Schellen in the driver’s seat as the only drummer (he’s backed up White during the last few years), and the veteran musician was definitely up to the task…Opening with “On the Silent Wings Of Freedom” served as a solid nod to late bassist Chris Squire…’Yours is No Disgrace” was steady, jazzy at times, and ‘Wonderous Stories’ found Howe spinning out a “Seen All Good People” tease on his 12-string valachia.”
--VINTAGE ROCK, 10/15/22
“’Close to the Edge’ was note perfect throughout. Howe was majestic in his riffing and finger picking, trading from electric to acoustic to even slide guitar for pieces. The title song hummed along in its progressive chord changes on a dime, shifting from heavy bass and guitar to Davison’s soaring “I Get Up, I Get Down” section that repeated throughout the 18-minute song. “And You and I” followed and that’s definitely a crowd pleaser. “Siberian Khatru” is more a straight-ahead rocker and the perfect song to bring the audience to its feet and close the second set. YES has had a long history. This version kept that legacy intact.”
--PENNSYLVANNIA PATCH, 10/12/22
As with “The Album Series Tour 2022,” which started off in the UK this past June, the U.S. tour is dedicated to the late Alan White—the band’s legendary drummer—following his passing this past May (see the band quotes about Alan here).
Alan White joined YES in June 1972, just days before their “Close To The Edge” Tour began. Over the following 50 years, Alan would appear on every YES album including 2021’s The Quest. Following the global pandemic, he had been looking forward to this tour and re-joining his bandmates on stage, something he lived for, in the run up to his 50th anniversary of joining YES.
Sadly, that was not be, but Alan’s towering presence will be omnipresent on the tour. Alan’s good friend, drummer Jay Schellen, will join YES for the forthcoming tour, alongside Steve Howe (guitars & backing vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (lead vocals) and Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals).
The “Close to the Edge” show comprise full production and a high-definition video wall directed by Andy Clark and featuring the artwork of Roger Dean.
Following the release of The Yes Album and Fragile in 1971, YES released what is widely considered one of the most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. Close To The Edge became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians. The album is saluted with a cover story in the September 2022 issue of the national magazine Guitar Player, for which Steve Howe was interviewed. He recalls: “We were young, enthusiastic, and adventurous, and we had this incredible breakthrough success with Fragile. We saw our next album as a real opportunity to prove our worth as a band. The door had been opened and we weren’t going to go backward. We wanted to sharpen our skills as far as writing and arranging.”
The remaining YES 2022 U.S. tour dates are:
10/19 – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA
10/20 – Arena Theatre – Houston, TX
10/21 – The Aztec Theatre – San Antonio, TX
10/23 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
10/24 – The Magnolia – El Cajon, CA
10/25 – Fox Performing Arts Center – Riverside, CA
10/27 – Hard Rock Live – Wheatland, CA
10/29 – Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
11/2 – The Criterion – Oklahoma City, OK
11/4 – The Factory – Chesterfield, MO
11/5 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN
11/6 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
11/9 – Orpheum Theater – Madison, WI
11/10 – Wabash Theater – Wabash, IN
11/11 – Hard Rock Casino – Gary, IN
11/13 – Warner Theater – Washington, DC
11/14 – The Palace – Stamford, CT
11/15 – Warner Theatre – Torrington, CT
11/17 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ
11/18 – Wind Creek Events Center – Bethlehem, PA
11/19 – NYCB Theatre – Westbury, NY
For full details and tickets for all shows visit the venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and Greets with the band.
