The Only YES Tribute Band Officially Endorsed by YES Itself Plays The Vogel

Two complete albums, The Yes Album and Close to the Edge, performed by the one tribute act the actual members of YES have personally vouched for.

Getting a tribute band’s endorsement from a cover band circuit is one thing. Getting it from the actual musicians whose catalog you’re covering is another thing entirely. On Friday, September 18, Total Mass Retain returns to The Vogel carrying exactly that distinction, officially recognized by YES as the top YES tribute band working today.

This isn’t a casual honor. Total Mass Retain was hand selected by YES to perform at the band’s official 50th anniversary fan convention, sharing the bill with actual YES alumni in attendance. That’s about as high a bar as a tribute act can clear, and the band’s setlist for this Red Bank date reflects the same ambition, performing two complete studio albums front to back, The Yes Album and Close to the Edge, rather than a scattered greatest hits set.

Endorsements From the Band Itself

What makes Total Mass Retain’s reputation genuinely remarkable is how many actual members of YES have publicly praised their performances. Original keyboardist Patrick Moraz called their rendition of “Sound Chaser” the best he’d heard since 1976. Longtime keyboardist Tony Kaye credited the band’s performance of “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed” with directly influencing guitarist Steve Howe to add the song back into YES’s own live setlist after decades away. Current YES vocalist Jon Davison has said closing your eyes during a Total Mass Retain show genuinely feels like hearing the real thing.

Two Albums, Front to Back, for Serious Prog Fans

Choosing to perform The Yes Album and Close to the Edge in their entirety is a genuinely bold move, and it signals exactly who this show is built for. These aren’t casual singles collections. They’re two of progressive rock’s most structurally ambitious records, full of extended compositions and intricate musicianship that demand real technical command from any band attempting to recreate them live. Fans catching this show should expect the deep cuts and extended epics alongside the more familiar tracks, delivered with the same period accurate precision that’s earned the band its official endorsement in the first place.

Why This Show Matters for Prog Rock Fans

Tribute bands are common. Tribute bands genuinely endorsed by the artists they’re covering, hand selected to share a stage with them, and credited with influencing the original band’s own setlist choices, are exceptionally rare. For anyone who loves YES’s catalog, or progressive rock in general, this is about as close to the genuine article as a tribute show gets, delivered by a band whose reputation has been vouched for directly by the musicians who wrote the material.

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Explore New Jersey covers the state’s live music and tribute show circuit, from officially endorsed acts to the touring bands keeping classic catalogs alive on stage. Check back for more concert coverage all season long.