------------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 12, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/0912yes12.html Contributed by Donna Hayes Yes, its a Dream Team: Yes and Dream Theater By Michael Senft In the early '70s, Yes filled arenas around the world, playing 30-minute epics about a Starship Trooper traveling to the South Side of the Sky in search of the Gates of Delirium. The rise of punk in the late '70s, shifting tastes in music and shifting lineups in the band led to a long decline for the British prog rockers. There were regular albums and the occasional minor hit, like Rhythm of Love, but mostly Yes' new albums were greeted with apathy at best and critical derision at worst. Now, two decades after topping the charts with Owner of a Lonely Heart, Yes is riding a wave of resurgent popularity and - surprise - critical praise. The group's recent compilation, Ultimate Yes, was a left-field hit in their native England, and Yes is again playing large arenas and amphitheaters on its 35th anniversary tour, which visits Mesa Amphitheatre on Tuesday. In a recent phone call from Atlantic City, bass player Chris Squire, 56, the only member of the band to appear on every Yes album, explains: "People today are getting tired of the same simple pop music and are looking for bands who actually play their instruments. "As a result, prog rock is making a comeback." Part of the credit for Yes' resurgence must be given to the band members' maturity. Two years ago Yes reformed its "classic" lineup - Squire, singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman and drummer Alan White - and dusted off many of the prog tunes it hadn't played in 20-plus years. That quintet had not toured together since 1979, and aging Yes fans who had been disillusioned by the group's '80s pop albums 90125 and Big Generator returned in droves. "There's a special magic," Squire says about Yes' current lineup. "We're the ones that produced all the songs that fans want to hear. And we're older now, more mature. So the personality problems we had 25 years ago are gone." Squire insists the tour isn't only an exercise in nostalgia. Although the group is performing greatest hits and fan favorites as a celebration of its anniversary, plans are afoot for the band to return to the studio early next year. Yes is hoping to win a new generation of fans. It enlisted one of today's hottest prog bands, Dream Theater, to open the shows. The pairing has paid off for both. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy notes that the tour has attracted more diverse crowds than Dream Theater's headlining tours. "When I look out during the show, there are older people with Yes shirts, but there are also a lot of kids wearing Dream Theater shirts as well," Portnoy, 37, says in a phone call from Madison, Wis. The result is that Yes fans are discovering a new generation of rock virtuosos and the budding musicians inspired by Dream Theater are hearing the musicians who influenced their heroes. Portnoy acknowledges that Dream Theater's brand of prog rock infused with Metallica-style speed metal may be a little loud for Yes's older audience, but he's not too worried. "We are deliberately playing songs that we think will most appeal to Yes fans," Portnoy says. "More melodic, epic tracks and less metal. We've even thrown in a Yes cover, Machine Messiah, a song they never play live. When the Yes fans hear that, they're hooked for the rest of the set." The biggest thrill for Portnoy is the chance to tour with one of his biggest inspirations. "When I was a kid and just getting serious about my instrument, Yes and Rush were the two bands I discovered and I loved," he says. "When we put together Dream Theater 15 years ago, we looked to Yes as a model and inspiration. There wasn't just one hot musician carrying the band. Each one of them was a virtuoso, and it added a variety of sounds and moods to their music. We try to emulate that in Dream Theater. Yes is at the top of a short list of 'dream bands' I've always wanted to play with." For Squire, inviting Dream Theater along is also a way to acknowledge the bands that followed in Yes' musical footsteps. "We are sort of a father to the progressive-rock movement," he says, "and it's great to give these young bands the exposure." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com