Between the years 2005 and 2008, the masterful, low-budget viral video series Yacht Rock, made by a bunch of 20-something dudes out in California, had music geeks glued to their Channel 101 bookmark hoping for a new episode like farmers praying for rain for their thirsty crops. Beginning with episode 1 -- in which the collaboration between Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald that birthed "What a Fool Believes" is parodized and the term "yacht rock" is defined by host "Hollywood" Steve Huey as the "really smooth music" that dominated the American FM airwaves from 1976 to 1984 -- the series lampooned (with love, always with love) the career landmarks of soft rockers like Hall & Oates, the Doobie Brothers, Loggins & Messina, Steely Dan and Christopher Cross, packing every episode with absurd humor and quick-snap punchlines. Check out that first episode. If you're unfamiliar with the show, though, be warned: your day is over.
Though DJ Bill Pile of Umove.net has hosted a few Yacht Rock juke nights of his own, tonight's showcase at the Record Bar marks the first live tribute to the retroactively named genre we've had locally -- not counting, of course, every time some yokel with a guitar sings "Margaritaville" in a suburban pub.
At tonight's 21-and-up show, DJs Pile (as "George Michael McDonald") and sidekick Professor Snodgrass begin sailing the smooth hits at 9:30.
Around 11, an all-star, all-local band swims to the stage to bring on the night with a sure-to-be-transporting set of songs by the likes of Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt and others. The band includes members of the Khrusty Bros.-Klangs collective who also play in the local Journey tribute Stone In Love (Billy Brimblecom, Chuck Whittington, Greg LaFollette, et al), plus bass journeyman Jeff Harshbarger (Led Zeppelin V, People's Lib Big Band, Snuff Jazz), JD Warnock (Ultimate Fakebook) and others.
Tropical attire is not required. But whatever you do -- it better be smooth.
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keanon-FYI: I wasn't necessarily "hating on" the music or the musicians themselves, just the tiresome scene that permeates shows like this.
I bloody missed it. Regretregretregretregret...
But luckily the next one has just been announced for Friday, June 26, at the Record Bar.
Agreed - completely unexpected and crazy fun show! Would have made fun of it - wait. DID make fun of it. Attended unknowingly, proceeded to have a complete blast! Look forward to the next one.
Anyone who saw this show and didn't enjoy it deserves a swift punch to the junk. I've still got the "doo-doo-doo-doot / doot-doot-doot-doo" from Ride Like the Wind stuck in my head.
I have just secured my costume and shall work on becoming sufficiently smooth. It's Yacht Rock time!
To all you cynical types (yeah, that's usually me): Read Pam's review of Stone in Love's last performance at PresentMagazine.com. This will be in the same vein...and the point of the review is that no matter how much you want to hate what they're doing, you're almost guaranteed to have a good time--even if it's against your will.
"Hipster shit" and "some of the better musicians in the area" are sort of mutually exclusive, nameless jackass.
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