Mellow Heat @ Rips

For hipster types, the fixation with Yacht Rock a few years back was one of those trendy things that quickly sailed into the sunset. For local selector DJ Organic, however, spinning up the sometimes-cheesy soft rock, easy listening, and album-oriented hits of the late '70s and early '80s was more than just a passing fad. It's music he was raised on and still enjoys to this day. "It's nostalgic and definitely transports you back to a certain time, like when I rode around with my mom in her car listening to the local soft rock stations growing up," he says. "Its has a sorta niche thing with the 'Yacht Rock' tag attached, but I've always really dug it. It seems corny, but it's still good." Hence the inspiration behind Mellow Heat, a yacht rock night Organic occasionally puts on during the warmer months at Rips, 3045 North 16th Street. With spring slipping into summer, he's bringing it back as a monthly starting on Friday, April 18. Organic will be joined by a crew of fellow DJs — including Valley Fever's Dana Armstrong, T.K. Nicholson, Justin Graham from Destruction Unit, and Brandon "DJ Strangebird" McMahon — as they sail the seas of soft rock. Expect to hear the likes of Kenny Loggins, Toto, Ian Matthews, and Steely Dan, and probably some Boz Scaggs and Air Supply to boot. Yuppie nautical wear (read: boat shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and Sperry Top-Siders) is encouraged. The anchor gets raised at 9 p.m. Call 602-266-0015.