MJCCA Debuts New Stage, Plaza for Yacht Rock Concert

No Jews arrived in yachts, but on Aug. 24, approximately 1,100 music fans grooved to the mellow sounds of a yacht rock outdoor concert at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. The concert was held on the newly re-imagined Halpern Plaza Courtyard and the new Heyman Stage (Heyman Family Foundation). DJ Mello served as the opening act before the 7 p.m. concert start. Interestingly, the main act, Yacht Rock Revue, comprised of seven men and one female, performed the previous night at the Chastain live concert venue (now Synovus Bank Amphitheater).

The evening was part of the culmination of a Capital Campaign Donor roll out for the MJCCA Dunwoody campus transformation with facility enhancements and expanding programs. A representative of the JCC said, “We wanted a way to celebrate the capital campaign and mark its conclusion with the community, hence the idea for the concert.”

Sponsors and those buying VIP tickets had seats and up-close access to the stage. Others mingled in the rear section (and brought their own seats) for $36. Front courtyard seats were $72. Kosher food trucks were available as the blue skies remained clear.

Yacht rock is a style of smooth, soft rock music that bloomed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, based in Los Angeles. The actual term was coined decades later in the mid-2000s as a tongue-in-cheek label, but since has become the accepted name for the genre. Yacht rock plays on the idea of wealthy West Coast lifestyles, where the music felt like the perfect soundtrack for relaxing on a yacht in the sun — smooth, sophisticated, and a bit decadent.

Many yacht rock bands used elite session musicians (like Toto) who played on countless records. The sound is smooth and polished with lush arrangements. There are also jazz & R&B influences with frequent use of jazz chords, electric piano, saxophone, and breezy rhythms. Yacht rock themes include romantic escapism, California lifestyle, sailing, heartbreak, or self-reflection with clear vocals often with layered harmonies.

Some of the most famous yacht rock original acts include:
Michael McDonald/The Doobie Brothers (“What a Fool Believes”)
Steely Dan (“Peg”)
Toto (“Rosanna,” “Africa”)
Kenny Loggins (“This Is It”)
Christopher Cross (“Sailing”)
Hall & Oates (“Sara Smile,” “Kiss on My List”)

Fan Sandy Bailey recalled that the MJCCA crowd’s best reactions were to Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do), and Toto’s “Africa.”

Co-Chair and MJCCA Board Member Michelle Simon related, “There could’ve been no better way to show off the beautiful newly imagined MJCCA, and the fruits of the successful capital campaign, than with a community-wide music festival featuring yacht rock. The celebratory feeling of all those in attendance was a living testament to our shared purpose in creating such a wonderful space for our vibrant Atlanta Jewish community.”

Parking was off-site with shuttles to and from the First Baptist Church nearby. Bailey further stated, “The crowd was very convivial and mixed with all ages. A few danced, but not many. I will say the security was really visible and top notch.”