Jon Anderson’s angelic, timeless voice filled the historic Warner Theater in downtown Washington, DC, defying his 80 years of age. Indeed, his spiritual energy and genuine warmth throughout two sets lasting about two and a half hours was amazing. Although many of the songs were recorded by Yes in 1970s, they sounded perfect today.

The set began, in classic Yes tradition, by playing Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite through the speakers as the Band Geeks took the stage. Recently, Anderson has been touring and recording with this mob from Long Island. The Band Geeks were a bit bored during the pandemic and started challenging themselves with homemade recording of the super-challenging Yes classics. Their covers were posted on YouTube, where I and many others found them to be wonderful. Jon Anderson found them too and asked them to play with him.

Following in the style of the Firebird Suite, Anderson & Geeks played many dramatic, lengthy, and even bombastic Yes classics, like Close to the Edge and Awaken. Hearing these songs-of-my-youth played with emotion and drama gave me goose bumps. There’s nothing quite like a Moog synthesizer growling through the bass range to create dramatic tension.

The set also had three new songs, all which sound like classic Yes. I really enjoyed Counties and Countries, True Messenger and Once Upon a Dream. It’s fascinating how the Band Geeks “cracked the code” of 1970s Yes and were able to compose new songs in that style, which in other ways are fresh and modern.

There were also fun crowd pleasers like Owner of a Lonely Heart, I’ve Seen All Good People and Roundabout (see setlist below.)

This was actually the first time I had seen Yes live and there was so much I appreciated about the music being played live. First, I realized what a dream gig Yes was for Chris Squire, the original bass player. So much of the music is carried by intricate, powerful bass lines on a full-throttle Rickenbacker bass. Second, just how much sound a small group of people can make. Yes is not loud in the “turn it up to 11” way. But loud in six musicians playing at their greatest intensity with their most creative ideas, each playing individual ideas that work together. Third, the range of sounds they create, from noisy clashes to rockabilly to ballads to orchestral triumphs and all often within the same song. And finally, as a kid, I experienced these as studio albums, where musicians could overdub and re-record as many times as they wanted to produce a complex mix. That this music can be played live and perfectly is amazing.

I was so happy to spend my Father’s Day with Audrey hearing Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks play this wonderful set.

Jon Anderson

Setlist

• The Firebird Suite (Igor Stravinsky )
• Close to the Edge
• Perpetual Change
• Counties and Countries
• And You and I
• True Messenger
• Owner of a Lonely Heart
• Awaken
• I’ve Seen All Good People
• Once Upon a Dream
• Starship Trooper
• Roundabout

Details