Credit: Suzanne Reardon-MulhallAs previously reported, original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye will be joining his old band as a special guest on the summer leg of the prog-rock legends’ 50th anniversary tour. Now, in a new official Q&A, Kaye says it was “a thrill” to be asked to take part in the trek, which kicks off with a June 5-6 stand in St. Charles, Illinois.
“It will be an honor to join [longtime guitarist] Steve [Howe] and the band to play those early iconic songs that were the beginning of Yes,” declares the 72-year-old musician, who also played with the group on the 2018 edition of the band’s Cruise to the Edge in February.
Kaye maintains that he hadn’t been planning to hit the road again, but “the opportunity to play Yes music again with such great guys was something I couldn’t turn down.”
Tony, who left Yes in 1994, says he’s most looking forward to “reconnecting with Steve after so many years,” as well as the rest of the band — drummer Alan White, singer Jon Davison, bassist Billy Sherwood, drummer Jay Schellen — and he says, “especially with [keyboardist] Geoff [Downes], who was so generous to me on the [cruise].”
He adds, “It will be great and somewhat nostalgic for me to see all the Yes fans at the shows around the U.S.A. this summer…I can’t wait!”
Kaye was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes in 2017. Tony says he was happy the group was finally acknowledged with the honor, noting, “To me, it meant a well-deserved recognition of the band’s music and long history and a thank-you to all the fans who have supported Yes all these years.”
Here are all of the dates on the #YES50: Celebrating 50 Years of Yes tour:
6/5 — St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
6/6 — St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
6/8 — New Buffalo, MI, Four Winds Casino Ballroom
6/10 — Kansas City, MO, Midland Theatre
6/11 — Denver, CO, Paramount Theatre
6/13 — Boise, ID, CenturyLink Arena
6/14 — Woodinville, WA, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
6/16 — Bakersfield, CA, Spectrum Amphitheater
6/17 — Anaheim, CA, City National Grove of Anaheim
6/19 — Los Angeles, CA, Ford Theatre
6/20 — San Jose, CA, City National Civic
6/22 — Wendover, NV, Peppermill Casino Hall
6/23 — Laughlin, NV, Edgewater Hotel & Casino
6/24 — Temecula, CA, Pechanga Resort & Casino
6/28 — Interlochen, MI, Kresge Auditorium
6/29 — Grand Rapids, MI, 20 Monroe Live
6/30 — Detroit, MI, Fox Theatre
7/2 — Cincinnati, OH, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
7/5 — Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
7/6 — Jim Thorpe, PA, Penn’s Peak
7/7 — Montclair, NJ, The Wellmont Theater
7/10 — Boston, MA, The Wilbur Theatre
7/11 — Hampton Beach, NH, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
7/13 — Mashantucket, CT, Foxwoods Casino
7/14 — Atlantic City, NJ, Tropicana Casino
7/15 — Staten Island, NY, St. George Theatre
7/17 — Peekskill, NY, Paramount Hudson Valley
7/18 — Westbury, NY, Theatre at Westbury
7/20 — Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore
7/21 — Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore
7/23 — Washington, D.C., Warner Theatre
7/24 — Richmond, VA, Classic Amphitheatre
7/26 — Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theatre
7/27 — Orlando, FL, The Plaza Live
7/28 — Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Symphony Hall
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