----------------------------------------------- JULY 20, 2001 ----------------------------------------------- Source: Reno Gazette Journal http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/entertainment/996264752.php Members of Reno Philharmonic excited about joining rock group By Forrest Hartman Three decades ago, Dennis Gribbin and his friends treated Yes with scholarly reverence, often listening to the band’s music in chronological order and rounding up huge groups for concert trips. “I was one of those guys who would go see all of the shows,” Gribbin said.  “I wouldn’t go just one night. I went every night. Every night. And I would be in a different place for every show.” Sunday, Gribbin will live a dream come true, as he and other members of the Reno Philharmonic back Yes for the kickoff of the YesSymphonic Tour, the band’s first ever featuring an orchestra. “Personally and professionally, I’m honored,” Gribbin said. “I have people that I’ve known for 35 years whose jaws will literally drop.” Gribbin, a French horn player, is among the Philharmonic’s most avid Yes fans, but he isn’t alone. Drummer Tony Savage, who will handle percussion for Sunday’s show, said he used to listen to the band frequently. And he’s thrilled to be part of the tour. “It’s an opportunity for the Philharmonic to perform in front of a substantial amount of people, rather than the standard that we get at the Pioneer auditorium or Pops on the River,” Savage said. “I mean there are going to be 5-6-7,000 people at this place.” Savage toured for more than a decade with Engelbert Humperdinck, and he’s played shows with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis. He says an experience like the Yes concert will improve every orchestra member. “With each different type of performance like this, it brings them out of their comfort zone a little bit and into the whole area of music and making a living at it,” he said. “I think it’s just a tremendous opportunity for everybody involved.” Bass player Scott Faulkner thinks the Yes show could even attract a new audience to the philharmonic. “I think it’ll be fun,” he said. “From the orchestral side of things, it’s a way for us to maybe draw some people and get them interested in an orchestra.” Events like the Yes show are infrequent, but not without precedent. In the past, the philharmonic has backed the Moody Blues and Luciano Pavarotti. Gribbin said those experiences makes the philharmonic an excellent choice for the Yes tour kickoff. “I think they lucked out by starting here,” he said. “I really do because this is a place that has generations — or at least two generations — of show players inside the orchestra itself.” On the flip side, he’s grateful to Yes for bringing the philharmonic on board. “The orchestra itself, in relationship to rock music, is a dinosaur,” he said. “When you put these two things together you can make what you want of it, but I think it’s kind of cool stuff. I enjoy the opportunity immensely. It’s one of those things you can cross off on the ‘Gee-it-would-have-been-nice-to-do’ list.” Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com