Yacht and Black Devil Disco Club American Express River to River Festival Seaport August 6, 2010 Written by Morgan Long Photographed by Susan Gurevich   Opposite Photo: Claire L Evans of Yacht

As expected, a young, laid-back, hip crowd, turned up for Black Devil Disco Club and Yacht. There were a few oddballs in the audience at South Street Seaport, including a couple, where the woman looked old enough to be his mother. This woman, who looked like she was in her mid-fifties, was clad in over-the-top Urbanoutfitters gear, trying blend in with her hipster boyfriend, who apparently loved the seventies, based on his wardrobe. Why was I so fascinated by this couple? Well, they were a lot more entertaining than Black Devil Disco Club, that’s for sure. Black Devil Disco Club, consisted of Bernard Fevre and his Mac. He seemed too old to be into such a modern techno trend. However, it seems Fevre is a true French trendsetter who has making music since the late seventies. The music ranged from electronic Bon Jovi to funky horror music. However, every song seemed the same after a while and there was nothing look at on stage except a jubilant man in his fifties behind his computer. After a while I sat down and focused my attention on dancing children because they were much more interesting than what was going on stage.

Claire L. Evans

Jona Bechtolt of Yacht

After Black Devil Disco Club, I had low expectations for Yacht. However, I was soon captivated by a woman who looked like Agyness Deyn dressed by Lady Gaga. Claire L. Evans and Jona Bechtolt, turned out to be the names of the lead singers. They were clearly prepared to put on a show just by their style. Bechtolt and all the other band members, besides Evans, were wearing tuxedos. Bechtolt’s tuxedo was completely white. He had a rainbow guitar strap. Bechtolt and Evans danced around the stage without inhibition, using their microphones as props.

Jeffrey Brodsky of Yacht

Claire L Evans and Jona Bechtolt of Yacht

Rob Kieswetter of Yacht

They had carefully calculated dance moves that sometimes intertwined and led them close together. Everything was about shock factor, and everyone including me, was loving it! The lyrics lived up to everything else about Yacht, with lyrics such as “blow your brains out, do the Kurt Cobain,” which had the audience grasping for the correct response. There were a lot of lyrics about Heaven and Hell, which makes sense since their album is titled The Afterlife. Each song was unique, but they all were extremely catchy, similar, and engaging. The transitions were seamless because of this. Constantly, they were trying to engage the audience and praising them as well about how great they were. However, how could an audience not react positively to such passionate spirit? Randomly, they asked the audience if they had any questions, which triggered someone to scream, “Will you be my boyfriend?” to Bechtolt, who replied with only a moments hesitation, “sure, I have nothing else to do.” This unpredictable, sense of humor Bechtolt possessed, made the crowd even more intrigued by him. Bechtolt and Evans surpassing expectations when it came to fashion, stage presence, and lyrics, which made for a riveting performance that had everyone dancing and smiling, and certainly woke them up from the slumber of Black Devil Disco Club.

http://www.myspace.com/yacht