----------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 25, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: American City Business Journals Inc. http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2003/09/22/daily52.html Stage Configured, More Tickets for Yes Concert The stage and sound system at Blaisdell Arena have been reconfigured for Saturday's concert by Yes and the Honolulu Symphony, allowing the orchestra to offer three more sections of seats for the band's only U.S. date on its world tour. Honolulu Pops Conductor Matt Catingub will lead the orchestra as it backs up Yes for such compositions as "Close To The Edge," "All Good People," "Deeper" and "Magnification" in one of the largest concerts that the Symphony has ever produced. The current members of Yes are Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. Enough people have played in Yes to fully staff two bands that know the Yes repertory but this is arguably the best-known line-up. Vocalist Anderson, bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe have been with the band for most of its three decade history. Alan White was one of its earlier drummers and has had more than one tenure with the band. All of them played on the band's U.S. breakthrough album "Fragile," which features the hits "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround" and a realization of an inner movement of the Brahms Fourth Symphony. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman joined Yes right after that, and all of the current personnel played on "Close to the Edge," "Tales of Topographical Oceans," "Tormato" and "Going for the One." Rock listeners who only know Yes from the eighties and nineties, when its biggest hit "Owner of a Broken Heart" was reasonably conventional and commercial, might be surprised that in "Fragile," "Close to the Edge" and "Relayer" the band engaged in what might be termed symphonic rock, extended compositions with classical architecture, but using rock band resources rather than adding strings (as Electric Light Orchestra did) or, the Brahms to the contrary, rocking actual classical works (as Emerson Lake & Palmer did). The Honolulu Symphony, like orchestras on the mainland, has used its pops programs to reach out to new audiences, especially younger adults whose exposure to full-scale classical music may be limited. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com