7/20-Reno article: "Yes starts new tale in Reno"
From: [believer@telepath.com] - July 23Source: Reno Gazette-Journal
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/entertainment/996264583.phpYes starts new tale in Reno
British band teams with philharmonic for symphonic showBy Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
Friday July 20th, 2001Yes is many things to many people. To fans from the 1970s, it's the cutting-edge band responsible for anti-pop like "Roundabout," "Starship Trooper" and "Close to the Edge." To kids of the '80s, it's the dance-rock group that dished out radio-friendly hits like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Rhythm of Love." And to music historians, it's the most enduring of the early, progressive rock outfits.
Sunday, the band looks to add one more asterisk to its name, as it opens the YesSymphonic Tour at the City Center Pavilion. The group will be backed by the Reno Philharmonic in its first orchestral concert in more than three decades.
"Reno is a first-first because not only is it the first tour we've done with an orchestra, but it's the first show," said longtime guitarist Steve Howe this week.
The group, which has seen many incarnations over the past 30 years, now consists of Howe, vocalist Jon Anderson, bass player Chris Squire and drummer Alan White. Those four are among the best-known Yessers, but longtime fans will likely miss keyboard player Rick Wakeman.
Howe said Wakeman was invited to work on both the tour and the group's forthcoming orchestral album, but he was unable to do so. For the live shows, the band hired keyboard player Tom Brislin to fill in the sound.
"Due to different fluctuations in the world of keyboards we felt that this was the appropriate thing to do, was to get somebody in who has not had any history with us," Howe said. "Tom is a musician who is extremely familiar with Yes music … and he comes with an interesting sort of pedigree, where he's young, he's done some touring with Meat Loaf and he's got his own band up in New Jersey that he does some work with. This is something that he'd love to do, so I think he's going to do it with a lot of emotion and commitment."
The core group has been practicing in Reno for about two weeks, but they're yet to rehearse with the philharmonic. Howe admits that nobody is completely sure what Sunday's show will sound like.
"We know more or less what it's going to be, but there's an element of surprise," he said. "The only way you can try it is to play. It's not something you can, all that much, test on paper because of the timbre of the sound. We just hope it can work. That's our dream to see it work, so we're doing everything we can to make it work."
Howe and company's main task in practice has been to make sure the band sounds tight.
"We have to be tight and we have to be on the arrangement," Howe said. "That's our job, really, to play the way we always do. Having said that, starting this week there are opportunities for us to work with technology and have maybe a synthesized orchestra with us in rehearsal. We'll take some note of that, but obviously we know that the acoustic orchestra … has a lot more natural ambience, so it sounds rather different than a keyboard interpretation, even though the samples might be quite good."
Despite the uncertainties, Howe is pleased with the tour's experimental nature. He said it fits well with the Yes mission.
"This is a challenge not only for us but for the local musicians," he said. "It's interesting that Yes is kind of interacting on a local level. Everywhere we go we're pulling in roughly 45 people from that area, and we're going to play with them. That, in a way, shows the experimentation that we're trying to do, which is to bring something together, to make something different from what we could conceive of ourselves."
For the most part, the band will play material from last year's "Masterworks" tour, which focused on longer works, like "The Gates of Delirium."
Howe said playing material like that has reinvigorated the group because, for many years, it relied on a very small portion of its repertoire.
"The best thing we've done is 'Masterworks' because that, in a way, threw out some of the material that we'd been using as a bit of a crutch," he said. "When we put things like 'Ritual' back in the set, from 'Topographic,' we were making it harder for ourselves, which is good."
IF YOU WANT TO GO:
* Who: Yes with the Reno Philharmonic
* When: 7 p.m. July 22
* Where: Silver Legacy's City Center Pavilion
* Cost: $25, $35, $45, $50
* Tickets: They are available at www.silverlegacy.com and Tickets.com outlets, (800) 225-2277 or www.tickets.com.
* Details: 329-4777 or (800) 687-7733© Reno Gazette-Journal
7/20-Members of Reno Philharmonic excited about joining rock group
From: [believer@telepath.com] July 23Source: Reno Gazette-Journal
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/entertainment/996264752.phpMembers of Reno Philharmonic excited about joining rock group
By Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
Friday July 20th, 2001Three decades ago, Dennis Gribbin and his friends treated Yes with scholarly reverence, often listening to the band's music in chronological order and rounding up huge groups for concert trips.
"I was one of those guys who would go see all of the shows," Gribbin said. "I wouldn't go just one night. I went every night. Every night. And I would be in a different place for every show."
Sunday, Gribbin will live a dream come true, as he and other members of the Reno Philharmonic back Yes for the kickoff of the YesSymphonic Tour, the band's first ever featuring an orchestra.
"Personally and professionally, I'm honored," Gribbin said. "I have people that I've known for 35 years whose jaws will literally drop."
Gribbin, a French horn player, is among the Philharmonic's most avid Yes fans, but he isn't alone. Drummer Tony Savage, who will handle percussion for Sunday's show, said he used to listen to the band frequently. And he's thrilled to be part of the tour.
"It's an opportunity for the Philharmonic to perform in front of a substantial amount of people, rather than the standard that we get at the Pioneer auditorium or Pops on the River," Savage said. "I mean there are going to be 5-6-7,000 people at this place."
Savage toured for more than a decade with Engelbert Humperdinck, and he's played shows with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis. He says an experience like the Yes concert will improve every orchestra member.
"With each different type of performance like this, it brings them out of their comfort zone a little bit and into the whole area of music and making a living at it," he said. "I think it's just a tremendous opportunity for everybody involved."
Bass player Scott Faulkner thinks the Yes show could even attract a new audience to the philharmonic.
"I think it'll be fun," he said. "From the orchestral side of things, it's a way for us to maybe draw some people and get them interested in an orchestra." Events like the Yes show are infrequent, but not without precedent. In the past, the philharmonic has backed the Moody Blues and Luciano Pavarotti. Gribbin said those experiences makes the philharmonic an excellent choice for the Yes tour kickoff.
"I think they lucked out by starting here," he said. "I really do because this is a place that has generations - or at least two generations - of show players inside the orchestra itself."
On the flip side, he's grateful to Yes for bringing the philharmonic on board.
"The orchestra itself, in relationship to rock music, is a dinosaur," he said. "When you put these two things together you can make what you want of it, but I think it's kind of cool stuff. I enjoy the opportunity immensely. It's one of those things you can cross off on the 'Gee-it-would-have-been-nice-to-do' list."
© Reno Gazette-Journal
L.A. Times online article
From: Rob Allen [robmtsd@aol.com] July 20This article is not quite as interesting as the others, but the show *is* listed as a "pick".
Yes and The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Prog-rockers from the '70s backed by orchestra
by Daniel BernsteinFor their latest world tour, long time classic rock staple Yes adds an extra touch of "classic" to their act, as they are playing backed by a full orchestra. For this evening only, their help will come not from just any mammoth collection of violins, cellos, etc., but by the world famous Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under conductor John Mauceri. They'll be offering tunes from their new CD Magnification, but after 30 odd years of performance, they know that fans demand hits like "Roundabout," "I've Seen All Good People" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" sprinkled in with the new numbers. Jon Anderson's vocals have barely lost a thing over the decades, while Steve Howe's guitar, Chris Squire's bass and Alan White's keyboards have if anything gotten even sharper.
Yes in Reno Reviewed - SPOILER
From: Nick Zales [zales@execpc.com] July 23I found this at the Yesworld page. Thanks to Mike Smith for posting his opinions. There are more reviews but why not start with the first?
**************************
Venue: Reno, NV, July 22
Posted by: Mike Smith (msmithiv@aol.com)For those who were concerned that this tour was going to be like the Symphonic Music of Yes CD with the orchestra out front and the band subdued, fear not - Yes ROCKED tonight and blew the roof off the City Center Pavilion in Reno.
First things first. A set list, since this is the first show of the tour:
Overture (sadly, not a live rendition of Firebird Suite)
Close To The Edge
And You And I
Don't Go (not sure I got the name right)
In The Presence Of
Gates Of Delirium
Wonderous Stories
Perpetual Change
Long Distance Runaround
Ritual
Starship Trooper (first encore)
Roundabout (second encore)
As you can see, this is basically Masterworks 2001 + orchestra. It's late, so I'll stick to a series of observations about the show.
* The orchestra was very much in the background. It was often hard to hear them in the mix, and the orchestra left the stage entirely during Wonderous Stories and Perpetual Change. It was actually a shame they were so subdued in the mix because the orchestral arrangements really complemented the band and added great richness when they could be heard, e.g. during portions of AYAI and GoD. The arrangements were also TOO careful to avoid duplicating Symphonic Music of Yes and missed what I thought were some great opportunities to use the orchestra to the fullest, such as the opening to Starship Trooper.
* There was a marked difference in the two new songs premiered tonight. The first one, Don't Go or something like that (Jon's introduction was distorted over the speaker system), was a shorter and less interesting song. It reminded me of some of the material they recorded during the ill-fated '79 Paris sessions just before their first really big breakup. The second song, In The Presence Of, was more of an epic piece - I didn't time it but guess somewhere in the 12-14 minute area - and truly wonderful. Yes music has so many layers that it usually takes me four or five listenings of any new songs to fall in love with them, but this song touched me immediately.
* For a first night of the tour, the band was really on tonight - a major improvement over the opening night of last year's tour, which also occurred in Reno. Chris appeared to get annoyed with some overhead lighting and just stopped playing early in his bass solo in Ritual, but other than that and a few normal hiccups, the quality of music was phenomenal.
* Tom Breslin, the new keyboard player, did a credible job. I can't say he measured up to either Rick or Igor, my two favorite Yes keyboard masters, but he held his own on solos and otherwise blended well with the group.
* The venue largely sucked. The acoustics were bad, sound system was distorted at times, and for some reason the first row of chairs were set back about 30 feet from the stage so there was unnecessary distance between the band and the crowd. The only good part of this arrangement was when hundreds of people (myself included) rushed the stage at the end of Ritual; we had room to stand right next to the stage and rock during the two encores. Jon seemed to get a kick out of this, although he kept peeking over to see that his wife Jane was OK as her front row seat quickly became a 20th row seat behind a wall of dancing fans.
* Surprisingly, no tour merchandise of any sort was out for sale. Hopefully this is corrected by the next couple of shows. I'm bringing my eight year old son to the LA Hollywood Bowl show - his first major concert - and would be very bummed if I couldn't send him home with a T-shirt etc.
* The crowd did Reno proud for a change. Except for some guy in the second row that just had to jump up and dance/gyrate constantly throughout the show, people in the front sections (I was in the 9th row center) were respectful and enjoying the music during the songs, and loud in their appreciation after each song. After Roundabout, the band left the stage but most of the front section stayed and cheered for a long time. It was fun to talk to so many knowledgeable fans throughout the evening.
Guess I better wrap this up. All in all, this was a great show. I am hoping that future shows in better venues, particularly with better acoustics, are able to integrate the orchestra more into the sound of the rest of the band. Either way, this tour is sure to be a special experience for any long time fan!
Peace be with you,
Mike Smith
msmithiv@aol.com
Chris and Alan visit LA radio team on Monday evening
From: [vocalize vocalize@earthlink.net] July 24Since this hasn't been mentioned yet, I thought I'd chime in to say that both Chris and Alan popped up to promote their upcoming Hollywood Bowl appearance - - in quite an unlikely place last night.
"Conway and Steckler" are a couple of guys who do a 'booze and broads,' bawdy and irreverent talk show on KLSX-fm here in Los Angeles, which skews toward the younger male audience. What a surprise to tune in and hear them in mid-interview with White and Squire last evening.
I don't think C&S are terribly familiar with YES, but that somehow made for a much more intriguing experience. It was refreshing, actually, to not hear a YES-oriented interview conducted with fan-like, studious fervor. It was very casual, very irreverent and a lot of fun. Chris and Alan seemed to enjoy themselves and roll with it. Last night, they were just guys hanging out with a couple of pranksters.
Questions were taken from callers, but other than mentioning the set list ( now no mystery ), there's nothing of much substance to report. . other than Chris lives in Santa Barbara. . .
Steve Howe Online Chat, Aug. 2
From: [pcantin@canoe.ca] (whitey) July 24JAM! Music, Canada's largest news and information website is hosting a chat with Yes' Steve Howe on Aug. 2.
The chat takes place at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, but anyone interested in posting a question in advance for Steve can do so now by following the link below.
http://www.canoe.ca/cgi-bin/hchat/hchat?Room=steveHowe
ProgressForum Website Update
From: [tizwin@progress.freeserve.co.uk] (ProgressForum website) July 231) Set-list of the 1st 'YesSymphonic' show
2) free progressive-music sampler CD
3) postal address ( 13 THE Court... )
4) your list of 'latest listens' (CDs + other formats)1): Set-list of the 1st 'YesSymphonic' show by Yes (performed last night) is linked from the Gig Guide + News pages of our website ProgressForum at http://www.geocities.com/progressforum/
People who attend any of the YesSymphonic shows are invited to email reviews (or comments) to ProgressForum at edit@progress.freeserve.co.uk. The best will be added to our site! Some may also appear in the re-launch issue of our print publication.
If equipped to receive emails but unable to surf websites, just ask & we'll email the set-list info.
2): On June 7th I sent a *postal* mailshot to all 'netless' subscribers of our print publications alerting them about the YesSymphonic shows this coming December. I enclosed with my mailshot a free 11-track progressive-music sampler CD from the Sweden-based Record Heaven label. It features :
Isildurs Bane / Five Fifteen / Ensemble Nimbus / Orient Squeezers / Minimum Vital / 4/3 De Trio / Ten Jinn / Etcetera / In The Labyrinth / Book of Hours / Cross
As mentioned on our website, while stocks last the sampler CD is available to the remainder of our subscribers, free for the cost of postage (27 pennies in the UK) or shipping ($1.70 to U.S.)
3) : Progress, 13 THE Court, Guildford, GU2 4BA, England continues to be our postal address. Ideally, please write 'THE' in capital letters. A new postal worker delivers the mail. Capital lettering will avoid him delivering letters to another nearby '13 ... Court' ! The vague possibility of wrong delivery reminds me of postal problems starting in 1995 with my original spinal injury (before the surgery in which my spinal-cord was injured). It was unsafe for me to continue living in my home - & after I moved out, the new occupants discarded (or stole?) much of the mail addressed to me! Luckily mail is safe at the current address.
4) : Subscribers to our print publications Progress + YMC are invited to email me a list of up to 10 'latest listens' (CDs new or old, + other formats) to which you've been listening most in the past month or so. The list can be in any order (no need to rate the CDs 1-to-10). You're welcome to add comments, but they're not essential. Lists are welcome up to 4 times per year.
Lists are equally welcome postally from our subscribers - please tell netless friends who you know are subscribed for Progress / YMC!
The lists are displayed on our site, alongside lists received from musicians:
Rick Wakeman / Flower Kings / Porcupine Tree / No-Man / The Enid / ensemble Nimbus / Galahad / Galadriel / Boud Deun / Alex Skolnick / Michael Manring / Rothko / Ultrasound
Tiz ( tizwin@progress.freeserve.co.uk )
webmanager, ProgressForum (reviews + official CD stock FS)
http://www.geocities.com/progressforum/
SPOILERS!!! Reno Gazette-Journal YES review
From: [believer@telepath.com] July 24Source: Reno Gazette-Journal http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/lifestyle/996007035.php
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS. DELETE NOW IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ THE CONCERT REVIEW!!!
Orchestral Yes stands the test of time
By Michael Martinez
Reno Gazette-Journal
Tuesday July 24th, 2001Many bands that established their legacy and fan base in the 1960s through the 1980s sustain their careers on their followers' sense of nostalgia, the longing for that touchstone of past discovery.
But renewed vigor and a sense of rediscovery - not fuzzy nostalgia - best captures the tone of Sunday's performance by the still-progressive band Yes, which kicked off its 60-city Yessymphonic tour with the Reno Philharmonic at the Silver Legacy's City Center Pavilion.
Drawing from a vast songbook that formed the cornerstone of the progressive rock foundation in the early to mid-1970s, vocalist John Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White demonstrated the same musicianship, spunk and intelligence that has attracted a diverse, multigenerational fan base and has allowed them to continue to tour and release new albums into the new millennium.
From the four-part self-titled suite off their breakthrough 1972 album "Close to the Edge," to "Gates of Delirium" from the 1974 "Relayer" collection, the band infused each composition alternately with fresh bombastic bluster and introspective etherealism - mostly to standing ovations from the audience.
The fans - from graybeards to 6-year-olds - more politely listened to tracks from the band's forthcoming "Magnification" album, offering up tepid applause for the popish song "Don't Go."
The audience, which filled up three-quarters of the pavilion, responded more enthusiastically to "In the Presence of," which featured drummer White tickling out a plaintive theme on keyboards.
Anderson recapitulated that theme and later - during one of the few moments its contribution was evident - the Reno Phil also reestablished that riff.
The aural contributions of the orchestra - particularly its strings - were largely thwarted by the shabby acoustics of the City Center Pavilion.
There was often confusion over whether you were hearing the orchestra - conducted by Yes musical director Larry Groupe - or the synthesizer work of Yes keyboardist Tom Brislin.
Undoubtedly, other venues to which the tour will travel may better accommodate this orchestral rendering of Yes music. One constant during this tour will be the fresh energy of the band. Nothin fuzzy about them.
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