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| Trevor Rabin & Jon Anderson of YES (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
When we last saw
Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman, they were performing under their acronym ARW at San Jose's City National Civic Auditorium last November -- you can find our review
here. Trevor Rabin was recovering from a bout of food poisoning or the flu which had forced them to cancel their previous nights' date in SF; and you could tell Trevor wasn't feeling 100% throughout the SJ show. Fast forward to August 28th, 2017, and this time 'round, Trevor was in top form while Jon Anderson was nursing a tired and strained throat. That said, Anderson may have taken it a little easier on some of the higher notes, but overall, wasn't deterred and sounded fantastic.
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| Jon Anderson of YES (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
I gushed last year at what an opportunity it was to see the band in the relatively small confines of the San Jose Civic -- and although their capacities are relatively similar, the Mountain Winery
feels so much more intimate. And since that show in San Jose, the band was formally accepted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.
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| Trevor Rabin of YES (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Both Trevor & Jon soaked in the applause from the nearly sold out Winery and were having a blast on stage. With giant smiles on each of their faces, you could tell they were enjoying every minute of their performance. Rick Wakeman on the other hand, even though he's known as more of the jokester of the bunch, was completely focused on his 10 (!!!) keyboards throughout the night. Only smiling for the audience as the full five-piece entered and exited the stage.
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| Rick Wakeman of YES (Photo: Kevin Keating) |
Once again, the band balanced their major pop hits of their past with deeper tracks that core YES fans would appreciate. For example, their epic "Awaken"
(iTunes) is a fantastic song which gives each band member their time to shine in the spotlight, but at 20-minutes long, tested the more casual fans in the audience who were simply there to hear the hits. Looking around, you could immediately spot the long-time YES fans with those who were there for the hits. But just as "Awaken" ended, the band redeemed themselves by launching into "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
(iTunes) and got the full crowd to their feet through the remainder of the show.
Be sure to check out the remainder of their tour dates
here and catch them if they come to their town. You won't be disappointed!
