Review by John Paul, Photos by Michelle Cucchiaro
Concert photos HERE
Dear Yes fans, if you haven’t had the opportunity to see Sharp Distance I strongly recommend that you put it on your bucket list. I knew when I got the invite I was in for a treat when I saw the line-up but it was more than I could have hoped for.
Performed at Zorba Music Hall in Lowell, MA, a spacious and packed house featuring 5 of New England’s staples in the music community.
The band is led by keyboardist Jim Zaroulis surrounded by the synths and sounds that would be needed to achieve the ever changing soundscapes of Wakeman himself. He killed it!
As the evening unfolded I couldn’t help but notice that these guys picked some of the most ambitious material ever created by Yes and played it with grace and style as if they had been performing this for quite a while.
I think part of the magic of Yes that made them so special was not only the progressiveness of the compositions, but the intricate vocal melodies and harmonies that wrapped around them. These boys didn’t let us down! Kyle Martin nailed the tone and timbre of Anderson all evening and as I would only expect, stratospheric harmonies executed by NE finest bassist and friend Mike Payette and guitarist Ken Lemire! By the way, if there ever was a guy who should fill the shoes of Steve Howe, Ken Lemire is that guy, my God every flippin’ note!! I was also very happy to know that they chose seasoned drummer Steve Bankuti to put the heart beat to these flights of fancy. It’s one thing to execute the technical of these compositions, it’s a whole other ball game to do it effortlessly and with such musicality.
In closing, as much as I enjoyed hearing the music of Yes performed so well, I think I enjoyed more watching these 5 guys give of their time and talent to an art form that has nearly become extinct.
Long live Yes
Long love Prog Rock and
Long Live Sharp Distance
Sharp Distance, the Music of Yes – Zorba Music Hall – Lowell, MA
