Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - Yes Epics and Classics - 2023-04-16 - Newark, NJ | BBChronicles

Haven’t posted anything from BB for a while and this is nice, great quality and for Yes fans a treat. We loved Yes when they came out with such stars and virtuosos on their beloved instruments of choice with Steve Howe, Chris Squires,  but perhaps it was the uniquely haunting voice of Jon Anderson that made me sit up and take so much notice, that and the fascinating writing. BB says

"The current lineup of legendary progressive rock band Yes (consisting of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davidson, and Jay Schellen) has recently released a new album, Mirror to the Sky, and has received positive reviews as their best album in many years. However, founding member and original longtime vocalist Jon Anderson, considered to be one of the all-time great prog vocalists, has not been a part of the group Yes for nearly 20 years now. But in the hearts and minds of Yes fans the world over, Jon Anderson will always be THE vocalist for Yes. And Jon is still very much interested in carrying on the music of Yes, and now he has teamed up with a talented group of accomplished musicians known as The Band Geeks, and he is currently on tour with them with a show called Yes Epics and Classics featuring Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks. And wow, what a show! Jon has still got it, even at 78 yrs old, his voice sounds great, and the Band Geeks admirably replicate the musical virtuosity of Yes at their peek. And the setlist is spectacular, filled with the band's greatest songs from their peak 70's period, including nearly all of the epic and classic tracks you would want to hear Yes play in concert. It is the greatest setlist ever for a Yes show, and comes in at amazing 2.5 hours They are all here, Yours is No Disgrace, Starship Trooper, Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise,  Close to the Edge, And You and I, Awaken, and one of my personal faves, Perpetual Change. And there are 2 further epic tracks that were played on alternating nights (rest of setlist same each night), Riual from Tales from Topographic Oceans, and The Gates of Delirium from Relayer. Just sensational. And if you are thinking, yeah, well it's still not the Real Yes, hey, it's pretty darn close, as close as you will get in 2023, and with Jon Anderson fronting, well it's got just as much a claim to the Yes name as the current incarnation of the band. So, the current yes band has a pretty good album out currently, but it doesn't hold a candle to the classics in this show, and it all sounds great. This show is from last month (4/16/23) in New Jersey, and it is a good audience recording. Ritual was the latter part of the shpow epiv played that night, but  have included a bonus track of a recording of Gates of Delirium from the Reading PA show the following week, so that all of the songs they play are represented here (with the addition of the bonus track, the show is nearly 3 hrs long!). Although it is impossible to get a full real reunion of the classic lineup of Yes ever again (Chris Squire and Alan White have died, Bill Bruford has retired from drumming), this may just be the next best thing, at least for dynamite versions of the classic songs."

Tracklist:
Set One
 1. Firebird Suite
 2. Yours Is No Disgrace
 3. Perpetual Change
 4. Close To The Edge
 5. Heart Of The Sunrise
 6. Starship Trooper
 7. Awaken 

Set Two* not available to Mac owners!
 8. And You And I
 9. I've Seen All Good People
10. Ritual
11. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
12. Roundabout
Bonus Track (2023-04-23 - Reading, PA)
13. The Gates of Delirium

Jon Anderson - vocals, guitar, percussion, harp
Richie Castellano - bass, guitar, vocals 
Andy Graziano - guitar, bass, vocals 
Chris Clark - keyboards, vocals 
Robert Kipp - keyboards, guitar, vocals 
Andy Ascolese - drums 
Ann Marie Nacchio - backing vocals on 9, 11 & 12
Rob Schmoll - acoustic guitar on 8 & 9

Jon Anderson - The Band Geeks - BBChron

This is more than listenable and great fun! Very accomplished and believe me Anderson can still sing like he ever could which is more than could be said of many! 

WARNING

*Now what I would say is that I can only download part one of this two file download and thus it is available to PC owners only, I have yet to find any Mac solution to this . . . . .which is a shame but as I haven’t posted anything from BBKron for a while I think have at it you personal computer owners . . .(bloody Microsoft!)