Yacht Rock Revue

What is it about certain songs that just makes them work? Is it a perfect chord progression? An ideal melody? Perhaps it’s just a feeling the song creates. Cover bands bring together the joy of our favorite songs and the magic of a live experience. Sometimes—very rarely—something new and beyond the power of the original tune can come out of those performances.

This month’s episode of 12 for 12 explores a band that taps into that synergy and creates music that feels sweetly nostalgic but wholly original for their audience.

Borrowing from the vast canon of 70s Lite Rock, Yacht Rock Revue dazzles audiences. Pitch-perfect renditions of Hall and Oates, Elton John, the Eagles, Michael McDonald, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Wings (the list goes on and on) has garnered accolades such as “Best Place to Get Drunk With Your Dad,” “Best Overall Music Act in Atlanta,” and “Best Place to Start an Extramarital Affair.” The group has been a long-standing staple in the Atlanta music scene, and many denizens have a great Yacht Rock Revue story.

The band performs for sold out venues in local hotspots like Venkman’s and at the Georgia Theatre, Turner Field, Nashville’s Mercy Lounge, and NYC’s the Knitting Factory. They also literally set sail and have joined music cruises with a broad range of talent, from Weezer to the Zac Brown Band, Kid Rock to Sister Hazel.

Their musical brand is diverse. Yacht Rock Revue is fond of tackling entire classic albums: Purple Rain, Dark Side of the Moon, and Thriller, just to name a few. When showcasing a specific strand of Classic Rock, they perform under a variety of monikers. They go by Uno Dos Tres Catorce when performing solely U2 tunes, or Please PleaseRock Me when they’re jamming a la The Beatles. As Rock Fight they pit the music of Led Zeppelin against The Who.

The artistry they exhibit is spot-on. Each cover Yacht Rock Revue plays is an authentic homage of the original but coated in their own special joie de vivre; there are moments—dare we say it—better than performances by the bands they’re covering. Something special happens on stage and it just feels right.

From sound check to final encore, any space they are in is electric. This epic stage presence couples with their comedy and musical magnetism leaving audiences dancing and delighted at each show.

Grab your Sperry’s and a tropical drink, music fans. In this episode of 12 for 12, Adam hits the high seas with cover band revolutionaries, Yacht Rock Revue.