Some concerts are simply *worth* the distance and expense required of their fans. ASIA... Live in Philadelphia, at the Tower Theater... *was* destined to be that legendary show. Now, I live in South Florida - but I realized I just *couldn't* miss this inspired line-up of TWO great progressive collectives on the same stage : YES with very special guest ASIA.

Hearing a NEW song..."An Extraordinary Life"... was this ASIA fan's dream come true. SO many highlights this night... Carl Palmer looked so fresh: His "Fanfare..." drum solo was a BLAST!! John Wetton's BASS improv in "Fanfare" was pure MUSCLE: HE was the Master Bassman tonight! Geoff Downes continues to play with infectious relish - esp."HEAT OF THE MOMENT"! And of course, "The Maestro": Mr. STEVE HOWE... Howe's LOVE of playing the guitar for his fans - and his talent - is jawdropping. I love this music SO much - and the combination of these 4 musicians, led with Wetton's deep, moving choir voice is "The Best" thing I've ever witnessed in over 20 years of (and 150) live shows.

(OH! Did I mention Ian McDonald joined the band onstage, flute in hand, for a FULL rendition of "Court of the Crimson King"?? An Asia FIRST:Live in Philly!)

I've been blessed to see "The Original" ASIA 5 times... Cleveland (2006), Hallandale, FL (2007), Ft. Pierce, FL (2007), Toronto, ON (2007), and now Philadelphia, PA (2009). Go see ASIA in 2010... wherever you have to!!

I went to see Asia at the Cambridge rock festival with my two sons aged 11 & 14 on Sunday night. The guy's came on stage at about 11.10pm but boy it was certainly well worth the wait. It was quite simply a fantastic performance!
Superb songs, (Great to hear My Own Time as well). The atmosphere was brilliant & the band were stunning despite the technical glitches.

We were standing right at the front of the stage, directly in front of Geoff, and my sons were in total awe of quality of the musicians in front of them.  My 11 year old was still doing the HOM singalong the following morning.

Thanks Asia for a truly unforgetable evening evening, hopefully we will see you in East Anglia again soon.

Is it possible that Asia could surpass their past five New York City area performances playing a set that was half the length of those they did before? Surprisingly,  (no pun intended) yes. In addition to the band being tighter than ever, each musician moved beyond where they'd been before. John's vocals were stupendous, and it seemed he hit notes that were more in the range of his younger, 1982 self than where he is today. While barely containing his exceptional bass playing to the parameters of Asia's tunes he still let loose rips that promised further greatness. As usual, Steve's effortless looking guitar work belayed his true skills as he danced musically through the ten short songs the band played; and while he knew he'd be back for the second, longer Yes performance he nonetheless played full out holding nothing back. Geoff, well was Geoff playing his normally exceptional keyboards and the only criticism I have of Carl was that there was not enough of him. While Carl's solo during "Fanfare ..." blew away most of those he's done with Asia in the past, we still needed more of him to round out the Asia experience. While the song list covered only covered ten songs, they were well chosen and only left the audience wanting more.

Hopefully Asia will be back on the East Coast, sooner than later, and we'll get a full length show from them.

I went to the concert in Montclair, NJ on July 29, 2009. It  was awesome. My 2 younger children took me out for my birthday. It was a great present. I truly appreciate the talents of the players in both bands. For ASIA, Geoff was great on handling multiple keyboards at once. Steve was great on guitars. I enjoyed the acoustic as much as electric. Carl really impressed me on drums with the solo on "Fanfare for the common man." It sounds as if he is recovered from his heart procedure. John sounded great on vocals. When John stated how lucky is is to be alive, it was heartfelt. I had a life-saving operation 17 years ago. I certainly understand how he feels.

I hope ASIA does another album and stays together for many more years. When/if they tour again, I would definitely go to see tham again. 

Two words – Too Short!  Last night’s concert at the Tower Theater by “Super Group” Asia was outstanding!  As they opened for Yes, the guys came out and put on a rock show in 60 minutes which left us fans begging for more.  John’s voice was strong as ever, Steve’s guitar playing amazes me every time I see him, Geoff’s flying from one keyboard to the next, and Carl’s “work-out” on the drums was intense.   They had little time, but went from one hit to another.  It was good to hear a song from Phoenix and the acoustical versions were a nice change.

I’m always glad to see Asia perform (2008 in Harrisburg and 2006 in Jim Thorpe, PA) – I prefer them as a headliner, but I’ll take their music any way I can get it.   Thanks for another great performance and keep on rocking!

I live in a dead zone (N.C.)regarding progressive music. The zone starts at Richmond and is dead all the way south to Atlanta. Any time I want to see anyone (Yes, Asia, Steve Hackett, The Musical Box, Pat Metheny) I come to Philly or the DC area.

Again, well worth the trip. ASIA continues to blow me away, seen them 3 times now since the reunion. I want more from Phoenix and I want another new album. You guys are simply stunning, each and every one. Carl, you are a BEAST ! Asia's mix was perfect, and what a TREAT to see Ian McDonald ! I never thought I'd see him. Keep it up guys, you get better with age.

My wife and I drove over three hours to see ASIA perform live, …we were not disappointed. This show marked the 150th performance since the reunion of the four original members of ASIA.

The band started off strong, and never once relented throughout a magnificent concert. ASIA flawlessly delivered, as evidenced by the satisfied reactions of the large crowd. Bass master John Wetton’s heartfelt vocals were clear and strong. Steve Howe owns his signature sound; his guitar magic was a treat. A solid performance from Geoff Downes, manning his always impressive armament of keyboards, culminated with his keytar fanatics during the finale. Carl Palmer pounded the skins with precision and power. The drum solo rocked.

This was a shorter set list. The classics were complimented with the inclusion of “An Extraordinary Life”, from the new album “Phoenix”.

The VIP Experience was excellent. John, Geoff, and Carl were gracious gentlemen, signing autographs and posing for photographs, while chatting with grateful fans. Thank you ASIA!