St. Lucia Dances And Crashes In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You know that thing when you're at work, and your computer crashes? You need that spreadsheet for your conference call, you're staring at a blue screen of death, everything is locked up and the pressure has mounted to unthinkable levels.
That was kind of the case for synth pop band St. Lucia on Friday night at The TLA in Philadelphia. Two songs into their set in front of a sold out crowd, one of their computers hit the skids, making the performance impossible to continue.
The party came to a halt with an impromptu twenty minute intermission to work out their technical difficulties, and what started as a lively dance session quickly devolved into a close-talking waiting game.
It happens. Strings break, mics sometimes don't work, and computers crash. It wouldn't be the last time that St. Lucia's equipment would get the better of them, with a keyboard failing later in the evening. However with eight-hundred onlookers, St. Lucia managed to pull it together and reignite the vibe with neon-trimmed jams for the packed house on South Street.
It takes more than some faulty equipment to slow down Jean-Philip Grobler and his band St. Lucia. Fresh off the release of their album Matter last month, the band has racked up critical acclaim and accolades for their synth pop style that borrows from the 80's in excess and influence, but as Grobler explains before their set at The TLA, to think of them as just an "80's band" would be wrong.
"I'm definitely influenced by the 80's, at least by the approach of recording in the 80's - which was like, it didn't feel like people were holding back in that era. It was very maximalist" Grobler describes. "I think it has a lot of different elements. It has the 80's thing, it has a lot of modern elements as well, but I cannot deny being influenced by the 80's."
It's true that St. Lucia's Matter is indulgent of all Grober's musical whims, but when the result is sweeping dance anthems like "Dancing On Glass" or the strutting style of "Love Somebody," it works. The music of St. Lucia doesn't play like imitation of that decade, but rather reminds you of all the things that made it great.
"We put so much time and effort into making the record, and it's definitely a labor of love you know - it definitely hurts a little bit when you read a review and people are just like 'it's just like an 80's pastiche cheap album' when from our perspective it definitely wasn't that" explains Grobler.
What's so much fun about the music of St. Lucia, pours out on stage as well. From Jean-Philip Grobler's permanently-windswept look from a fan positioned below his mic stand, or the neon flashes against the back line of percussion, the band certainly leans into the motif of 80's extravagance - but with an authentic and aggressive energy. When everything is functioning properly.
"We're at a stage now where we know who we are as a band a lot more" says Grobler. "It definitely feels like you're kind of going on this family road trip."
To hear more from St. Lucia's Jean-Philip Grobler, check out the full interview below.
