Merriweather back in the day: Yes

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Yes - August 13, 1972

Just after recording "Closer to the Edge" and opened at the concert by "The Eagles", this was a great show punctuated by another stormy Maryland summer afternoon which had lightening and rain chasing the audience and the musicians. The seminal album was released a month later. The group played to a lively audience who were invited into the covered areas by Jon Anderson as the rain poured on saying, "everybody from the back come and sit on everybody’s knee and we’ll have a good time". Clearly, most did and the recording below proves that with the rain stopping for the finale.

The group is very much at ease in a live concert and bantered with the crowd. Steve Howe has a two song solo spot right in the middle of the set. Anderson seems to struggle with the introduction and Howe says, “Take it easy.” Anderson then sings The Eagles’ song “Take it easy… we’d like to listen to Steve play.”

This track from that show is classic Yes and would be played several more times in the next four appearances here by the group over the next three decades:

"I've Seen All Good People"

Get the original recording at iTunes - "I've Seen All Good People"

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1 comment:

EdJuly 22, 2013 at 12:39 AM
This was the first concert I ever attended. We wrote for tickets to see our favorite band in April when the concert was first mentioned (either on the radio or in the paper... I forget). So the tickets arrived and were 2nd row - center!! Truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. As a 16 year old I was forever hooked on Prog Rock with Yes as the premier band to listen to as well as to see. No fillers - they sounded EXACTLY like the albums. And Wakeman played the Halleluiah Chorus on the Mellotron - literally causing people to look around to see where the choir was. So good....
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Merriweather Memories

Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland has a rich history of diverse concerts dating back to it's opening in 1967. Some of the the most memorable shows were in the 70's & 80's, when the venue attracted major acts whose shows at the forty acre wooded venue provided many fans with experiences to remember for a lifetime. I was lucky enough to have worked there during many of these classic shows. By sharing the sights and sounds of some of those actual concerts decades ago, the memories of those times can be relived once again - Chuck.

Merriweather History

Merriweather opened in July 1967 as the second public building in Columbia, a planned city. It was designed by architect Frank Gehry, known for his design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. It took eight months and $1 million to build the simple pavilion and grounds. With top-notch acoustics, the amphitheater was initially created to be the summer home of the National Symphony, and it was named for one of the group's key patrons, Marjorie Merriweather Post. In 2010 it was named the second best amphitheater in the country by Billboard magazine. The venue has struggled at times over the years and flirted with closing a decade ago, until new management and an appreciation by the local community for it's legacy has made it vibrant once again.