YES fans from all over descended en masse on the little town of San Luis Obispo in California to witness an event that many thought would never happen: the reunion of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. The combination that created TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS and GOING FOR THE ONE were going to perform three shows at the Fremont Theatre in SLO which will result in both a live video and audio release, the latter to include some new tracks recorded in SLO over the last few months.

This is the closest that Yes fans have come to a Grateful Dead-like experience: traveling from far and wide to get off on the amazing music that only this combination of musicians can create. How many artists inspire their audience to make last minute plans to attend their performance, cost be damned? Here they were, from Maine to Hawaii, from Florida to Vancouver, all in SLO practically at a moment's notice, ready to see a special concert and party with others who speak the unique musical language we call Yes.

The Dead analogy went beyond trekking from afar. For the first time Yes had let the fanzines sell a block of tickets for the first two scheduled performances on March 5 and 6 of 1996. Yes Magazine and Yes Information Service joined Notes (under the YesWorld banner) in getting the tickets to the most dedicated fans. Only a limited number of seats for these shows were sold to the general public through a local SLO record store, named Boo Boo's. Those few tickets sold out so fast that a decision was made at the last minute to add the show on Monday the 4th. It went on sale Sunday the 3rd.

There was also an added highlight. Many of the visiting fans knew each other and yet have never met, not so ironic in today's world of cyberspace (believe it or not after all these years I've still never met Jeff). It was a chance to get together and get to know each other, even to enjoy a Yes concert together (and not just any Yes concert), all the while knowing that everyone is just as in tune to this special music. An AOL contingent wore shirts supplied by Stan Hendrix, their email names emblazoned across their backs. There were Prodigy Yes shirts, and a couple of Notes shirts were sported as well.

The Fremont Theatre, built in the '40s and recently refurbished, is a small movie house that could accommodate about 700 people, boasting an ornate ceiling and deco artwork flanking the screen. Seats were removed from the front to be replaced by the stage, decreasing the theatre's capacity. The seats were also new, cushy and spacious with a high back, perfect for resting your head for those quieter moments. Three white columns stood on the right side of the stage, uplit in tandem with the light patterns on the theatre screen, white curtains balancing the design on the left. Steve anchored the left side of the stage while Rick performed on the right end, Jon in the center with Chris to the audience's right, and of course Alan on a riser behind.

Monday's show was originally slated to be a full rehearsal, and was a bit rough around the edges. Too often Rick wasn't loud enough to be heard, and the backup vocals of Steve and Chris were too low in the mix. But it didn't matter; to a great many in the audience this performance was a bonus: they were already in town for the next two shows--arriving early to take advantage of airline fares, enjoy the area, and meet other eager fans--while for those who were attending this show alone it was probably their only chance and they were grateful just to be there. Who cares if it wasn't perfect, they were together, up there playing, for the most part hitting the mark and having fun.

And the band cooked. Taking the stage to the trumpeting Firebird Suite they launched into Siberian Khatru which ended with a memorable solo from Steve. Close to the Edge steamed hot on its heels; there was no dry ice for I Get Up I Get Down yet the mood and tempo were perfect. On just this particular performance the tinkling sounds were absent from the song's conclusion, and it was intriguing to hear the band play their closing parts devoid of the background effects.

A rousing All Good People followed. Then came the first of many surprises: Time and a Word, with an intro of the chorus from Rick, Steve first playing on 12-string, switching to an electric mandolin for the song's end. But the real surprises were yet to come, following the next song, And You and I. During Eclipse Steve wasn't getting enough light on his pedal steel for him to see, and despite his consistent gesturing to turn the lamp up it was not bright enough (having a green gel probably didn't help). Steve was visibly unhappy, and he channeled it in his performance at that moment, playing fast and frenetically, attacking the strings with fast ascending runs instead of the usual slower gliding ones. It added an interesting dimension and the song remained as powerful as ever.

Then it was time for the first shock, the song that Jon introduced as having to take 1000 deep breaths to sing ('and it is worth it' he said the first night). I envied those in the audience who hadn't seen the set list and didn't know what was coming (like David Tratt, a Notes sub I met on the TALK tour who was there that evening): what a powerful moment it must have been for them when Jon started singing 'Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources...' Jon mentioned that he wanted to shorten parts but Steve wouldn't have it, and The Revealing Science of God triumphed in the process. The structure and melodies were virtually perfect, matching the album version all the way, despite the fact that it has not been performed since the original TFTO tour of 1973. I missed the harmonies in the opening and closing chants as Jon sang them solo, and would have preferred he sang the first 'They move fast' verse from the album (he sang the last one in its place). But those are minor quibbles as the band's performance shone. Ironically the longer pieces this evening seemed more together than the shorter ones.

The band then roared into the neglected classic Going For the One, not performed since the tour supporting the album of the same title. If there is one straight-ahead rocker in the band's repetoire then this has to be it; it was good to see it back in circulation and the band had it down.

Between songs Jon invited the audience to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Chris, which led to a humorous moment. Upon its ending Chris shook hands with Jon, Rick, and Alan; however Steve was busy tuning his guitar for the next number, his back to the others and oblivious to what had just taken place. Chris looked towards Steve, and seeing that Steve was not going to join the others blew him a kiss, causing the audience to howl.

Turn of the Century was next. Although it started fine, the intensity beautifully culminating between Steve's elastic guitar runs and Rick's flowing keyboards, the song eventually fell apart during the instrumental, with Chris trying to show Rick where in the section they were supposed to be. Eventually it came back together, with an unusual twist: the intro to final verse began as it did on the album but immediately changed keys (Steve later told me that Jon didn't care for the original key of the final verse).

If The Revealing... was unexpected (to those who didn't know the set list) then the next number may even have eclipsed that jolt. America has not been performed by the band reportedly since 1972 and here it was, performed as it was when it was originally recorded, all the parts intact. This is really Steve's vehicle, and he was jumping around the stage, clearly in his element as he attacked his ES-175 with glee, the band cooking, almost swinging, behind him. Jon combined the second verse with the last (the result was 'I'm empty and aching and I don't know why/it took me four days to hitchhike to Saginaw') although it's unknown if this was intentional. The haul-ass ending went without a hitch, and the crowd was on its feet.

Onward was another rare gem. It opened with Steve playing a full verse on classical guitar; when it ended he had skillfully transitioned into the repetitive triplets that he performed on the original LP, the band majestically building behind him as the song opens as on the album. Rick's solo, almost exactly mirroring the sound of the original recorded horn, was exquisite. The last song before the encore was Awaken, building steadily towards the ethereal section with Jon playing his harp along with Alan's tuned percussion, Rick's haunting keyboards giving way to the crushing sounds of a church organ. The song propelled towards an emotional climax, and the band exited the stage to an enthralled and cheering crowd.

A rousing Roundabout was the first encore, with the band attempting the extended ending that was done on the UNION tour. The band left and returned for a fine Starship Trooper, dynamically building in Wurm toward the solo section, with Rick, Steve, and even Chris all taking a blow before a slightly rocky end. The band had finished its first show since 1979.

Tuesday was the day of ticket distribution by the fanzines. Terri Reay, the general manager of the La Cuesta Motor Inn, had suggested holding the gathering at the Coffee Merchant, which was just a couple of doors away from the Fremont. Mark, the owner, had graciously agreed to let us hold the function there, and it was perfect: the establishment was large enough for a few dozen Yes fans to party while sipping on lattes. Glenn Gottlieb of Yes Magazine explained the lottery, Nic Caciappo said a few words, then turned the mic over to me.

I mentioned something that I and my s.o. Cindy had done for years: at the end of Your Move we stand up and sang the 'Give peace a chance' background line back to the band, a kind of ritual if you will. I suggested that we blow the band's mind by all standing up and do it together (some indicated they already did it too). We handed out the tickets to eager fans who were psyched to be partying here together in anticipation of the next show. The event even made the next day's Telegram-Tribune, with a color photo of a kazooed Luke Rauch retrieving his tickets. (The newspaper mentioned Nic, Glenn, and myself by name but curiously not those of our fanzines; I particularly got a laugh as they singled me out for working at Microsoft, as I doubt they would have mentioned it if I worked at, say, McDonalds.)

Tuesday's performance was better with the members refining their performance. The Firebird Suite was abruptly stopped and restarted when it began while a local dj was chattering. Turn of the Century went a lot more smoothly, and Jon again sang the combination of verses in America. Alan was having monitor problems ('like playing in Braille' he would later say; he missed a cue in Awaken--where the band abruptly stops/starts during Steve's solo in the 'Awaken gentle mass touch' section--as he was trying to resolve his dilemma) but his performance belied that fact. Steve's lighting problems weren't quite as bad; Eclipse again wasn't bright enough at the start and he gestured to increase the intensity, and this time it did (the green gel had been removed). He smiled and visibly said 'thank you', and his playing was more characteristically relaxed. Unfortunately he was again in the dark at the intro of Starship Trooper and ran into Jon's light, smirking at the lighting crew as if to say 'Remember me?' This night the band didn't leave the stage between the two encore songs.

A few rough edges aside this performance overall bested the one from the night before, the band being more together. Members of the audience did follow my suggestion: many of us stood up together to sing 'All we are saying is give peace a chance', with Jon delightedly singing with us. We sang happy birthday again to Chris, who remarked that it looked like it was going to be a long one. When the band left the stage the audience cheered for what must have been literally 20 minutes or more afterward.

After this show I attended a party with some of the Yes fans I had met at SLO, many of them steadfast Notes contributors who I've never met, like stalwart Roy DeRousse. I knew a few of them only by alias; I'd be introduced to a person whose name I wouldn't recognize until I learned the email name! Everyone was having a blast, discussing the finer points of the concert, and phoning those less fortunate to give them the lowdown on the show and what which Yes members they ran into that day. I met so many people, too numerous to mention, and to those I want to say a collective it was great to meet you.

There were many stories of fans' encounters with band members at various times and places, but the topper was probably one Steve recounted. Fans had camped out at Boo Boo's on Saturday night to purchase tickets for Monday's added show the following Sunday morning. A figure wearing a hat and carrying a guitar on his back approached the fans, and was instantly recognized as Steve, who threw his hat on the ground and began to play for those in the queue, busker-style, hammering out Mood For a Day and Roundabout among others. One fan reportedly jammed with Steve on the spot, and someone even threw a dollar into the hat (which Steve returned). Steve's unusual and unexpected visit enhanced the magical and festive air of these few special days.

Wednesday was the best show of the three, the band hitting their stride. Due to an apparent technical problem with his 12-string Steve would play the electric mandolin through all of Time and a Word (he later called the occurrence 'spooky'; ironically he originally wanted to perform the song that way but was vetoed by the rest of the band). The second verse of America was the correct one on this night. The band was finally coalescing and finding its feet, and generally the performances were right on target, alternately emotional and rollicking, providing a satisfying climax to the last of the three shows. (Due to a few heated words at that evening's sound check Steve was brightly lit the entire evening.)

Over the three nights there was some funny between-song patter, stretched out to accommodate the changing of tapes. One running joke was where Jon, in reference to the GOING FOR THE ONE sessions, would place the band in Switzerland, and the reference to that country started to pop up whether the next song was recorded there or not (at one point Jon was introducing some song and Chris piped it, 'it was in Switzerland'). In his intro for America Jon referred to his first meeting with Chris where they discovered they both liked Simon and Garfunkle; the first two nights he looked up, shaking Chris' imaginary hand, then looked down and did the same as if he were Chris, but on the third night he reversed the names (i.e., Chris was looking up at Jon). And so Alan would get an introduction Jon would announce, 'And now to count off this next song is...ALAN WHITE!'

The mix was good and seemed the right volume, and the lighting was as imaginative as could be expected for a video shoot where for the most part the band was brightly lit in white. The real videotaping took place on the last night, though amazingly there were no restrictions on cameras and even camcorders despite the warning on the back of the ticket!

On all three nights the songs were performed at a steady, sometimes relaxed tempo. With longer compositions there could be a temptation to hurry through the changes to quickly get through it. But the quieter portions were almost serene, played unrushed and with feeling, and never did I get the impression they were anxious to speed through the song to get it over with. Also it was satisfying to have the Yes trademark vocal sound back: Trevor Rabin is a great singer but the timbre of his voice was so markedly different from Steve's that the familiar Yes harmonies were lost in the process. (One last concert note: there was no intermission on any of the three shows.)

In the way of merchandise there was an Opio table, dedicated to Jon. For Yes there were two styles of shirts with the Yes logo on the front, surrounded by Yes' signatures, with the logo with '96' on one sleeve and the following on the back:

There was also a giveaway, a four page pamphlet titled 'Masterworks' with the 'Keys of Ascension' statement on it as well; inside were rehearsal photos of the band and the same text from the shirt. On the back is a color photo of the blackboard listing the songs the band rehearsed, including ones that were not performed: 'South Side of the Sky' and 'Leaves of Green/Nous Sommes du Soleil'.

I won't soon forget this special event and the good vibes that went with it. Thanks to all--band and fans alike--who made it a memorable event.

MOT - March 10, 1996

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1996-9 Mike Tiano
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Photos courtesy of Michael B. Vederman