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DATE: JANUARY 21, 2020
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK-SRO PR
 (Logo credit: Roger Dean)
ANNOUNCES RUN OF U.S. SPRING TOUR DATES
MARCH 19-25
LEADING INTO THEIR ANNUAL “CRUISE TO THE EDGE”
BAND TO BE JOINED BY
ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT
 YES (L-R): Steve Howe, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood, Alan White, and Geoff Downes
Photo Credit: Gottlieb Bros.
Prog rock pioneers and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES have announced a run of spring U.S. headline tour dates March 19-25 leading into their annual Cruise to the Edge (March 27-April 1) sailing out of Miami. At shows in Florida and South Carolina, the band will perform their classic hits and be joined by the Alan Parsons Live Project. Tickets for these dates–a precursor to the band’s North American fall tour, to be announced in the months ahead–go on sale to the public on Friday, January 24 at 10:00am ET.
YES is Steve Howe (guitar-joined 1970), Alan White (drums since 1972), Geoff Downes (keyboards; first joined in 1980), Jon Davison (vocals since 2011) and Billy Sherwood (guitar/keyboards in the 1990s and the late Chris Squire’s choice to take over bass/vocals in 2015), with Jay Schellen on additional drums.
“We can’t think of a better way to lead into our ‘Cruise To The Edge’ than with five shows in the Southeast,” says Steve Howe. Alan White concurs: “Florida and South Carolina in the spring sounds absolutely perfect for a British band like us. We look forward to seeing everyone for a night of YES music.”
YES continues to deliver dynamic and unforgettable performances full of passion and musical virtuosity, with songs that expanded the boundaries of rock. Below is critical praise from last year’s North American tour.
 “As always, YES put on a magical show and took the crowd on a journey through their hits.”
 “Yes closed out the evening with a brilliant set filled with energetic deep cuts…they focused on material that played to the group’s strengths, and gave guitarists Steve Howe a chance to shine. Vocally, Jon Davison has come into his own… He also looks like he is having a great time and is able to work the stage with ease. The Yes set closed with the 20 minute-plus ‘Gates of Delirium,’ from their Relayer album. It was an ambitious undertaking, but they nailed it. The evening closed with a moving version of ‘Imagine,’ a song that Yes drummer Alan White played on Lennon’s studio version of, and ‘Roundabout.’
 “Yes, meanwhile, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first album with a kind of kitchen-sink setlist, tossing plenty of rarities, and oddities, into its hour and 50 minutes on stage — opening with its rocking take of Richie Havens’ ‘No Opportunity Necessary…’ from its 1970 album Time and A Word and then tearing through ‘Tempus Fugit.’ The marquee moment was its longest, however — the 22-minute epic ‘Gates of Delirium’ from 1974’s Relayer album, performed for the first time in 18 years, whose lengthy instrumental passage was delivered with a virtuosic precision that held up to the original. Yes sent everyone home with more favorites – ‘Roundabout’ and ‘Starship Trooper,’ …Nostalgia reigned in this Royal Affair, but it was a glorious kind of past that fully merited the celebration.”  “…Yes came on and kicked off with their version of ‘No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed’ before jumping into a wide mix of material from ‘Tempus Fugit’ and ‘Going For the One’ to ‘I’ve Seen All Good People’ and ‘Siberian Khatru.’ They have decided to mix things up more on this tour and the fans surely seemed thrilled by the choices. Following a rousing rendition of ‘America’ the band closed the main set with ‘The Gates of Delirium’ from Relayer.”
“The band sounded great and had brilliant visuals to accompany the songs. Sherwood’s bass playing is perfectly suited to capture the essence of the late Chris Squire while Geoff Downes and Steve Howe are still at the top of their games. Vocalist Jon Davison has definitely settled into to his role and looks extremely comfortable on stage, hitting each note with ease. Meanwhile, Drummer Jay Schellen swapped drum duties with Alan White throughout the set. The band returned for the encore to perform John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ on which Alan White originally played the drums. It was a wonderful version. Of course, they then closed with ‘Roundabout’ and ‘Starship Trooper.’”
 …[the]revved-up crowd went wild when the members of Yes came out to close the night of historic prog…Davison does an incredible job of duplicating the alto tenor range of original band vocalist Jon Anderson. The other musicians played with such precision that it was almost like hearing the studio albums again. Howe was particularly impressive playing various electric guitars, a steel guitar and a lute. His solo acoustic guitar performance of ‘Clap’ from The Yes Album nearly stole the show.”
 “…wild applause from the crowd…unique night of rock music history that has endured for half a century.”
 “…Yes proved again that they are, after all these years, still the kings of progressive rock.”
 “For more than 45 years, Yes has been writing and performing multi-faceted songs that are intricate, graceful and always technically savvy. No matter the decade, the concert experience has never been about loud distortion or pent up aggression. Rather, the arcane lyrics and sounds take fans on an aggrandized musical journey into the surreal. Though the band has gone through several personnel changes in their 20 album career, one things has always remained the same – a commitment to excellence by every member who has played an instrument or sang into a microphone. Along for the ride was singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes and bassist Billy Sherwood with drummer Jay Schellen.”
 “Yes’s 12-song, hour-and-45-minute set was more of a departure than Yes has shown in recent years. Kicking off with the opening track from 1970’s Time and A Word album, ‘No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed,’ was welcomed with open arms by long time fans of the iconic band. The six-minute ‘Tempus Fugit’ followed and was an absolute treat…Howe, now 72, seemed especially invigorated – while playing his 1971 solo piece ‘Clap,’ he lifted a leg, then kicked it, and shook his head and body as the crowd gleefully cheered him on… An 11-minute ‘Siberian Khatru’ may have received a standing ovation, but the audience was truly rewarded when classic Yes drummer Alan White joined the band for an especially stellar version of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America.’”
Catch YES on tour at these dates:
About YES:
Founded in 1968 by the late Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, Grammy-award winning recording artists YES has created some of the most important and influential music in rock history, such as iconic pieces “Roundabout,” “Close to the Edge,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Starship Trooper,” and countless others. The 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’albums, including Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, Relayer, Going For the One and 90125, have been certified multi-platinum, double-platinum, platinum, and more by the RIAA, and have sold over 50 million records total during the band’s long and successful career that has so far spanned over five decades. In 2018, the band triumphed with their acclaimed and hugely successful #YES50: Celebrating 50 Years of YES tour. In the summer of 2019, the band is headlining their “The Royal Affair Tour” in North America. This must-see best-of-British-rock show also features Asia with the return of founding member Steve Howe in a special performance, John Lodge of The Moody Blues, and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy with guest vocals by Arthur Brown. Among the world’s most influential, ground-breaking, and respected progressive rock bands, YES continue creating masterful music that inspires musicians, fans and music lovers around the world.
SRO Press Releases + Assets:
For more information on YES, please contact SRO PR:
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