St. Lucia kicked off their headlining tour of North America at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live on Monday night. The show couldn’t have come at a better time. Between the madness of the holiday rush and the wicked weather that’s been slamming the area lately, the balmy sounds of last year’s debut album, When the Night, offered the perfect remedy for the Winter blues.
South African-turned-Brooklyn singer-songwriter Jean-Philip Grobler and his incredibly talented quartet opened their set with “The Night Comes Again”, which carved out the mood for the night’s other ’80s-influenced portraits. It’s difficult to tag them with one particular genre, though. St. Lucia bundles it all: synthpop, techno, New Wave, and Tropicália. A few highlights included the breezy “Wait For Love”, the frenzied hand-clapping of “The Way You Remember Me”, and their vibrant cover of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”.
Hearing the entire room sing aloud for “September” also slipped into the memory banks. The crowd was no longer in the icy City of Brotherly Love, but in an ’80s disco club, or a European nightclub, or even just a sunny day on a Caribbean island. That teleportative trademark is a powerful medium to behold — especially when it feels like a vacation. Ahh St. Lucia, what a trip! –Cathy Poulton
Setlist:
The Night Comes Again
The Old House Is Gone
Closer Than This
Wait For Love
We Got It Wrong
All Eyes On You
Elevate
Ain’t Nobody (Chaka Khan cover)
Paper Heart
(Brief drum solo)
The Way You Remember Me
Too Close
Encore:
September
When The Night
