------------------------------------------------------- JANUARY 9, 2004  ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Atlantic City Casino Headliner Interview http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/entertainment/casinos/cas_inter.shtml Anderson's show will be music to your ears By Robert DiGiacomo Fans of the group Yes and its elaborate instrumentation might be surprised by co-founder Jon Anderson's solo performance at Trump Marina. Jon Anderson will perform many classic Yes songs, but he is also expected to sing songs that haven't been released yet. Solo means Anderson alone, with just his Roland MIDI guitar system, and a set list of Yes' progressive rock, his work with Vangelis and his own compositions. The high-tech guitar - which can trigger animation, digital visualizations and natural images choreographed to Anderson's music all in Dolby Surround Sound 5.1 - helped make possible the "Work in Progress Tour of the Universe," which kicks off in Atlantic City at 9 p.m. Jan. 9. "Technology has moved very strongly over the last 10 years," Anderson says. "The MIDI guitar can make quite a few sounds. I can play chords, but I can't play anything but rhythm, which inhibited my touring (solo)." Another motivation for the tour - and the inspiration for its title - was Anderson's desire to perform music he's been writing for the past 10 years, but isn't necessarily going to record for an album. "I'm interested in performing it and to talk about why I'm writing this music - it's become sort of a workshop idea," he says. The Lancashire, England-native recently tried out the material on an unlikely audience - a music class at a high school in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The school let him use its state-of-the-art theater in exchange for him teaching a class. "It was really fantastic," he says. "Teenagers are easily bored, but they seemed to enjoy an hour with me. We talked about lots of different things, and I sang them songs. They made me feel comfortable I can keep an audience." The energetic Anderson is also working on a concept for a video game about Native American totems, a belief system in which humans can gain understanding of their lives by watching the actions of animals. For example, he explains, a red-tail hawk screeches to tell you to take an overview of your life, while if you catch a glimpse of a fox, it is telling you to be more guarded and self-aware. "It's not just American, it's a worldwide phenomenon," he says. "The more I read about it, the more intrigued I've become. Wouldn't it be great to create a game that makes people discover not only the animal side of the world we live in, but the connections they have with (other) humans? In a way, it's a self-educational thing." At the same time, Anderson has become a big listener of satellite radio, and will be an artist-in-residence at Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio, tentatively scheduled for the last week in January. "I thought it was such a good idea to have a radio station that would play 100 different channels," says Anderson, whose performances can be heard by subscribers on the Deep Tracks and Music Lab channels. "I love the reggae and Latino, and Frank Sinatra's place." With all of these solo projects, Anderson still is making time for Yes, the pioneering progressive rock band he co-founded in 1968. The group on Jan. 27 is releasing "YesSpeak," a three-hour DVD with concert and backstage footage. "We got the camera guy to come along with us and filmed as we are backstage," Anderson says "Rick Wakeman is the star of the show. He does his Monty Python stuff -- it's very funny. We're all a bunch of strange people who have been together for 35 years." The band is also releasing a new collection, "The Ultimate Yes - 35th Anniversary Collection" (Warner Bros.), featuring three new songs, and this spring will launch an arena tour. "It's a fun thing, it still works, and we still get a great audience," Anderson says. Despite many roster changes and feuds within the band, Yes has found a way to still make music together. "You tell me any group of people that gets on all the time," Anderson says. "We get on 80 percent of the time ... it's political at times, it's a brotherhood. We have to all agree before we get on a plane. "Sometimes, we fall out. We don't want to go to Japan, or play that song, or someone's late - probably the bass player." At an age when many people, let alone rock performers, are considering retirement, Anderson feels like he's just getting started. "I'm 60 and I really want to get going now," Anderson says. "I really want to do some stuff. Most people are thinking about playing golf more. I'm just so excited about the potential over the next 10 years. We'll just see how it goes." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com