Prog rock pioneers and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, YES, have revealed the dates and details for the US leg of their “The Album Series Tour 2022”, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1972 iconic album, Close To The Edge. This marks the band’s first trek in the US since 2019 and will kick off with two shows in Glenside, PA at the Keswick Theatre on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8 and wrap in New York at the NYCB Theatre on November 19. Tickets will begin to go on sale on Friday, September 2; check local listings for information. See the full tour dates below.
As with “The Album Series Tour 2022,” which started off in the UK this past June, the US tour is dedicated to the late Alan White - the band’s legendary drummer - following his passing this past May (see the band quotes below about Alan). Before the tour gets underway, a special tribute concert - “Alan White - Celebrating His Life and Music” - will be held October 2, 7 PM at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Details here
Alan White joined YES in June 1972, just days before their Close To The Edge Tour began. Over the following 50 years, Alan would appear on every YES album including 2021’s The Quest. Following the global pandemic, he had been looking forward to this tour and re-joining his bandmates on stage, something he lived for, in the run up to his 50th anniversary of joining YES.
Sadly, that was not be, but Alan’s towering presence will be omnipresent on the tour. Alan’s good friend, drummer Jay Schellen, will join YES for the forthcoming tour, alongside Steve Howe (guitars & backing vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (lead vocals) and Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals).
The Close To The Edge show will comprise full production and a high-definition video wall directed by Andy Clark and featuring the artwork of Roger Dean.
Following the release of The Yes Album and Fragile in 1971, YES released what is widely considered one of the most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. Close To The Edge became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians. The album is saluted with a cover story in the September 2022 issue of the national magazine Guitar Player, for which Steve Howe was interviewed. He recalls: “We were young, enthusiastic, and adventurous, and we had this incredible breakthrough success with Fragile. We saw our next album as a real opportunity to prove our worth as a band. The door had been opened and we weren’t going to go backward. We wanted to sharpen our skills as far as writing and arranging.”
Journalist Joe Bosso wrote about the album’s place in rock history in Guitar Player (September 2022): “Vast, enigmatic, full of moments of spectacular grandeur and ever-changing hues, Close to the Edge is the ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ of progressive-rock albums. Comprised of just three tracks - the dizzying side-long, 18-minute title track, the equally sprawling mini epic “And You and I,” and the whacked-out, hyperactive jazz-funk album closer “Siberian Khatru” - Close to the Edge documented Yes operating at the peak of their musical powers.”
Tour dates:
October
7 - Keswick Theatre - Glenside, PA
8 - Keswick Theatre - Glenside, PA
9 - State Theatre - New Brunswick, NJ
11 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
13 - Florida Theatre - Jacksonville, FL
14 - The Parker Playhouse - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
16 - King Center - Melbourne, FL
17 - Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL
19 - Saenger Theatre - New Orleans, LA
20 - Arena Theatre - Houston, TX
21 - The Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, TX
23 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
24 - The Magnolia - El Cajon, CA
25 - Fox Performing Arts Center - Riverside, CA
27 - Hard Rock Live - Wheatland, CA
29 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
November
4 - The Factory - Chesterfield, MO
5 - Brown County Music Center - Nashville, IN
6 - Taft Theatre - Cincinnati, OH
9 - Orpheum Theater - Madison, WI
10 - Wabash Theater - Wabash, IN
11 - Hard Rock Casino - Gary, IN
13 - Warner Theater - Washington, DC
14 - The Palace - Stamford, CT
15 - Warner Theatre - Torrington, CT
17 - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, NJ
18 - Wind Creek Events Center - Bethlehem, PA
19 - NYCB Theatre - Westbury, NY
For full details and tickets for all shows visit the venue website or yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet & Greets with the band.
YES quotes about Alan White (June 2022):
Steve Howe: “It is with great sadness that I join with the other members of Yes to acknowledge the passing of our dearest friend and drummer, Alan White. He gave so many of his best years to the band and was a true believer and determined professional til the very end. Being a kind and loving human being just came naturally to him, with his mellow, non-confrontational personality and abundant generosity, which made him so popular with his friends and everyone he met.”
Geoff Downes: It is with the utmost sadness I have received the news of the passing of my dearest friend and bandmate Alan White. He was truly one of the greatest men I have ever met. Honest, loyal, passionate, caring, kind, generous, considerate, charitable, funny - so many superlatives, too many to mention - simply, an all-round top guy and one of the best. And despite living for many years in his adopted hometown of Seattle, he never lost that Geordie wit, irony and charm. As a musician he was unique in every way, and his powerhouse technique influenced whole generations of drummers and percussionists - an absolute legend in the true sense of the word. He was a joy to share the same stage with, often glancing over at the keyboard riser with a wink and a smile, but still laying down that solid, yet intricate groove as only he could. This was Alan - a genius who never took himself too seriously. We had some great laughs together, became very close, and always looked after each other to the point where they started referring to us as ‘The Odd Couple’!”
(Photo - Mike Ainscoe)
