Q&A with Nick Nespajeen of Yacht Rock -- Playing a Holiday Special at Variety Playhouse, December 18

By Leila Regan-Porter, Chris Blais

It's the time of year for holiday specials, and the local music scene is getting in the spirit too. That includes Atlanta's famous (infamous?) Yacht Rock, of the PleaseRock group. We chat to "Nick Nespajeen," the leader of the band (bottom center in the holiday-style pic above, holding a sea shell in the band's usual nautical style), AKA "The Dude from Yacht Rock" as he is also known.

How did the holiday special come together?

Are we talking Beatles "Come Together" or Aerosmith "Come Together"? 

I would say it's been more of a congealing process: girls love Yacht Rock, guys love girls and pretend to love Yacht Rock, we started a band celebrating the phenomenon and now we're the Greatest Yacht Rock Band in the Universe. (See, it says so on our Infomercial.) 

And it follows that the Greatest Yacht Rock Band in the Universe would want to do something special for the holiday season. 

Just kidding - OF COURSE guys love Yacht Rock.

What can fans expect from the night?

Imagine Michael McDonald riding in a one-horse open sleigh to grandma's house singing carols when all of the sudden he notices Clark W. Grizwold stapling 40,000 Christmas lights to his roof. Naturally Michael calls up Kenny Loggins on the spot and the three of them write the happiest holiday song ever.  It will be kinda like that. 

We were inspired by the great Christmas Specials of the '70s, especially the Star Wars Christmas Special. We wanted to add elements of a variety show - singing, dancing, acting, prancing, joking - to the usual Yacht Rock shenanigans. And we bought a yachtload of Christmas lights last weekend for good measure.   

Can you give any hints to any surprises that there might be on the night?

We've got some super-smooth guests joining us that night: Jeff Carlisi of .38 Special, Peter Stroud of Sheryl Crow's band, and several members of Atlanta's own Yacht Rock veterans Starbuck. Clay Cook of the Zac Brown Band may show up, but you never can tell. Toes by ZBB definitely hits on some yachty themes. 

But I can't tell you any of that - it would ruin the surprise. And at the end of the night we're going to hold the most important mega-jam since 1985.

Since there are so many rifts within the yacht rock world, would there be some reconciliations and making-up for the Holiday season between Loggins & Messina, Steely Dan & The Eagles and John Oates (with everyone he has caused tension with)?

We invited Santa, but told him he can only come if gets over his beef with John Oates about whose facial hair has been more influential in American society. John Oates' moustache is obviously more important, and Santa may have to own up to that if he has the guts to show.

What do you think about Michael McDonald's recent ventures into indie rock (with his Grisly Bear/Holy Ghost work)? Is there anyone in the indie rock world you'd like to collaborate with?

Indie rock? Barf. Actually, some indie rock has commonalities with Yacht Rock: complex chord changes, dense vocal harmonies, etc. Problem is, they usually go and ruin a good song with thoughtful and interesting lyrics about something other than trying to get laid. Everyone knows that's not smooth. 

We're actually setting sail on the Rock Boat in January with a bunch of indie artists. We would love to back any of them up, as long as we don't actually have to learn their songs. They can sing whatever crappy little song they wrote about girls with thick black glasses or eastern philosophy or human rights or whatever and we'll play What a Fool Believes in the background.

Have you ever thought of getting together all the Yacht Rock heroes and doing a holiday song for some charity along the lines of "Do they know it's Christmas"?

No. But we are doing a food drive in conjunction with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Bring two cans of food to the Holiday Special and you can get a free Yachty Holiday Portrait! (Courtesy Mixtape Atlanta) 

What are some of your own favorite holiday songs?

That's easy - our own. Mele Kalikimaka, which we recorded in the style of Little River Band's smooth classic Reminiscing. And we incorporated the light rock shuffle of Toto's Rosanna into our version of Christmas Vacation - the theme song from the Chevron Chas classic film that turns 20 this year. 

The record is available at all Yacht Rock shows for only $2. Two words: stocking stuffer. 

How do you like to celebrate the holidays? How are you celebrating the holidays this year?

We celebrate every day like it's a holiday. We live in a sphere of ocean breeze... mostly sunny and 81 degrees with a 15% chance of showers. Always. The only thing that changes is the level to which my pina colada glass is filled.

What is the band working on for the new year?

A collaboration with Michael McDonald. I'm dead serious. Or am I?