Following last year’s sold-out U.S. tour, YES, who are Steve Howe (guitars, vocals),Geoff Downes (keyboards),Jon Davison (vocals, acoustic guitar),Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals) and Jay Schellen (drums),have today (July 17) announced their “Classic Tales Of Yes” tour in the U.S. starting September 24 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and ending November 4 in Riverside, California. Look for the tour — which is the latest presentation of their ongoing concert series illuminating their classic music — to include many iconic tracks from the influential and pioneering Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees’ catalog covering 50-plus years as well as music from their acclaimed new album “Mirror To The Sky” (released May 19 on InsideOut Music/Sony Music).
Tickets for the tour will go on sale July 21. Go to www.yesworld.com/live for ticketing information.
Looking forward to the “Classic Tales Of Yes” tour, Howe said: “We’re putting together a great setlist covering the length and breadth of YES‘s career.”
Downes added: “As always, we are committed to pushing new boundaries and are very excited to be performing another chapter in the rich legacy of the band.”
The evening will begin with an on-site presentation by world-renowned English artist and designer Roger Dean, whose masterful artwork of striking otherworldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters, most prominently by YES and ASIA. Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venue’s reception/foyer area. His work — which also appears on the cover of “Mirror To The Sky” — has sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide.
“Mirror To The Sky” features not one, but four tracks clocking in at over eight minutes, with the sweeping and cinematic title track coming in just shy of fourteen minutes. What’s more, the tracks, like YES‘s best, take the listener on a wide dynamically ranging journey of soundscapes which also showcase Steve Howe‘s dazzling guitars, Jon Davison‘s angelic, crystalline vocals, Billy Sherwood‘s deftly dancing bass, keyboard wizard Geoff Downes‘s impeccable sounds, exquisite melodies and fills, and Jay Schellen‘s masterfully controlled explosions, on drums. Jay Schellen, who has been touring with the band since 2016 as an additional drummer, was hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White role when White sadly passed away in 2022.
Ultimate Classic Rock raved that “‘Mirror In The Sky’ breezes from one musical highlight to the next so deftly that you’re wanting more.” (May 17). Glide Magazine observed that “Mirror To The Sky” succeeds at proving the idea that YES music will carry on long after the original members pass in a very special way. As the producer of this twenty-third studio album, [Steve] Howe has stepped in and helped create a soundscape in the vein of their classic material.” (May 18). Guitar World noted that “There’s a lot of classic prog keyboard and guitar interplay across ‘Cut From The Stars’, but there’s lovely stuff from about 4.30 where Steve Howe and Geoff Downes exchange melodic pot shots.” (March 16).
Photo credit: Gottlieb Bros.
