St. Lucia at Royale: All 80s All the Time

By Nina Ortiz

St. Lucia has proven themselves to be a synth-pop force to be reckoned with. With their brand new album titled, “Matter”, released out into the world only a few weeks prior, St. Lucia brought their high-energy and positively electric vibes to a sold out crowd at Royale.

With the pounding electronic sounds of the opening song, “Rescue Me”, the show took off with an incredibly strong start without hesitation. The whole first half of the show had a breezy and romantic feel that provided a warm and sunny escape from the Boston winter night. Frontman Jean-Phillip Grobler and his band never showed any signs of slipped energy, and they powered through their entire set with genuine excitement. Grobler even hopped into the crowd to belt out their sensual R&B ballad, “Love Somebody”. He says that Boston, and especially Royale, has a special place in the band’s hearts. Boston was the first city they performed in, outside of New York, and the band has played Royale a number of times in the past. They were visibly happy to be there, and the swaying crowd easily matched their enthusiasm.

Grobler’s voice was incredibly tight throughout the set, and seeing the music live made it clear how much of a powerhouse performer and creator he is. But, he was certainly not the sole performer on stage worthy of attention and adoration. His bandmate and wife, Patti Beranek, did her magic on the keyboards and brought an undeniably sexy and confident presence to the tropical and bouncy tracks of St. Lucia. Every performer on the stage brought an immense amount of infectious energy, and a weakest link could not be found.

Whether the sounds were breezy and shimmering, or aggressively 80’s-themed, one word could be used to describe the show throughout: vibrant. St. Lucia effortlessly worked their way through the standouts of their catalog, with crowd favorites such as “Closer Than This”, “Dancing on Glass”, “All Eyes On You”, “September”, and “Physical”, energy building with every synthy beat. Their set came to a euphorically upbeat close with “Elevate”, and the band gave a performance that had everyone in the room jumping, dancing, clapping, and singing along. It was impossible to not give in to the fun and carefree vibes of the evening. St. Lucia gave a passionate performance that evoked the feelings of an unforgettable summer night, even in the dead of winter. It may have been 30 degrees outside, but inside the walls of Royale, it was all 80’s.