On this Date: Yes at Madison Square Garden
August 5, 1977 - A 17-year old kid and his high school friends, with the prog faithful
Some concerts stay vivid forever. Others fade away, leaving only a handful of scattered impressions – a single song, a cheering crowd, the moment the lights went down. My memory of seeing Yes 49 years ago at Madison Square Garden on August 5th, 1977 falls somewhere in between.
Fourteen months earlier I had seen them at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, a show that has since passed into legend for all the wrong reasons. That concert was rowdy, chaotic, and at times, a little scary. Madison Square Garden, by comparison, felt like civilization. No flying orange drink cartons. No cherry bombs landing in the crowd. Just a sold-out arena full of prog-rock faithful waiting for the kings of the genre to take the stage.
It was the first of three nights at the Garden. I can’t say with certainty who was with me, but Dave, Danny, and Luke are very safe bets. By that point we were going to concerts together regularly, and Yes was still very much a band you went to see.
The band was touring behind their newly released album Going for the One, with the classic lineup of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, and the returning Rick Wakeman back behind the keyboards. Wakeman’s return made the tour feel like a real event. The year before, during the Relayer tour, Patrick Moraz had handled keyboard duties. Now Wakeman was back in the fold and the band was once again operating with what many fans considered the definitive lineup.
The set leaned heavily on the new material along with the established epics. I distinctly remember a great version of Close to the Edge, and they closed the show in suitably triumphant fashion with Roundabout as the first encore, inducing a complete crowd frenzy.
Looking back, this show landed at an interesting moment in my musical life. By the summer of 1977, punk was beginning to crash into my consciousness. Bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols were starting to make progressive rock feel a little bloated and ridiculous. But I honestly can’t remember whether those thoughts were already swirling around in my head that night or whether I was still happily immersed in the full Yes experience.
There’s also one rather embarrassing memory gap.
The opening act was Donovan. Yes, that Donovan. And I have no memory of it whatsoever. None. Not a note. Not a lyric. Not even a vague impression.
Apparently, he played a nine-song set that included Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Mellow Yellow. I don’t know whether we arrived late and skipped the opener, or simply paid no attention. Whatever the explanation, it’s a shame. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate Donovan quite a bit, and the idea that I might have seen him live and completely forgotten it is slightly tragic.
By the summer of 1977, punk was already beginning to push progressive rock out of my musical universe. But on that night at Madison Square Garden, Yes still ruled the world.
Setlist
The Firebird Suite
Parallels
I've Seen All Good People
Close to the Edge
Wonderous Stories
Colours of the Rainbow
Turn of the Century
And You and I
Flight Jam
Awaken
Starship Trooper
Roundabout
Yours Is No Disgrace
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