Napa is a highlight of northern California bringing wine and music to the land. The event was Blue Note Summer Sounds at the Village Lawn at the Meritage Resorts and Spas and the band was Yes. Yes, was back, and for the 1st time with Jay Schellen on drums.
They opened with “Going For the Cover”, and they picked a great one. From the opening notes, they had the audience in their hands. They played tight as if their lives depended on it. The second song “It Will Be a Good Day (The River)”, continued the path they started. A mellow song with timed vocal changes. This song was right on point. The upbeat song “I’ve Seen All Good People” went where what the crowd was wanting to go. From there, it was more of the same awesomeness, which we all ate up.
From there, “South Side of the Sky,” just classic Yes. They picked songs out of their catalog to fill the setlist that took the audience along their career.
When they played “The Reveling Science of God (Dance of the Dawn) / The Remembering (High the Memory) / The Ancient (Gods Under the Sun) / Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)” it was like a concert in and of itself. This track bought the song from a merry little serenade, to acoustic, and back.
“Roundabout” was the first song of the encore, and “Starship Troopers” was the final track. This was the perfect song and a great one to end the show on. Yes, is an iconic 1970’s band and their catalog of songs takes you on a journey.
Band Members:
Steve Howe – guitars. vocals
Geoff Downes – keyboards
Jon Davidson – acoustic guitar, vocals
Billy Sherwood – bass, vocals
Jay Schellen – drums
Set List
1.) Going for the Cover
2.) It Will Be a Good Day (The River)
3.) Machine Messiah
4.) I’ve Seem All Good People
5.) America (Simon & Garfunkel cover)(Instrumental)
6.) Time and a Word
7.) South Side of the Sky
8.) Turn of the Century
9.) Don’t Kill the Whale
10.) Cut From the Stars
11.) The Reveling Science of God (Dance of the Dawn) / The Remembering (High the Memory) / The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun) / Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)
Encore
12.) Roundabout
13.) Starship Trooper
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Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
