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Yacht Rock Revue

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About

What is left for Yacht Rock Revue to prove? This top-notch group of musicians has already rocked onstage with John Oates, Eddie Money (RIP), and both versions of the band Player. They've trademarked the term "yacht rock," both metaphorically and literally (U.S. Registration Number 3834195). From humble beginnings in a basement, touring in partnership with Live Nation and Sirius XM, they now headline sold-out shows across the country, from Webster Hall in New York to the Wiltern in L.A. While rising from bars to amphitheaters, they've ticked every box on the Rock Star Accomplishments bingo card. Except for one: Writing and singing their own songs.

Yacht Rock Revue's first original record is ten songs inspired by the smoooooth sounds of the Seventies and Eighties. They've brazenly titled it Hot Dads In Tight Jeans -forgive them for bragging, but that's what they are - and it returns Yacht Rock Revue to their roots in original music.

"I had a midlife crisis. That's why we made this album," says Nick Niespodziani, the group's singer, guitarist, and spiritual leader. "Everyone in the band is a dad now, so we needed to make this happen, before we become grandpas. I've sung 'Escape' by Rupert Holmes at least a thousand times, and if that isn't paying your dues, I don't know what is."

It's rare that musicians in their 40s chase their rock star dreams. You'd have to be crazy to try. YRR knew they were underdogs, but resolved to take one more shot at the Top 40, and maybe even become a Cinderella story of midlife fulfillment.

Yacht Rock Revue began in the least-yachtiest of states, 2,000 miles from breezy Marina del Rey. Niespodziani and Pete Olson met in the fourth grade in suburban Indiana, went on to Indiana University in the late Nineties, formed the band Y-O-U, then escaped - Rupert Holmes reference intended - to Atlanta. One night, Y-O-U tucked their tongues deep in their cheeks and played a show of Yacht Rock songs. The rowdy (a nice way of saying drunk), sold-out crowd loved it.

When the club owner asked them to do it again, Niespodziani didn't want to. But the club owner had an ace up his sleeve: money.

Over the years, YRR (there's also a Dave, a Greg, and literally three guys named Mark) have turned themselves into human wine spritzers, playing 120 to 150 shows a year, mastering Yacht Rock's slick chords and mellow grooves, and partying like it's 1979.

What began as a joke among friends soon put a ripple in the zeitgeist, starting a national trend through YRR's concerts, lauded as "unabashedly joyous affairs" by Entertainment Weekly. They accumulated an extensive wardrobe of white belts and polyester shirts. Yacht Rock Revue were revered and well-compensated! Their life was a tenor sax solo! This is what every musician wants.

But even as YRR was sailing the smooth seas of tribute-band superstardom, and the band members all became dads, Niespodziani was still writing original songs. These new tunes had the spirit of Yacht Rock, but were more modern - akin to Phoenix or Air, the hip bands that adapted Yacht for a younger audience. They brought the songs to a hot producer, Ben Allen, who's worked with Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, and Neon Indian. Allen gave the songsa lustrous shine, for both new audiences and their ever-loyal fans, the Nation of Smooth. Niespodziani and Olson even co-wrote a song, "Big Bang," with Yacht Rock master Matthew Wilder, famous for his massive 1983 hit "Break My Stride."

"Step," the record's first single, is a peppy number replete with falsetto and bumping bass, a cross between the Bee Gees and Steely Dan's "Peg." It's also the mission statement for the album in a way, because it's about deciding who you want to be, and making space for that in your life. The seven-piece band display tight chops, and the songs incorporate Yacht Rock Revue's sense of humor, especially on the funky, pro-margarita "Bad Tequila," the flute-fired "Another Song About California," and opening track "The Doobie Bounce," where Niespodziani brags, "I used to sleep on couches/Now I sleep on nicer couches."

Hot Dads In Tight Jeans is as plush and shiny as Kenny Loggins' beard. And YRR are already dropping these new songs into their sets, to great response from longtime fans who are thrilled to hear new smooth. While others in YRR's position stick with the tried-and-true, Niespodziani hopes the album will let them welcome aboard new fans, too. To paraphrase a notable mariner... they're gonna need a bigger yacht.

"Here's how I see it," Niespodziani concludes, sliding into a waiting limousine. "We have only one fewer hit than Player did, and Player is immortal. We built this Yacht Rock thing on the power of memories and good vibes. None of that is changing; we're just gonna make a few new memories as well."

Reviews

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 795 reviews
  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fun night

    by Bones44 on 10/22/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    I had so much fun dancing and singing all these songs from my college years. They put on a fun show and have seen them doing several different themes. I will definitely see them again.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    YRR Rocks!

    by VernHalen on 10/22/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    Highly recommend Yacht Rock Revue. I have seen them in Atlanta twice and DC once and they rock it every time. Be prepared to dance and have fun. Would love to see them every month but I live in Michigan. Luckily my work trips take me to them.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    As good as I've heard, and even better

    by missile0613 on 7/29/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    I've heard for the past 5 years about Yacht Rock Revue and for one reason or another, could never find time to see them play. Well, it was WELL worth the wait and they blew ALL of my expectations out of the water. This show was great and it was so cool to have people from the bands join in and play their hits with them. I can't wait to see them play again!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Have to do YYR every year now!!

    by mmcdfan on 7/26/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    Great concert as always with YYR! The rain stopped just as the concert started!!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show and a good venue

    by Mrichter1970 on 7/24/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    The show was a lot of fun, hugely entertaining and well worth the price of admission.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    by Anonymous on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    It was great fun - YRR had nonstop energy and gave us a lot of great music!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    great show!

    by MichaelMoe on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    Great show! Lots of great artists and variety. Definitely will go again.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Yacht Rock the best yet

    by me56 on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    The show was fantastic, guest performers were a great mix and a compliment to the show.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Show rocked

    by GIna226 on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    We had a great time. We always do at yacht rock shows. Chastain is the best venue yet.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Yacht Rock was amazing!

    by spezy on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    I've seen Yacht Rock many times in the past always a fun outing. I 've was blown away by the special guests they brought on stage and was not expecting Bobby Kimball of Toto to come on stage a perform Africa with the band. Other Speacial guests included Don Barnes of .38 special and many more. Great show great venue!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    YRR - Yacht Rock at its finest!

    by KitCar28 on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    Right on queue, the weather cleared as the music began for a perfect evening of fun. The music was spot on as always and the guest appearances were the cherry on top. Smooth, sing along fun that keeps you swaying, grooving and smiling from ear to ear.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great Night of Music!

    by Sno1013 on 7/23/13Chastain Park Amphitheatre ASO - Atlanta

    Exceptional! Hours of entertainment and better than the original artist!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Diggin' the Smooth

    by Sno1013 on 5/25/13House of Blues Chicago - Chicago

    If you don't have fun then something is wrong with you. Smiles all might.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    The most fun we've had at a local show!

    by ATLMatt on 4/29/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    We buy a lot of tix and see lots of bands. And, anytime you go to a show, you want the band to be fun, you want to know all the lyrics, and you want to be excited about each song as it begins. We had all of that and more. It was like being in my parents car all over again. We were having so much fun, that I bought tix for their next show DURING this show!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Yacht Rock is so much fun!

    by Courtney1021 on 4/28/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    Always have fun and enjoy seeing this band! Can't wait to see them at Park Tavern this summer!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Yacht Rock Revue

    by OrpheusNYC on 3/18/13Gramercy Theatre - New York

    Only a handful of shows in your lifetime can leave you craving more for days, or maybe even weeks after the event has passed. This is one of those shows! I can't recall the last time I've had such a shamelessly good time. What the band gives out and the crowd give back can not be measured, nor easily forgotten. These gentlemen came to blow our minds, and they succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. They could be forgiven for stepping out of bounds of the genre with their renditions of Boz Skagg's "Lido Shuffle", or Kenny Loggins' "Footloose", but at the end of the day who cares when you're shaking your ass amongst a sea of fellow Yacht Rockers???

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    by Anonymous on 3/17/13Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia

    Great night of music with a band that didn't miss one beat!! Wish they played this area more often would be a regular!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Amazing Yacht Rock Show again

    by Anonymous on 1/22/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    Once again, they surprised me with a different playlist. They are truly amazing and I never turn down a chance to see them. Loved their pick of venue this time!!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    by Anonymous on 1/21/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    They are a truly versatile band and I always have a great time with them.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Yacht Rock Rocks!

    by Silv3rSag3 on 1/21/13Variety Playhouse - Atlanta

    I can't recommend this band highly enough. They're not only great musicians, they're great entertainers, too. I almost didn't go see them, but I'm really glad I did. The crowd was diverse, with people from their 20s to their late 50s or early 60s. I was afraid I was going to be the oldest person there. I was only *one* of the oldest. That made me feel a tad better. ;-) By their looks, few, if any, of these guys were born when the music they played was written. They have that music down cold, though, and they sound just like the original bands whose standards they play. This was their "Dark Side of the Moon" show, which was fantastic. Their first set was all '70s standards. One song they performed was by Hall and Oates, but I can't remember the title of that song or the titles of any of the other songs they played from this set. I remebered all the songs, just not the artists who originally performed them. It was all the light, fluffy 70s songs, not the harder rock like Aerosmith or Yes. They closed the first set with an acapella version of "Afternoon Delight", but changed the lyrics just a little bit. It was hilarious! That alone was worth the price of admission, which was only $15 per ticket if purchased the night before the show, $20 if purchased the day of the show. All the band members, except for two or three, played multiple instruments. The lead guitarist played lead guitar (duh!), electric slide guitar, and sang. The bass player played bass, guitar, and sang (and he absolutely NAILED the Pink Floyd song, "Money"). One of the vocalists played guitar, bass and percussion. The lead singer played electric and acoustic guitar, percussion and keyboards. One of the keyboard players also played alto sax and tenor sax, with some killer sax solos during the Pink Floyd set. I think he was also the only band member who didn't sing, although I don't remember if the drummer did or didn't sing. The second keyboardist also sang. During the second set, where they flawlessly played the first half of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", they also played the Wizard of Oz on a screen behind them. IMNSHO, they nailed the song, "Money". If I shut my eyes, I could have easily been transported back to my college days in the mid-to-late 1970s when my rommate woke me up by blasting "Money" the morning after he'd taken me out for pitchers of beer for my birthday. After leaving the stage for a brief period, they came back to perform one Led Zeppelin song for an encore. Again, they were phenomenal!