Yacht Rock and Captain Smoothe Next Tuesday!

Climb aboard the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown next Tuesday, September 19 at 9:45pm, when Yacht Rock and Captain Smoothe drop anchor in Austin for a very special screening and musical performance featuring Yacht Rock creator J.D. Ryznar ("Michael McDonald," left) in person!

Yacht Rock is an Internet TV series with a cult following that takes real-life aspects of late 70s/early 80s soft rock hits and builds exaggerated storylines aroundthe songs and the mostly-bearded men behind them. Overwrought performances, cheap costumes, and insane plot lines add up to on-screen hilarity. Before screening the complete series, audience members can look to the bow of the vessel, where they'll witness a live musical tribute to the era by Austin's own Captain Smoothe.

Although the term 'yacht rock' generally refers to the highly polished brand of soft rock that emanated from Southern California during the late 70s and early 80s, it became a part of the vernacular practically overnight with the Channel 101 premiere of Yacht Rock in June of 2005. J.D. Ryznar and Hunter Stair's saga detailing the unknown mythical origins of a previously obscure genre of music struck the audience like a lightning bolt.

Director Ryznar devised the series after noticing several similarities between bands such as Steely Dan, Toto, and the Doobie Brothers; in particular, their collaborations with each other and with singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins - thus forming the primary cast of Yacht Rock. Armed only with a few friends, some witty dialogue, and often nothing more than a couple hundred bucks per episode - most of which, Ryznar says, "goes into feeding the cast and crew. Clearly, it doesn't go into the wigs and mustaches."

Captain Smoothe will navigate several of your favorite soft-rock shanties, including nautically-themed nuggets by Christopher Cross, the Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, the Commodores, Styx, and Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Who else to hoist such a sail without going overboard but Lance Farley, Adam Kahan, David Wyatt and yours truly from Summer Breeze along with Hunter Darby (Diamond Smugglers, Dung Beetles), Julie Lowery (Fire Marshals of Bethlehem, Diamond Smugglers) and Jenny Smith (Fire Marshals of Bethlehem)?

Don't get left at the dock! Buy your tickets here.