Yacht Rock Revue

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Yacht Rock Revue is an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007. [1] Performing primarily covers, the band's set list is centered around a genre called "yacht rock", coined by the early 2000s web series of the same name, consisting primarily of soft rock from the 1970s and 1980s, but at times including songs as recent as the early 1990s. [2]

Contents

The band was formed by members of the since-defunct indie rock band Y-O-U after an ironic performance of soft rock hits at a local club gig took off into a weekly residence. [3] Starting as a side project, the Yacht Rock Revue has become the main focus for all seven band members: Peter Olson, Nicholas Niespodziani, Mark Cobb, Greg Lee, Mark Bencuya, Mark Dannells, and David Freeman. The band has a contract with Live Nation and tours nationally, playing more than 100 shows a year and selling out theaters in Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.. [4] [5] To keep up with demand, the band members launched a subsidiary band, Yacht Rock Schooner, in 2009. [6] [3]

In 2018, Jawbone Press released a book that featured an interview with Niespodziani: The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s by Greg Prato, which explored the entire history of the genre. [7] [ non-primary source needed ]

In late 2019, the band released their first original single, "Step". Further, they announced their first album of original material, Hot Dads in Tight Jeans, which was released on February 21, 2020. [8]

In 2023, the band was tapped as the opener for Kenny Loggins' "This Is It" Tour. In 2024, Yacht Rock Revue opened for REO Speedwagon and Train in shows across the U.S. from July to September. [9]

In 2015, two of the founding band members, Peter Olson and Nicholas Niespodziani, opened Venkman's, a restaurant and music venue in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. [10] Venkman's closed in 2022 with tentative plans to reopen in a new location. [11]

The Yacht Rock Revival

Yacht Rock Revue hosts an annual concert where they invite members of the original bands that they cover to join them on stage to play a few songs. [5] The first Yacht Rock Revival was held in 2011 in a parking lot at Andrews Entertainment Complex in Atlanta with about 1,000 attendees. [4] In 2018, the Revival was held at the State Bank Amphitheatre in Chastain Park to a sold-out crowd of over 6,000 people. [12]

Over the years, Yacht Rock Revue has shared the stage with Walter Egan, Robbie Dupree, Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass), Peter Beckett (Player), Bobby Kimball (former lead singer of Toto), Jeff Carlisi (.38 Special), Albert Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult), Bill Champlin (Chicago), Denny Laine (Wings) and more. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Fraser, Trevor. "Yacht Rock Revue a fad that keeps on rockin'". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Confessions of a Cover Band: Yacht Rock Revue croons the hits you love to hate". Atlanta Magazine. July 27, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "The accidental success of Yacht Rock Revue". Atlanta Magazine. August 20, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Ruggieri, Melissa (July 17, 2013). "Still smooth sailing for Yacht Rock Revue". Access Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Making It Work as a Cover Band: Why Yacht Rock Revue Stopped Playing Their Original Music". hypebot. June 15, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  6. ↑ Kamp, Jon (October 12, 2015). "Can You Sail to It? Then It Must Be 'Yacht Rock'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  7. ↑ Prato, Greg (March 6, 2018). The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s. Jawbone Press. ISBN   978-1911036296.
  8. ↑ "Yacht Rock Revue explain why they're charting a new course with original music". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ Gottlieb, Jef (September 16, 2024). "Yacht Rock Revue charts course for new music". Boston Herald. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ Townsend, Bob (August 13, 2015). "Coming soon: Yacht Rockers + Nick Melvin = Venkman's". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ Ho, Rodney (November 11, 2022). "Venkman's music venue and bar shutting down, but hopes to reopen in the future". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Atlanta Concerts this week: Leon Bridges, Charlie Puth". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved October 5, 2018.
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