Yes’ ‘Royal Affair’ Tour to Feature Asia, Carl Palmer, John Lodge
Yes have announced a new multi-act North American summer tour that will include Asia and members of both the Moody Blues and Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
The Royal Affair Tour begins on June 12 at Bethlehem, Penn., and continues to Toronto, Nashville, Phoenix and Las Vegas before a concluding show on July 28 in Saratoga, Calif.
Most tickets for the concerts go on sale Friday; more dates are to be added in the coming weeks. A complete list of announced dates, cities and venues is below.
"Yes is delighted to headline this celebration of British music which has been so warmly received in America over the past five decades," Yes guitarist Steve Howe said in a news release.
Howe plans to sit in with Asia, the group he co-founded during a hiatus from Yes in the early '80s. Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy group will feature guest singer Arthur Brown. Asia are debuting a new lineup featuring singer-guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, who was a member of Guns N' Roses from 2006-14, and bassist Billy Sherwood, who, like Geoff Downes, will be pulling double duty with Yes.
Watch a Trailer for Yes' 'Royal Affair Tour'
The sets will also include tributes to original Asia frontman John Wetton, who lost a battle with cancer in 2017; Ray Thomas, who died just before the Moody Blues' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018; and John Lennon, with whom Alan White played before joining Yes.
"This is a unique celebration of the British contribution to classic rock over many decades," Downes said. "It will be inspirational to be a part of – and I know it is what John Wetton would have wanted."
Lodge resumed his long-dormant solo career in 2015 with 10,000 Light Years Ago, the bassist's first project away from the Moody Blues since 1977. Palmer had a stint in the Crazy World of Arthur Brown prior to joining Emerson, Lake and Palmer in 1970. Thal appeared on Guns N' Roses' most recent album, 2008's Chinese Democracy.
Yes' Royal Affair Tour 2019 North American Dates
6/12 – Bethlehem, PA, Bethlehem Event Center
6/14 – Farmingville, NY, Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater
6/15 – Atlantic City, NJ, Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
6/16 – Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
6/20 – Westchester, NY, Westchester County Center
6/21 – Pittsburgh, PA, Stage AE
6/22 – Baltimore, MD, MECU Pavillion
6/24 – Toronto, ON, Budweiser Stage
6/25 – Lewiston, NY, Artpark Amphitheater
6/27 – Bethel, NY, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
6/29 – Gilford, NH, Bank of NH Pavilion
6/30 – Providence, RI, Bold Point Park
7/3 – Rochester Hills, MI, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
7/5 – Columbus, OH, Express Live
7/6 – Aurora, IL, RiverEdge Park
7/8 – Nashville, TN, Grand Ole Opry House
7/10 – Cary, NC, Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park
7/12 – Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall
7/13 – Hollywood, FL, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
7/18 – St Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
7/20 – Irving, TX, Toyota Music Factory
7/21 – Rogers, AR, Walmart AMP
7/24 – Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre
7/26 – Las Vegas, NV, the Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
7/27 – Irvine, CA, FivePoints Amphitheatre
7/28 – Saratoga, CA, the Mountain Winery
See Yes Among the Top 200 '70s Rock Songs
See John Wetton Among Rock’s Forgotten Supergroups