
Three generations and yacht rock.
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Can three generations talk music and all agree? Probably not. Every day is a story. I'm Shannon Cason. Make sure you like and subscribe. I was doing some ballot initiative work in Detroit. I'm civically active, I have my concerns about my community and I try my best to be active in a positive way. That's just the way I live and I think that that's a good way to live. And it seems that other people think in that same way. And I was working with some people I had just met. We were all in the room and we were organizing signature sheets. And one of the guy, it was an older guy, he was about 75, dressed in khakis and a sweater like older guys dressed. And one was a younger lady, she was around 35 and she was dressed more professional, like she worked at a non profit and this was just some work she was doing on the side. And then there's me, 50, I'm dressed like this, like I'm always dressed. And we're in this room and it's bone quiet while we're all in our zones and we're doing our specific tedium. But it's work that needs to get done. It's tedious work that you got to do, but it's boring. And someone came in the room and noticed the silence and asked if we wanted the speaker to listen to some music. And we all shrugged almost simultaneously, like sure. Now we have to figure out what station to listen to. So the conversation turns to music. And it got deeper than I expected. But mild mannered, civically minded people love their music. I know I do. So the older guy started talking about music and he told us a story about when he crowd surfed at a concert in Detroit. And he asked if we knew about the Shelter. And I know the Shelter well. I used to go to the Shelter to go to hip hop concerts. When I was young, growing up in the 90s, my crew, my hip hop crew actually performed at the Shelter. But I didn't mention any of that. I didn't interrupt the story, I just said, yeah, I heard of it. And he went on this story about when he took his kids to the shelter. He had a son and daughter and they were enjoying the music and I forget the group. It was, he had mentioned this group called Neutral Milk Hotel. I don't know the group, but his daughter went to the bathroom and his son went to the back bar. There's a few bars at the Shelter. He went to the back bar and. And while they were gone, he fought his Way up to the front of the stage. And while he was there enjoying the music, someone looked at him and motioned for him to go up in the air. So he went with it and there he was, he was crowd surfing. So they held him up there, then let him down. Then his daughter comes back from the bathroom and his son comes back from the bar and he told them what happened, but they didn't see it and they didn't believe them. So we all laughing about it or whatever, but then we start to talk about sub genres of music. Not the, the main banner at the top, but the sub genre under the umbrellas of. Of certain genres of music. So. So not pop music, but indie pop like Billie Eilish and in K pop. My daughter loves K pop. She love, I guess she just loves pop music, but she likes all these sub genres. K pop, new jeans or synth pop, which I don't even know what that is. But the lady has said the Pesh mode fits into synth pop. I don't know if that's right or wrong, but I was vocal about the music genres that I know well. Like I know R B, I know soul and I know hip hop. But there are subgenres, variations, Neo soul, d', Angelo, Rest In Peace, d', Angelo funk. You got the Ohio Players, of course, Parliament. And then trap soul, which I love. I kind of love trap soul, which is like black. I don't know if Bryson Tiller would be considered trap soul. I would think so. And then you got the 70 soul, which Marvin Gaye, Temptations, all that stuff. Then hip hop, Old School Run, dmc, Boom bap, gangstar, DJ Premier, the conscious, Hip hop, Common, most deaf, west coast, of course Snoop. But then west coast has its own genres, like E40 is more like the Bay Area, you know, then Trap, Drill, Young Thug, Chief Keef, all that kind of stuff. So we get to rock eventually and we're talking classic rock. And the guy is mentioning, the older guy he mentioned in Pink Floyd. And then punk rock, they're talking about the Clash. I like punk rock, but I don't know it really well. Grunge. I went to this event that was talking about grunge music, but I only know the basics, you know, like Nirvana, Alice in Chains. And then the old guy mentioned yacht rock. And I'm like, what the fuck is yacht rock? And honestly, I thought he said yad rock, yacht, like Y A D rock. I was like, what is that? But he said, no, yacht, like the boat, Yacht rock. And the 35 year old lady, she was into it. She was like, yeah, let's listen to some yacht rock in the older guy. He was like, yeah, let's do some yacht rock. So I'm like, go ahead with the yacht. I don't know what it is, but go ahead with the yacht rock. So the older guy said to the young lady, because she was, she was typing it into her phone, hooked up to the Bluetooth speaker. He said, started off with Crisscross. And I'm like, crisscross? That's hip hop Crisscross. He said, no, no, Christopher Cross selling. And when he said the name, it kind of sound familiar. And then they put it on and I knew exactly what I was in for. I love that song. I love that song that's on my chilling playlist at home. I listened to that one. I didn't know it was a sub genre called yacht rock and silly take me away from all this blah blah blah blah. I mean, you can't listen to that song selling and not feel the wind blowing through your hair. I'm bored. And we're in a nondescript office complex basement and we all felt the wind blowing, you know, silly, take me away. So we went on our tour of yacht rock, all jamming, all having our own memories. So the moment of meaning for me is it doesn't matter where you from, what your differences are, what generation you're in. We all relate to when we hear good music. But what about you? Are there popular songs from your past that aren't really top of your playlist or the kind of music you usually listen to, but when you hear them, you think, why am I not listening to that song or that genre of music? More for me, it was YAT rock. What's your story? Homemade is a friend funded podcast. Thank you to everyone who listens, enjoys and supports the stories. To become a friend of homemade, visit patreon.com Shannon Casein or cash app I'm $sign Shannon Caseing. If you like to go to Direct Route. All the links are in the description and you'll get a mention on an upcoming episode if you support so support independent storytellers and independent artists. Talk to you soon. Remember, every day is a story.
Episode: Everyone Loves Yacht Rock | Everyday is a Story
Host: Shannon Cason
Date: May 12, 2026
In this episode, Shannon Cason explores how music can unify people across generations and backgrounds, sparked by an unexpected conversation about "yacht rock" while working on a civic project. Through humorous anecdotes and thoughtful reflection, Shannon shares how diverse tastes and storied memories come together with the right song—often in unexpected harmony.
Shannon remains conversational, direct, and humorous as he seamlessly shifts between anecdotes, cultural commentary, and introspection. The vibe is intimate and inviting, making listeners feel present in the room during this unexpected slice-of-life moment.
This episode is a gentle reminder that stories—and the songs that carry them—are everywhere; sometimes, bridging divides is as simple as playing the right tune. Shannon leaves listeners with an invitation: revisit old favorites and hidden genres—you never know what memories or connections they’ll awaken.