Blimp Time-Hop: 1st YES Concert In Maine At The Civic Center

43 years ago today, Yes arrived for the first time at the still pretty much brand-new Civic Center in support of their album Going For The One.

That album marked the triumphant return of keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, who had been gone from the band since 1974. It was a sold-out show on August 14, 1977.

The line-up of Steve Howe on guitar, Chris Squire on bass, Alan White on drums, Jon Anderson on vocals/guitar, along with Wakeman's reinstatement, made for a very special night of incredible musicianship delighting a crowd of around 8,000 Blimpsters.

Here’s the setlist from the first Yes show ever at the CCCC. Damn, no Going For The One that night? That's pretty weird since this is the Going For One tour.

Oh well, still plenty of delights included for Portland, Maine. Short list yeah, but lotsa wicked long songs on here.

For example, the epic Close To The Edge clocks in at nearly 20 minutes.

Watch Yes live in 1977 performing Going For The One. The visuals are blurry, but the sound quality is really great. We especially love Steve Howe's sick pedal steel guitar on this, just a wailin'!

And how about this? It's the entire concert from the Boston Garden two days before they arrived here for a jam-packed crowd in Portland. Yes left out the title track of their new album that night too.