From the second the members of yacht rock group The Docksiders hit the stage at the Duomo at Rio and launch into a pitch-perfect version of Christopher Cross’ “Run Like the Wind,” it instantly hit me: I need a cocktail. Now! This music instantly puts you in a good mood, one that makes you want to get up and dance (and if you’re like me, that means a bit of social lubricant is almost a necessity).
The Docksiders—singers Kevin and Erin Sucher and Bobby Rouse, guitarist Larry Esparza, bassist Matt Vollmer, saxophonist Clay Konnor, keyboardist Theo Merriweather and drummer Chris Kollman—keep the proceedings lively and highly varied, veering from the Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” into Toto’s “Africa” and ABBA’s “Waterloo” without missing a beat.
Perhaps the best thing about their show is its occasional tongue-in-cheekiness. During Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” singer Kevin Sucher, pictured, has a field day with the lyric, “If you like makin’ love at midnight” by re-enacting it, only to throw his back out (‘Cause, you know, most fans of yacht rock, like me, are most likely in similar boats, age-wise).
At a recent performance held shortly after the death of Olivia Newton-John, the group performed a medley of some of her greatest hits, including “Magic,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “Xanadu.” It was very sweet and, like everything else the Docksiders deliver, sing-along-worthy.
Rio, ticketmaster.com
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