When I saw my first YACHT performance, in 2007 at a Pix Patisserie block party here in Portland, YACHT was simply Jona Bechtolt, his laptop, and a whole lot of infectious energy. Since then, YACHT has evolved to include vocalist Claire L. Evans and, most recently, a backing tour band called The Straight Gaze.
The Portland band’s 2009 release, “See Mystery Lights,” was a critical success and cemented the duo of Bechtolt and Evans as a creative force to watch. The addition of Evans’ helped transform Bechtolt’s sometimes-erratic musical energy into listenable (and definitely danceable) electronic pop tunes with a twist. Songs like “Psychic City (Voodoo City),” “The Afterlife,” and “I’m In Love With A Ripper” are prime examples of YACHT’s playful sound and mantra-laden lyrics. Together, the songs act as a celebratory rejection of mainstream ideals, which is befitting for a band that took their name from a building that read: Young Americans Challenging Higher Technology.
YACHT, according to the band’s website, is a belief system. Anyone can become a member of YACHT. Bechtolt and Evans have a strange and intriguing aesthetic (as seen in videos below), an obsession with triangles, and a YACHT manifesto. Their live show usually involves Bechtolt dressed in a white suit, Evans in a black ensemble with black lipstick, and an assortment of logos, video projections, and mantras. Regardless of aesthetics and manifestos, YACHT’s live shows are a collective experience of undeniable fun, and who doesn’t like that?
Catch YACHT in New York City on August 8th and Los Angeles on August 29th.