Yes tour announces 2008 itinerary with Jon Anderson replacement

Iconic progressive rock band Yes has released the initial itinerary for its newly rescheduled 40th anniversary tour. So far 29 dates have been set, starting with the November 4 opener at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, ON, and continuing through December 17 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Miami, FL.

The first leg of the In the Present Tour, which is expected to stretch into 2009, includes a November 14 gig at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY, and a December 3 show at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL. Yes is also slated to play a second Canadian date on November 5 at Massey Hall in Toronto, ON.

The band, which cancelled plans for a summer anniversary tour after lead singer Jon Anderson was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, announced earlier this month that the tour would go on — without Anderson. After reportedly spotting his video on YouTube and calling him in for an audition, the band stated that Yes tribute band singer Benoit David would fill-in.

At the time, bassist Chris Squire said in a statement on the band’s Web site, “This isn’t an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible. With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so that we can go out and honor the music of Yes for the fans who have waited for the past four years to see us perform.”

Squire went on to state that he hoped Anderson would rejoin the Yes tour in 2009 after completing his six-month recovery.

However, in a September 18 post on his solo Web site, Anderson cried foul. He described himself as “disappointed and very disrespected,” stating that his band mates had not consulted him on the move.

“With the exception of one phone call from Alan, none of the guys have been in touch since my illness, just to find out how I am doing, and how we will foresee the future for Yes,” Anderson wrote.

He had hoped they would wait until 2009 to tour with him, especially since he spent the past year generating ideas for the tour and marketing the band. “Getting sick was not ‘on my radar,” the singer wrote, thanking friends and family for their support.

Though Anderson wished his band mates well with their solo projects, he ended the post with a definitive statement: “This is not Yes on tour….”

Yes itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)