Jon Anderson comes bounding out. At 81 years old, his energy is extraordinary, and “Close to the Edge”, the title track of Yes’ 1972 album, provides an appropriately ambitious beginning. There are harmonies before it floats into some stunning vocal interplay and then builds towards an enormous crescendo. That would be enough for most bands. Here, it merely starts the evening.
“Perpetual Change”, from The Yes Album in 1971, finds guitarist Andy Graziano excelling, although I suppose you have to be good to compete in this band. Hell, Anderson can even make shaking a tambourine with ribbons attached to it look cool.
“Counties and Countries”, from Anderson and The Band Geeks’ brilliant 2024 album True, is, in many ways, the song that started all this. “It sounds like a symphony to me now,” he sings, and surrounded by musicians capable of bringing his grandest ideas to life, it genuinely does.
“My friend’s going to play a little guitar and I’ll remember what it is,” smiles Anderson before “And You and I”. Birmingham helps him out, and for a moment you think about the sheer audacity of making music like this. Bassist Richie Castellano – also these days in Blue Oyster Cult – is very much the band leader, but also acts as Anderson’s hype man, whipping up the crowd as the music rises.
“And we have a new song we’d like to play for you. Really,” says Anderson, introducing “Giving Is Living”, the title track of the forthcoming second album with The Band Geeks. It is less intricate than some of the older material surrounding it, but still possesses an unmistakable warmth.
The first half closes with “Soon”, the final section of “The Gates of Delirium” from 1974’s Relayer. Chris Clark’s piano is beautiful, while drummer Andy Ascolese switches to keyboards as they add remarkable depth to the piece.
If the first half was impressive, then part two opens with a statement. “Awaken” possesses a heaviness, but the turns it takes are extraordinary. Synths give way to an immense crescendo, Anderson plays the harp and a psychedelic passage takes the song somewhere else entirely. It is possibly the highlight of the whole show.
The incredible harmonies on “I’ve Seen All Good People” underline the total mastery of the craft involved here, before the song turns into glorious rock ’n’ roll boogie.
“Once Upon a Dream”, the last of the trio of new songs, changes the mood slightly. The 16-minute centrepiece of True feels almost cinematic, and it has to be said that none of the newer material sounds remotely out of place alongside songs that have endured for more than half a century.
“Leaves of Green” is only a section of “The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)” from Tales from Topographic Oceans, with Graziano playing it beautifully. At least you know it is live when Anderson picks up his guitar in the wrong place.
It is in the correct place for “Starship Trooper”, though, with the acoustic guitar twinkling before everything becomes genuinely bonkers. Ascolese thumps the kit, Anderson waves his peace flag and Castellano wrangles his bass as if trying to tame it. The most striking thing is how much fun they are all having. It is sensational.
By “Roundabout”, Anderson admits his voice is ripped and asks Birmingham to help him sing. What an ending it provides. Uplifting, joyous and communal, it brings a genuinely lovely evening to a glorious conclusion.
And how lovely it is to see him reinvigorated, breathing new life into songs that have meant so much to so many people for more than 50 years. Just as importantly, he still has both the ability and the obvious desire to make new music with a band that appears to have given him his fire back.When it comes to prog rock, maybe it is true: the Geeks shall inherit the Earth.
