LIVE REVIEW: YACHTLEY CREW @ THE TRIFFID 18/05/25
Words by Cecilia Pattison-LeviSeas The Night Tour
Yächtley Crëw are a band from Los Angeles that have been dubbed the best Yacht Rock band in the world. Yächtley Crëw floated their boat of seven brilliant musicians into the ‘Port of Triffid’ and docked to perform the last gig of their first ever Australian tour. They brought the perfect retrospective setlist of classic songs to the packed-out crowd: and it really was banger after banger as they delivered a night of musical brilliance, huge singalongs and the best fun you can have with your clothes on.
The collective, Yächtley Crëw, is a seven-member yacht rock band known for their wearing of aviator sunglasses and nautical attire. They are lovers of 1970s and early 1980s middle of the road (MOR) classic songs. And, they have a ‘Titans of Soft Rock’ approach to performing with funky choreography. The band members are: Philly Ocean (aka Phillip Daniel) vocalist: Tommy Buoy (aka Thomas Gardner Jr.) guitar/vocals: Baba Buoy (aka Chaz Ruiz) bass: Sailor Hawkins (aka Rob Jones) drums/vocals: Stoney Shores (aka Curt Clendenin) backing vocals/keyboards: Pauly Shores (aka Paul Pate) saxophone/flute and Matthew McDonald (aka Matt Grossman) keyboards.
So, as many people asked at the gig before it started, what is Yacht Rock?
Well. It appears that Yacht Rock is a genre of music that highlights 1970s and 1980s soft rock songs that have jazz influences or are just bloody hard to play. Yacht Rock has been gaining worldwide popularity as younger generations go and rediscover music they missed when they were growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. Mind you most of the crowd at The Triffid was of the older baby boomer generation with a sprinkling of Gen Xers. The bands included in the Yacht Rock MOR playlist are the likes of super skilled musicians such as Steely Dan, Toto, Pilot, Gerry Rafferty, Hall and Oates and Christopher Cross for example. There was a 2004 YouTube series that re-classified all of these legends into Yacht Rock genre.
Yächtley Crëw’s performances are known for their fun and high-octane delivery. The band’s three-year residency at the Palms in Las Vegas really says it all. You have to be the best to play at that venue once – let alone longer – three years: wow! Technically, Yächtley Crëw are brilliant musicians. Their vocals were well-matched to the songs and were striking. This was serious music delivery that put on the cloak of fun times. Dressed in naval uniforms, the “hello sailor” theme was as dashing as the performances. The concert was more of a love-in to 1970s rock, a gig that transcended into more of a party. There was carousing, merriment and shenanigans on the floor that matched those on the stage.
As the lights went down, the Starland Vocal Band’s ‘Afternoon Delight’ played and the crowd were already registering at 8 on the volume scale with their singing. Then, the voice of a TV reporter echoed the name Yächtley Crëw, through the venue. It was reminiscent of the fanfare surrounding a band taking the world by storm. It was grandiose and funny! The band opened with the song by Christopher Cross’ ‘Ride Like The Wind’ and dancing had started. The singing got louder as Pilot’s ‘Magic’ was delivered and then without drawing breath Yächtley Crëw sang the 1983 classic by Matthew Wilder ‘Break My Stride’. The band’s energy just built up and up. It was fast paced and entertaining. The band did not chat much and conversation was kept to a minimum with no breaks in between the song delivery in this early phase of the 24 song setlist.
Yächtley Crëw had set the pace and then settled the crowd with the songs ‘Steal Away’ by Robbie Dupree, ‘Heart to Heart’ by Kenny Loggins and they gave a wonderful delivery of Boffalongo’s ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’. Then, the band engaged the crowd with greetings and explaining their first tour around the country and how “they saved the best to last – as they had heard Brisbane was a wild place”.
Then, Yächtley Crëw delivered a Toto classic in ‘Hold The Line’. Before they broke to deliver a song by Australian band Air Supply ‘Even The Nights Are Better’ before launching into Hall and Oates ‘Maneater’ which the crowd loved and the volume was an 9.5. Then, ‘Sailing’ by Christopher Cross, and a superb rendition of Steely Dan’s ‘Reelin’ In The Years’ was performed. It was back to Hall and Oates with their song ‘You Make Me Feel’ before the first half of their setlist was completed with Rupert Holmes ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’. The crowd had been whipped into a frenzy!
Video By Cecilia Pattison-Levi
The singing from the crowd in The Triffid was starting to go into overdrive. When, Yächtley Crëw stopped for a short moment, as ‘Danger Zone’ by Kenny Loggins’ started to play. And, suddenly the navy naval jackets were whipped off to reveal the naval white outfits and the band got into formation and did some quickstep choreography and the “Tom Cruise” thing – well, the crowd went wild. Then, Yächtley Crëw launched into ‘I’d Really Love to See You Tonight’ by England Dan & John Ford Coley.
Yächtley Crëw played an amazing second half to their setlist which included iconic songs like the hometown boys The Bee Gees ‘How Deep Is Your Love?’ which had the crowd singing so loudly. Then, Toto’s ‘Rosanna’ which made the women standing next to me squeal. Before, the band sang ‘Come and Get Your Love’ by Redbone and they followed it with Hall and Oates ‘Rich Girl’. The pace of the musical performance, the singing and dancing was wound up like a spring until it burst with a brilliant drumming eruption into the classic ELO song ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ with drummer Sailor Hawkins taking lead vocals. He was amazing!
Then, as the spring unwound, and the energy flowed, a magnificent rendition of Gerry Rafferty’s ‘Baker Street’ was delivered with vocals by Tommy Buoy and the fantastically mad saxophone playing of Pauly Shores and his astonishing antics. Like a magician, he turned up everywhere in The Triffid: on the stage, running in the pit, up in the mezzanine and in the crowd as his band member Stoney Shores spotlighted him with a torch. It was a goosebump moment, with the limelight shining on him and his saxophone. It was one of the most spectacular performances of the night. And, when he returned to the stage the band play fought with him until he lay exhausted on the stage. During all this – he never stopped playing his sax.
The last two songs of the regulation set were Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ and a short intro by the keyboards and drums highlighted that Boz Scaggs’ unmistakable ‘Lido Shuffle’ was coming. It was such a highlight and Yächtley Crëw outdid themselves on delivering this song. It was so good! The crowd were going off and the noise in appreciation was deafening. The band thanked everyone for coming along to the gig and left the stage.
The crowd wanted more. The yelling, clapping and woo-hooing filled the venue and brought Yächtley Crëw back onto the stage for an encore. But before the last songs were played: there was a tour photo taken, thanks were given to support crew and venue and the band made an announcement that they wanted to connect with fans after the show at the merch area.
Then, Yächtley Crëw got down to it, and the first song delivered for the encore was ‘Africa’ by Toto. And the crowd lost it! It was a singalong of epic proportions with uncontrollable dancing. Then, if it couldn’t get any more MOR and crazy, the guitar riff for Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’ started as the crowd danced and sang until the end of the gig. There was huge applause and thankfulness at the end of the gig for an amazing night filled with music as Yächtley Crëw bowed to the crowd and left the stage as the house lights came up. It was David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’ that saw the crowd of people at The Triffid dance off into the night in a state of absolute joy.
Yächtley Crëw’s performance was terrific. It was wonderful to hear such a skilled band of musicians appreciate, save and bring these songs back to audiences around Australia and the world. All I can say is that Yächtley Crëw will need a bigger ship when they sail back to Australian shores for their next tour.
No Barriers would like to thank John Howarth, Total Touring and Yächtley Crëw for the media accreditation.
Video By Cecilia Pattison-Levi
