Brigid Behrens
Staff Writer
In the intimate ballroom of The Independent, YACHT slayed their show with flying colors, with an opener from French Vanilla. YACHT put on a great show, with a stunning visual performance and some fun electro-pop music. However, this 80’s inspired performance group might be a little antique compared to the contemporary music scene of 2018.
There were two men standing behind the tinfoil-esque mixing board in the back center stage. One of them was playing a guitar, but that was the extent of instruments for the group. Front and center was the lead singer Claire Evans, a thin woman with a blonde pixie cut. Evans’ energy was infectious. She bantered a bit with her counterpart behind the mixing board, Jona Bechtolt, which was amusing and often explicit. Evans moved around the stage very comfortably and swiftly, like a dancer. They quickly got into their set – the projection screen behind them was alive with dancing colors and pictures, some of their own music videos and some of what looked like various anime.
Evans immediately exhibited an impressive vocal range, with very high highs and low lows. Her voice was smooth and easy to listen to; I was amazed by her ability to move around stage with so much energy while simultaneously belting, with her sublime voice, the lyrics to “I Wanna F— You Till I’m Dead.” While that is an abrasive title, it is a song with a surprisingly sweet sentiment – not to mention, Claire’s voice in it is angelic.
YACHT’s most popular track, “Psychic City,” got the crowd roaring with excitement. Many of their songs, especially “Hologram” and “Psychic City,” are evocative, reminding listeners of 80’s music. The disco-pop, fun sound that YACHT produces is accompanied by lyrics that comment on social issues. Their most recent album, “I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler,” comments on the existing lack of social progression today. I am a fan of their meaningful lyrics that express something that they care about, which is not easy to come by. Their art is well done and passionate, and they put on a fun show. However, it could be considered passé, and the group may not gain more traction than they already have now. The current music scene has a lot of fresh sounds and monumental material, so this 80’s band may not be as original and fresh as they wish they were.
The most noteworthy components of the show were the animated repartee between bandmates and the animated dance moves of the lead singer, Evans. She threw around the microphone quite a bit and contorted her thin body to the group’s electronic beats. She is an impressive performer whose voice holds up in concert in a way that a lot of voices can’t. I’d go see YACHT again for sure – it was an inexpensive ticket for some really hype dance music and great stage personality.
