St. Lucia played two nights at Terminal 5 in NYC on September 20th and 21st. I attended the first night. This was my 6th time seeing the band, and 4th time seeing them in their hometown. Although they are originally from South Africa, St. Lucia’s band formed in Brooklyn. They always seem very humbled and proud at all the local shows, and it makes for an incredible night, every time. Tuesday’s sold out show was no exception. The energy from the band fed into the crowd, which made for a wonderful atmosphere to be a part of.
From Left to Right: Nicky Paul, Jean-Philip Grubler, and Patty Beranek at Terminal 5 on 9/20/16.
In case you haven’t heard of them, St. Lucia is an indie pop band formed in 2012 and put together by frontman Jean-Philip Grobler. Other members include Nicky Paul, Dustin Kaufman, Ross Clark, and Jean’s wife Patty Beranek. The band has two albums: When The Night (2013) and Matter (2015). Although the music is referred to as Jean’s own project, one cannot deny the band that bring it to life on stage. The songs are fun and energetic. One thing that is certain at a St. Lucia show is that you are going to dance. It’s just a given. There are rarely any lulls in the set. It’s an hour and a half workout session. It’s also should be noted that the whole band is very good looking and in great physical shape. Most of them are dancing along with you, or jumping if you’re Nicky Paul.
Screenshot of a video I took during the chaos of the song, "Physical."
Tuesday’s show marked their return to Terminal 5 after two years. The show consisted of newer songs off their sophomore album, Matter. This gave the band a lot more material to choose from for their setlist. They opened with the song “Cold Case,” which was a bonus track off of their first album and a bit a departure from their usual set on their current tour. It may have been a homage to their first show at Terminal 5 two years earlier, which opened with the same track. The set then continued to intertwine songs off both albums effortlessly. During the song, “Love Somebody,” Grubler stepped into the crowd to sing and dance to most of the song with his audience. It’s a special moment during the set that I’ve experienced a few times. He walks the entire floor and works his way back up to the stage, taking selfies and singing with his fans. The band also included a brass section to accompany many of their songs. Some of St. Lucia’s most well known songs like, “All Eyes on You,” and “Elevate,” feature a horn section. This added a whole new level to their live show.
Altogether, St. Lucia’s show is always an incredible night. I forget that I have work in the morning or my bills are due. Real life problems get put on hold because I’m dancing the night away with one of my favorite bands. It’s something I try to experience as much as I can, and you should too. St. Lucia is making their way back to the west coast and they’ll be back on the east coast at the end of October. Catch them at one of these dates before they go!
