The monikor seems so dated now, but how many bands produce a vinyl LP these days with one cut lasting a whole side?  It has been said that the whole Yes catalog combined averages out to seven minute tunes each.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

This was Doctor Ray and myself’s second visit to see this line-up since 2010 , last performing at the House of Blues.   War horse vets of Alan White on skins, Chris Squire on super animated bass and lofty backing vocals, Geoff Downs (was not here in 2010, but with Howe in band Asia) on multi layered keys and the stiil spot on superb guitar work of Steve Howe combined to rock the building in crisp sound like only the BMC can provide.

Fronting the band is still the scary sounding Jon Davison, who brings an uncanny 1972 resemblance to former lead Jon Anderson and brings to life vividly the masterful tunes from the past on stage to goosebump levels.  JD is much younger than the rest of the group, but his energy and passion for the challenging task of high notes brings a welcome boost to the band indeed.

This evening they chose to perform the entire albums “Close to the Edge” and “Fragile”, followed by some new songs and whatever hits that were left behind. Spell binding is a nice way to paraphrase the outing complete with vintage 70’s psychedelic lighting spewing out in a constant motion behind the tight knit unit all night.

A packed house of rockin’ devoted Baby Boomers hooted and hollered their love for the gig throughout the solid 2-hour set on a Tuesday “school night” to boot. Plus this mature-in more ways than one-audience came for the music itself. Not to take pictures with their damn cell phones, not to get drunk, and not to be able to merely say they went. Refreshing to see silence when need be to soak in the historic nature of the act on stage.

As I mentioned earlier it is hard to believe that “Closer to the Edge”, “Siberian Khatru” and “And You and I” comprise one whole album that is considered by many to be their best studio work.  Yes music is complicated and swirling from start to finish intertwined with soaring vocals that sound like anthems.

My biggest love is good guitar players though and Howe is masterful, imaginative and articulate on every song playing up to three guitars in one song. Chris Squire plays bass with power and precision that ranks him up there in the all time halls of rock bands.

Yes is a band that kind of got lost in the shuffle with me growing up in the 70’s and a show like this made me realize how many good songs they really have penned. “Yours Is No Disgrace”, tremendous “Roundabout” from Fragile and the show stopping Classic Rock FM staple “I’ve Seen All Good People” were most enjoyable.

The band hardly said much of anything throughout choosing rather to let the music speak for itself.  43 years since their debut and Yes is not embarassing themselves what so ever. In fact, they may be playing better than ever promising a new studio release is in the works.  They got my attention and I’m looking forward to it…………….God Bless all the music lovers out there!