Often dubbed “The Titans of Soft Rock,” Los Angeles-based tribute band Yächtley Crëw has embarked on their Full Steam Ahead tour, performing late ’70s and early ’80s pop and celebrating their first full-length album, Seas the Day. The yacht rock outfit is sailing into Tempe on Saturday, May 4. We caught up with lead vocalist and Phoenix native Phillip Daniel (aka Philly Ocean) to chat about what to expect at the show and a new project on the horizon.
Anchors aweigh! Welcome to Arizona. Our nearest “ocean,” Lake Pleasant, is nearly 50 miles away from Phoenix. Have you been and would you ever consider playing a gig there? Do you ever have time to take a pleasure cruise around the destinations you dock into? If so, do you huddle together or venture solo? Are there any Arizona-grown places you’d like to visit while you’re in town? You go full speed ahead with your dialed-in performances and personas, inspired by ’70s soft rock greats like Billy Ocean and Michael McDonald. How did you pick your individual monikers? What can fans expect during your live performances? Congrats on your first EP, Seas the Day! The video for your original song, “Sex on the Beach,” features Mario Lopez, reminiscent of the 1970s-’80s sitcom, The Love Boat, which was known for celebrity cameos. Will there be any special guests during your show in Tempe? You guys lured the attention of late legend Jimmy Buffett (R.I.P). He dug you so much he signed you to his record label, Mailboat Records! How was it working on his label? Did you ever collaborate with him musically? Speaking of musical collaborations, do you have any dream collaborators? If so, who? What about dream venues? If any, which one? Is there a song in your set that is typically a crowd favorite? If so, what is it? Yächtley Crëw’s “Full Steam Ahead” tour comes to Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday, May 4. Doors open at 8 p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit marqueetheatreaz.com, yachtleycrew.com or follow @yachtleycrew on Instagram.
Absolutely! I grew up in the Phoenix area and have been to Lake Pleasant numerous times. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I think it would be a perfect place for Yächtley Crëw to play a concert.
That all depends on our tour schedule. Sometimes we roll into town hours before a show and have to depart first thing in the morning. In those instances, we are not able to explore the area… though we have an afternoon and a morning that we can experience a taste of the area. We usually hit the town as a group, as we are all friends and enjoy doing things together. In Phoenix, when we play the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, we most often find ourselves headed into Tempe or into Old Town Scottsdale. Both locations, we have found, have excellent dining options and a great nightlife. One of my personal local favorites is Oregano’s Pizza Bistro.
When we were putting the band together, we knew that we had a specific look – our captains’ uniforms. We thought we could take it to the next level by each developing a stage name and persona. Plus, it gives the audience another element to get curious about. Each band member thought up and picked out their stage name and many of them were inspired by favorite artists of theirs.
Our show is a high-energy performance of all the best soft rock hits from the late ’70s and early ’80s, including Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Toto and many more. We’ve often been referred to as the KISS of soft rock. We aren’t just some band up there going through the motions and playing the songs. We put our heart and soul into every show, and we encourage the audience to sing along. People show up wearing their own captains’ hats [and] sailor outfits ready to party. It is one of the best nights of their life.
Mario has been a friend and fan of the band since 2018 when we had a year-long residency at the world-famous Viper Room club in Los Angeles. He and his posse of about 20 people showed up one night in captains’ hats and sang along to every song. Not long after, we found ourselves playing his Christmas party. He’s been a huge supporter, and we are incredibly grateful. When he heard that we were making a music video to our first original song, he offered to be in it and showed up big time for us. With regards to a guest appearance in Tempe, I guess our audience will just have to wait and see.
We were incredibly honored to be asked to be on Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat Records. And it was awesome being able to meet him one time while playing a show in Palm Beach. Sadly, we never got to collaborate with him before he passed away, but we try to carry his legacy forward in our own way. I think it’s safe to say that we have a similar mission in life, and our shows have a similar vibe.
We have so many artists we would love to collaborate with, pretty much anyone in the yacht rock genre – Michael MacDonald, Christopher Cross, Jackson Brown, Kenny Loggins… but one thing that we can share that is really exciting is that we are in the middle of cutting a song written by the legend, Diane Warren. It should be out this year.
Our goal has always been to take this as far as we can. Personally, I would love to play Madison Square Garden.
We have one of those setlists where every song is a crowd favorite, but one of our biggest ones is always “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes.
