DATE: AUGUST 29, 2022

FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK, SRO PR

YES
TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ICONIC ALBUM
‘CLOSE TO THE EDGE’
WITH U.S. TOUR

YES at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester/U.K. on June 17, 2022
Photo credit: Mike Ainscoe

Prog rock pioneers and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES have revealed the dates and details for the U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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, 7:00pm at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle: https://www.stgpresents.org/calendar/13566/alan-white-celebrating-his-life-and-music

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.”

 

YES 2022 U.S. Tour Dates Are:
10/7 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
10/8 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
10/9 – State Theatre – New Brunswick, NJ
10/11 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
10/13 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL
10/14 – The Parker Playhouse – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
10/16 – King Center – Melbourne, FL
10/17 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL
10/19 – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA
10/20 – Arena Theatre – Houston, TX
10/21 – The Aztec Theatre – San Antonio, TX
10/23 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
10/24 – The Magnolia – El Cajon, CA
10/25 – Fox Performing Arts Center – Riverside, CA
10/27 – Hard Rock Live – Wheatland, CA
10/29 – Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
11/4 – The Factory – Chesterfield, MO
11/5 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN
11/6 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
11/9 – Orpheum Theater – Madison, WI
11/10 – Wabash Theater – Wabash, IN
11/11 – Hard Rock Casino – Gary, IN
11/13 – Warner Theater – Washington, DC
11/14 – The Palace – Stamford, CT
11/15 – Warner Theatre – Torrington, CT
11/17 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ
11/18 – Wind Creek Events Center – Bethlehem, PA
11/19 – NYCB Theatre – Westbury, NY

For full details and tickets for all shows visit the venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and 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’!”

About YES

Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans, Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.

With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125. In 2021 YES released their 22nd Studio album, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe, which went to No.1 in the UK rock chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No.20.

YES Online:
http://yesworld.com/
https://www.facebook.com/yestheband/
https://twitter.com/yesofficial
https://www.instagram.com/yesofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/user/yesofficial

 

For press inquiries regarding YES, contact:

SRO PR:
Mitch Schneider, national // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk, tour // afaulk@sropr.com

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