Concert Review: Yes! Fourth Roundabout At Penn’s Peak

Rachel Cholko
Oct 15
7 min read

Yes, oh Yes!

Progressive rock giants Yes were kind enough to make a stop at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA this past weekend, which marks the fourth time the group has ever played this particular venue. I was lucky enough to have Tara here at Rock DNA turn my awareness on to this gig, as it was at the Peak where I got my start with both concerts and concert photography alike. Penn’s Peak is a wonderful niche of a place tucked in the woods (a hidden gem, if you will) that has a specific crowd of locals who frequent the audience. Despite being my “home” venue, it’s been quite some time since I covered a show here, so I was more than happy to dip into Yes territory for a night.

I’ll admit that Yes was never on any sort of bucket list of bands I had a burning desire to see, but being able to witness their spells of exhilaration myself definitely made me wish I’d made an effort to see them sooner. The group is currently in the first half of their “Fragile Tour 2025: The Album Series”, and has made sure to honor several of their albums in the process, but not just by playing tracks off of records besides Fragile. At every tour stop, they are also featuring a small art gallery composed of prints of original album cover paintings and typography pieces by longtime artistic partner Roger Dean. As if the artwork wasn’t breathtaking enough, the music hadn’t even begun yet!

If you didn’t know, the standard rule when photographing a concert is that you can typically only shoot for the first three songs, but remember: this is a prog rock band we’re talking about. The first song of the night, “Siberian Khatru”, is 12 minutes long when played live, so I was told by management that this was the allotted time where I was permitted to shoot. Prog rock, right? You just can’t beat it.

That first epic movement, however, immediately made me aware that my expectations for Yes were being blown entirely out of the water. Being able to play songs live and have them sound remarkably comparable to the studio recording isn’t always the intention or end result, but the current lineup of Yes somehow manages to recreate the exact studio sound and more. The raw intensity of every note and harmony pulls the listener not just to the original recording booth, but to the universe created in the minds of those who originally recorded these musical tales.

Right away, my ears were taken by the luscious vocals of lead singer Jon Davison and the respective harmonies of bass player and backing vocalist Billy Sherwood. To those who mope about any classic group that is touring with no original members left, I challenge that mindset and urge you to see whichever group it may be anyway, as you’re guaranteed to gain a lot of newfound respect for musicians you may have never even heard of. I quickly learned prior to the show that some Yes fans may believe that guitarist Steve Howe (who first joined the group in 1970) is the beating heart of the band, but this is not entirely true. In my opinion, any given member of the current Yes lineup is a beating heart for the band. That being said, I do think that this current lineup is just all heart, all the time.

With the 12 minute-long opener in the books and a heaping amount of content in my camera, I was able to sit and observe for the rest of the show. Having looked at prior setlists from the current tour, I knew that there was to be two full sets of music for the night: the first being a variety of classic Yes songs, the second being the Fragile album in its entirety. To continue the first set, the band did a series of three songs from 1978’s Tormato album. One of these tracks was the stoic “Onward”, played as a tribute to late Yes founding bassist Chris Squire. Followed by other 70s reveries such as “Madrigal”, “Soon”, and “Wonderous Stories”, one track did leave me pleasantly surprised. “Circles of Time” has all the makings of a timeless Yes tune: bittersweet acoustic guitar, hauntingly smooth vocals, and the occasional hint of psychedelia. It wasn’t until Davison introduced this song as being from their most recent album that I realized it was indeed not some 70’s staple; it was only two years old!

For the first grand finale, the high-energy “Tempus Fugit” from 1980’s Drama album was the choice to end act one of this wondrous evening with Yes. After an intermission so everyone in the crowd could catch their breaths, we were all aware of what was in store for act two.

Even before Howe plucked the first acoustic note of “Roundabout”, the opening track for Fragile, the audience was already ecstatically cheering. I could sense an overwhelming loyal bond amongst this congregation of fans that I hadn’t really felt before. Dipping your toes into another fanbase for a while is an invaluable experience; something I learned throughout the course of the Fragile playthrough.

As many know, Fragile has several tracks composed by each then-member at the time of its recording. First on the list was “Cans and Brahms”, featuring historic rock keyboardist Geoff Downes. The dignity and justice he brought to this arrangement was felt all throughout the crowd– the applause and instant standing ovation upon the song’s completion making this apparent. While there wasn’t a standalone drum solo on the original record, Yes was sure to make time to showcase drummer Jay Schellen and his relentless enthusiasm for being the backbone and most recent addition to the band.

While my favorite song of the night was the mythical “We Have Heaven”, hearing “Five Per Cent for Nothing” was definitely something I was anticipating, as it’s such a brief, complex, and overlooked track. I’ve read that this track in particular has been described by Howe as “the most challenging (Fragile song) to play”, but despite the odds, they nailed it without a doubt.

Have you ever heard anyone shred– truly shred— on bass? I thought I had, until I witnessed Billy Sherwood. When definitive Yes tune “Long Distance Runaround” faded with Howe’s precise string work, Sherwood gladly took to the spotlight to serve due justice to Chris Squire’s “The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)”. To say I was blown away by his musicianship would be an understatement. My jaw wouldn’t come off the floor, and there was much premature applause and standing ovation during this wildly insane solo.

Almost as if he were trying to calm our rushing pulses, Steve Howe then took full control of the stage for his trademark acoustic solo piece, “Mood for a Day”. Another big part of the reason why my expectations for Yes were greatly exceeded was Howe’s divine expertise on guitar. He still manages to captivate and excite with a persistent power that I can only describe as being so unique to him. “Mood for a Day” is as wistful as ever, with my breath being taken by how raw and emotional it is when played live.

Solo pieces out of the way, Yes was ready to rule their way through the intense grand finale of Fragile, “Heart of the Sunrise”. To me, this felt like Jon Davison’s time to shine (as was most of the show). I believe Davison was the only right pick in this world to be the current lead vocalist for Yes, and witnessing him in this composition may have been the defining piece of proof. It showcases his passion, range, and crowd control, so it’s hard not to fall in love with him as a performer by the end of a Yes concert. His voice goes straight to your heart, and might even trick your ears into thinking you’re hearing Jon Anderson!

Of course, this crowd wouldn’t take “no encore” for an answer, and Yes had much more left to give. Starting off with the Beatles’ Rubber Soul classic “The Word”, most of the crowd was now up and joyfully dancing in their places to this bubbly singalong. For the true grand finale of the entire evening, they closed with beloved The Yes Album track “Starship Trooper”. The loyal relationship between band and audience was stronger than ever, right up until the very end of this extended piece. With every clap-along that was encouraged by Schellen and fulfilled by the faithful fans, the love and appreciation were more than palpable from any seat in the venue.

While not knowing what to expect from Yes at the beginning, I’d say I got much more than my fair share of starstruck. Truly prog rock at its finest, if I do say so myself. They’ve still got the groove, the intensity, and the mythicality that established them as such a unique act over 50 years ago. Since several of the current members have been a part of other famous musical groups over the years (Asia, The Buggles, etc.), Yes’ reach is widespread across all different corners of rock and roll, and across all different age ranges as well. It was reassuring to actually see several people in my 20-something-year-old age group up at the barrier along with me, as well as a few familiar older faces that I tend to bump into at gigs I cover. Does prog rock truly conquer all? Maybe go to a Yes show and see for yourself.

Yes, as mentioned previously, is knee-deep in the first half of dates for their “Fragile Tour 2025: The Album Series”, and the tour concludes in exactly one month in Reno, NV. Visit yesworld.com for more information about tour dates, band members, and Yes as a whole.

(Special thanks to Andrea for being so helpful, and to Tara for opening the door for me!)