Visit YACHT’s website, and it won’t be immediately apparent that they play music. The duo styles themselves as a “Band, Belief System, and Business”, and boast an entire mythology to back it up. Their performance at Santo’s was entirely in keeping with that philosophy: a YACHT concert, apparently, is almost as much about good design as music. As Bechtolt and Evans took to the stage flanked by banners with their trademark Sierpinksi insignia, and started dancing. If you’ve seen the “Psychic City (Voodoo City)” video, then you know the getup: Bechtolt wears an all white, baroque costume somewhere between a pastor’s and A Clockwork Orange’s, and Evans is his jet-black, hooded counterpart.

After opening with “Ring The Bell”, YACHT welcomed the crowd as only they can. Their stage banter takes the form of motivationals, sing-alongs, and repeat-after-me’s, all aided by the projector screen the band uses to loop short clips (usually archival footage with heads conspicuously obscured by triangles). These antics can wear thin, but they don’t come off as gimmicky, thanks in large part to the band’s utterly convincing stage demeanor.

They don’t detract from the music, either. Though neither member of YACHT actually manned a keyboard or drum machine, it was pretty clear their whole bodies were necessary for the act. When they’re not singing, Bechtolt and Evans writhe, jerk and groove in ritual possession. Bechtolt got bored of the stage a few times, dancing on the bar and later venturing out into the crowd while Evans wrapped herself in the mic cord. Evidence of their pro-fun attitude: YACHT invited an out-of-his-head audience member up on stage to dance. To their credit, the band kept straight faces as the dude relieved himself of his shirt, flung it into the crowd, and grabbed the mic for a little karaoke. Wonder if he remembers any of it. After a foot-stomping encore, YACHT left the stage, followed by their shirtless new friend. After that night, this cult might have a few more converts.

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