This past Friday night, vocalist Jon Anderson performed with Yes—his former band—at the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
It marked Anderson's first performance with the group since 2004.
Best of all, Yes—in this case, Anderson, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman and Alan White—were joined by a special guest, Rush bassist Geddy Lee. They opened with “Roundabout,” a classic track from 1971’s Fragile, which happens to be their first album to feature Wakeman.
Lee then left the stage, and the band—with former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin taking the lead—performed an extended version of “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” the band's only Number 1 chart hit (from 1983’s 90125). For this performance, guitarist Steve Howe played a Rickenbacker bass, most likely in honor of longtime Yes bassist Chris Squire, who died in 2015. Meanwhile, Wakeman switched to keytar.
Other former Yes members (and co-founders) were honored Friday night, including Squire, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye.
This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on HBO 8 p.m. EST April 29.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
