The first YES concert since the passing of founding member Chris Squire started with a poignant and very touching tribute to the passing of the bass legend. A single overhead spotlight shone down on Squire’s signature Rickenbacker bass, placed on a stand stage-left in the position he typically occupied. While a recording of the beautiful Squire love song “Onward,” from Tormato played in the theater, a giant screen projected a montage of images of the late musician.
The band then appeared on stage and played passionate versions of 11 songs, including requisite favorites (“Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Siberian Khatru,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Clap,” the encore “Starship Trooper”) as well as clever and relative rarities “Going For the One,” “America,” “Tempus Fugit,” “Time and a Word” and “Don’t Kill the Whale”.
Singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Alan White were told by Chris Squires to continue on without him, and they were joined, by a not too unfamiliar member to the band, Billy Sherwood, who worked with Chris Squires in the past. Billy Sherwood, as Jon Davison called him a “badass cat “performed flawlessly and Chris Squire would be proud as the band now embarks without the leader going into the future.
11 Responses
YES doesn’t exist without Chris Squire. The current JV team should call themselves “No”.
The guy’s name is Chris SQUIRE, not “Squires,” you miserable excuse for a writer.
Or don’t you ever read what you write?
There. Is. No. Yes. Without. Cris. Or. Jon. Anderson, and. What. A. Sorry. Set list, I. Understand. Cris. Can,t. Be. There. , and. They. Have. To. Have. A. Replacement. Bass player,it. Happens. All. The. Time. In. Rock. But. No. Jon. Or. Treavor. I. Won,txt. Be. Going. To. There show……
Like so many dinosaurs from the sixties, these guys just can’t seem to let past glories go. Yes succumbed quickly to overindulgence and constant noodling after Close To The Edge, without any kind of compositional chops to match their technical ability.
IDIOT ! and you are probably half my age. Yes should continue on. Don’t know why I’m even responding to you. I was devastated by Chris Squire’s death who’s presence will leave a void. But fans that won’t support the band now are not true fans and you are cheating yourself of some of the best rock musicians alive today. God bless the great musicians that are still plugging away.
Well said, Larry…was at the show and the “Yes Men” still have it. Sure, they’re slowing down a bit but their technical prowess is still very much intact. Anderson and Squire are an enormous void to fill, but that they can pull off a show this well speaks volume of their resilience and determination.
Larry: send me an email via davidjbrown321@gmail.com…I want to talk to you about your time at Progressive WOWI in Ghent…
David
Tom, evidently you gave “Relayer”, “Topographic Oceans”, and “Going for the One” the miss. And in all this, “The Ladder” and “Magnification” are two hidden, if not pretty recent, gems worthy of any of their “heyday” material.
TOM IS A PUNK WHO MUST THINK THE FOO FIGHTERS ARE THE GREATEST BAND EVER ..LOL
I was at the show at Foxwoods…quite a moving tribute to Chris. The band played a very solid set I thought and Steve Howe looked rejuvenated. Billy Sherwood was awesome in the stead of Squire…no “s” on his name, Mr. Shettle. Still, something seemed missing and it wasn’t hard to figure out what that was. I walked into the show convinced I was going to see nothing more than a Yes cover band, but I left believing any reports of Yes’s demise might be a bit premature…the old boys still have some life left in them!
Yes was A-OK, with some hi-lights here and there, but were also tiresome as well. However, Toto had energized the crowd (Toto and Yes fans alike) with 90 non-stop minutes of rock, pop, funky jams and prog as well in a perfect balance. The set list, featured three great tracks from their new and current XIV album, the best CD of the 2015. A must listen and must see live band that is as good as they have ever been in 38 years.