The Beacon Theater
New York City, NY
Friday, October 31, 1997
Section Orchestra Left Center, Row Y, Seat 9
$50
The concert trail is like being on your favorite amusement park ride. It has to end at some point, even if it is continuing on for other people. I could have hung on, and seen more Yes shows in more cities. But the shows I went to made sense for me - three were local and most of the others involved staying with friends and cheap or free transportation. I could have gone to the next show in Pittsburgh, and I was tempted to during my last few shows. Zoey could drive me there and part of the way back. But I would have to deal with getting tickets at the last minute and other travel details. I had to get back to face the real world. So this was it.
When the tour dates were originally announced, like in Philly, there were only two shows listed for New York. The third show went on sale at a later time, and I grabbed two tickets over the phone. Like in Philly, Zoey bought my other seat from me. I actually had planned to attend another concert on this date - Fiona Apple was playing the Electric Factory. I couldn't turn down another Yes show though.
Since this show was on Halloween, I had to dress up. I took inspiration from the opening lyric of Close to the Edge: "A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace." Before the tour started, I was so sure that Yes was going to play this song. I had owned a long black dressy dress since back in high school. I bought a witch's hat, and Zoey helped me rubber cement some dried herbs on the rim for my "seasonings".
I have a preferred way to celebrate concerts and my favorite rock stars being in town - I like to get to the venue early and see them walk in for the soundcheck, listen to the soundcheck bleeding through the concert venue walls, go inside as soon as the doors open, stand up and dance for the whole show, and then hang out afterwards to meet the band and maybe get autographs on their way out. It was my last show, and I wanted it to be just like this. No compromises. No one else wanted to head down that early, so I went by myself. I took the subway in New York alone for the first time that day. I brought my camera along to get some pictures of the band with me in my costume.
Steve Howe usually travels apart from the band. Back then, he had a station wagon that he kept in the US, and he used that in place of airplanes and tour buses. Steve's car arrived first and he had given Igor a lift to the show. I was the only person standing by the stage door. I got this picture with Steve on his way in. He is the only member of Yes who acknowledged the Yes reference when I told him I was a seasoned witch - he recited the first line of the song.
I bumped into Brian later on that afternoon, and then Jerry found us. There was now a crowd by the stage door, but Jon and Billy greeted me on their way in. Billy told me my costume looked great! Jerry and I grabbed a quick dinner together before the doors opened. My seats weren't all that great, 3 or 4 rows from the back of the venue. But... if we traded seats with people in the very last row, we could stand up and dance without blocking anyone's view! And I could keep my witch's hat on! Zoey was with me on this, and a couple in the last row agreed to switch seats. We were right in front of the soundboard. Zoey was dressed as a fairy for Halloween.
The band celebrated Halloween as well. There was a DJ on stage introducing the show, and then Jon came out and sprayed some silly string into the audience. I can't believe I didn't see this myself, but Alan wore a 3 Stooges mask for the first song. He had a mask that had a head on either side of his and his in the middle. People were talking about it afterwards, but I wasn't looking at Alan at the right time.
This was really the first show on the whole tour where I could get up and dance for the whole performance. It was so much fun! Billy could see us all the way from the stage. The audience was really loud again this night. During Steve's solo set, I guess too many people made too much noise. He said "It would really help me if you would all Shut Up." Too many people just wanted to party.
I misjudged the stage rush that night. You never want to be the first person walking up to the stage, or you'll be turned back. But once there's a group of people moving up, they'll usually let everyone remain. I started walking down during All Good People, the last song of the set. I saw Brian in the 5th row, with an empty seat by him. I was too early, the guard told me to go back to my seat. I grabbed the seat by Brian instead. (Yes, I took off the tall pointed hat to do this.) Billy noticed me there and looked surprised, like he really knew it was me in the back row and wasn't expecting to see me up front.
After the show, Brian and I went back to our little waiting spot behind the theater. Alan came out and knew tonight had been my last show. I don't even remember telling him! Maybe it was in Hershey or one of the other NYC nights. They meet so many fans, it must be hard to keep everyone and their stories straight. I'm constantly amazed when a favorite musician recognizes me and remembers something about me. Alan is always really sweet with us fans, and I got this picture with him that didn't turn out too well.
I was beginning to get sad about the end of my part of the tour. I mentioned it to Igor, and he said something that really cheered me up. It sounds funny, but it was encouraging. "What, are you going to die tomorrow? You'll see more shows" He was right. I haven't seen so many shows in such a short time again, but that was my 22nd Yes show and I've been to 37 more since then.
And then there was Jon. He walked through the crowd and was about to get into the waiting car, but he stopped to talk to me. I shook his hand again and rambled a bit. I thanked him for being so nice to me and how wonderful the tour had been and that this was my last show... He listened and gave me a nice sendoff.
After all that, I felt closure. Every one of my idols was just so nice and looked happy to see me. Brian and I said our goodbyes and I walked around to the front of the theater.
No matter how friendly fans get with each other, an ugly competitiveness can be there as well. Some fans got to know the band better, got backstage passes, got to know where the band was going to hang out. And there's a real dilemma; you can't tell everyone this information and some people are going to pretend to be your friend to get close to the band. Some people in the inner-circle of fans handle this gracefully. Others lord it over the rest of us. A group of my friends were gathered in front of the theater and a scene like this was taking place. We'd love to be in their position and some inner-circle people view that as a threat. Normally, I would stay with them and see where the evening led. But I had just had such a nice goodbye from them, especially Jon, that I didn't want to add anything more to the evening. Nothing could come close to welcome I got from them just being a fan by the stage door. MaryAnn and I took the train back to her home in Long Island.
On a funny end note, this might have been the end of the tour for me, but not for my autograph pen. I have a Sharpie permanent marker that I carried with me for all my autographs. So many rock stars have touched it! I lent it to someone that night, and they handed it back to Brian. I realized it was missing soon afterwards. Brian flew home to Scotland with it unknowingly. (My pen has traveled farther than I have!) He found it and knew it was mine. Brian did go to San Francisco, and he brought the pen with him to give to Roy. (My pen has been to Yes concerts without me!) I got to see Roy again in December. Roy didn't think I'd even realize the pen was gone, but he wrapped it up and gave it to me as a joke Chanukah present that year. I can't use it anymore, but the pen still has a place of honor in my Yes collection. The pen cap is visible in the bag right in the middle of this picture.
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