YES have announced their 2016 US summer touring plans. Billed as The Album Series: Drama + Topographic 1 & 4, the tour will feature the 1980 album Drama performed in its entirety, for the first time ever, and sides one and four of 1973's double album Tales From Topographic Oceans, plus a selection of their greatest hits.

"We are proud to present the American public with forward-looking albums from the past," says guitarist Steve Howe of the iconic and influential band. "Promoting Drama at Madison Square Garden on multi-nights was a career milestone in 1980, and we are especially looking forward to performing both the opening and closing sides to Topographic Oceans."

Adds keyboardist Geoff Downes: "One minute, Trevor Horn and I were in The Buggles, the next we joined YES, then we were in Madison Square Garden playing Drama."

Expresses drummer Alan White: "We really hit the ground running with Topographic Oceans, my first recorded album with YES. It pushed boundaries of music and went to number 1 in the UK."

The band's annual summer outing will take them throughout the US from late July through early September, beginning July 27th in Columbus, OH. YES will then stop in such cities as Atlantic City, Wallingford, Westbury, Staten Island, Morristown, Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Saratoga and Reno before wrapping September 4th in San Diego. Go to yesworld.comfor ticketing information.

US tour dates:

July
27 - Columbus, OH - Ohio State Fair
30 - Atlantic City, NJ - Tropicana
31 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Event Center

August
2 - Lewiston, NY - Artpark
4 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium
5 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
6 - Westbury, NY - Theatre at Westbury
9 - Staten Island, NY - St. George Theatre
10 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
12 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theater
13 - Morristown, NJ - Morristown Performing Arts Center
16 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
17 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
19 - Sterling Heights, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
20 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center
21 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
24 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
26 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
27 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Events Center
28 - Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre
30 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theater
31 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery

September
2 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino
3 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Winery
4 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's

As previously reported, YES hit the road for an extensive UK and European tour at the end of this month, April 2016. The band will be performing 1971’s Fragile and 1980’s Drama in their entirety, the latter for the very first time, plus other seminal tracks including “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” and “Starship Trooper”.

Warners has recently released all of their catalogue YES albums Mastered For iTunes. These include The Yes Album, Fragile, Going For The One, Time And A Word, YES, 90125, Tales From Topographic Oceans, and Drama. You can buy them here. They will also re-release Drama on Vinyl LP on April 22nd. The Vinyl LP of Fragile will follow shortly after that.

“Most of the songs haven’t been performed in some 30 years”, said Steve Howe. “Fragile and Drama mark two essential chapters of our career and we’re looking forward to share the whole journeys with our fans throughout Europe.”

“Reliving those years will be very emotional”, adds drummer Alan White. “I know Chris would have loved to be here with us for this.”

YES recently lost bassist and co-founder Chris Squire, a tragedy that left the prog world in mourning. His replacement Billy Sherwood found a big pair of shoes to fill, as YES set out to honour his memory by keeping the band’s legacy alive. The band recently toured the US tour with fellow prog legends Toto to an enthusiastic reception.

YES was founded by Chris Squire and Jon Anderson in 1968. Characterized by a unique, prog symphonic style of rock music, lengthy compositions and the use of mystical and cosmic lyrics, the band found success in 1971 with two of the band’s most celebrated records, The YES Album and Fragile. The band went on to record 21 albums and win several prestigious awards including Grammys. Yes is recognized as one of the most influential icons in prog rock.

Still as relevant today as they were in the 70s, YES has maintained a loyal following while constantly attracting new crowds of music fans throughout 47 years of outstanding career. With Fragile and Drama representing two essential moments of the band’s history, it will be an opportunity for all to rediscover some undisputed gems of the genre.

Tour dates:

April
27 - Glasgow, Scotland - Royal Concert Hall
29 - Newcastle, England - City Hall
30 - Manchester, England - Apollo

May
2 - Liverpool, England - Philharmonic
3 - Sheffield, England - City Hall
4 - Bristol, England - Colston Hall
6 - Birmingham, England - Symphony Hall
7 - Brighton, England - Brighton Centre
9 - Oxford, England - New Theatre *
10 - London, England - Royal Albert Hall **
13 - Paris, France - Olympia
14 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
15 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivolivredenburg
17 - Hamburg, Germany - Mehr Theater
19 - Frankfurt, Germany - Alte Oper
20 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Avensee
21 - Berlin, Germany - Admiralspalast
23 - Bonn, Germany - Beethovenhalle
24 - Stuttgart, Germany - Hegelsaal
25 - Munich, Germany - Cirkus Krone
27 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
28 - Milan, Italy - Teatro Nazionale
29 - Padova, Italy - Gran Teatro Geox
31 - Florence, Italy - Obihall

June
1 - Rome, Italy - Teatro Olimpico

UK Tickets are £39 for all venues except London. Oxford* £39 + £1.25 venue restoration levy.
London** £55 (boxes), £48.50, £45, £38

Tickets are available from 24hour Ticket Hotline: 0844 338 0000 and Online from BookingsDirect.com. Showtime is 7.30 PM. Tickets and VIP upgrades are also available here.

(Photo - Glenn Gottlieb)