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By Christian Jaeger<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Brooklyn-based St. Lucia and Ontario-based Arkells transformed a Monday night at Boston\u2019s Royale into a Saturday. The Theatre District night club was overflowing with energy. <\/span><\/p>\n It was just after 8 p.m.. A bustling crowd for a Monday night was decked-out in Arkells apparel: hats, tees, etc. Surprising, because they were <\/span>just<\/span><\/i> the opening band. Little did I know that the alternative \u00a0rockers have completely exploded in their hometown of Ontario, even luring some Canadians to the show.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2016, I saw the Arkells open for Fitz & the Tantrums in LA, never having heard of them or their music before. They were a promising opening band back then, touring across America to gain more fans worldwide. In two years, their energy, style, and performance have undergone an incredible transformation.<\/span><\/p>\n Improvement is an understatement. \u201cIt\u2019s weird to see them playing such a small venue,\u201d an Arkells fan (who travelled to see Monday night\u2019s show) said. \u201cThey\u2019re selling out amphitheaters back at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Audiences who went for the Arkells got the amazing, rockin\u2019 performance that they expected. Audiences who had no idea what an Arkell were utterly blown away.<\/span><\/p>\n The five members\u2013Max Kerman, Mike DeAngelis, Nick Dika, Tim Oxford, and Anthony Carone\u2013stumbled on to the stage like they owned the place. Grabbing their instruments, igniting a bright yellow \u201cArkells\u201d street sign, and nodding to the audience, the Arkells began to play \u201cRelentless,\u201d a track off of their 2018 record <\/span>Rally Cry<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Crowd goers were either chanting along or would were soon to be\u2013no exceptions. It just took the simple yet addictive lyrics of the songs and the raw talent of the band to immediately captivate the room. Lead singer Max Kerman\u2019s raspy voice, devilish looks, and savage confidence stole eyes and ears from the audience, not returning them until their hour-long set was finished. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s ready to turn tonight into a Saturday night?\u201d Kerman asks the crowd as they yelled back; he had their full attention. The band began \u201cSaturday Night,\u201d another track from <\/span>Rally Cry<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Other songs included \u201cKnocking at the Door,\u201d \u201cPrivate School,\u201d \u201cPeople\u2019s Champ,\u201d \u201cEyes on the Prize,\u201d \u201cLeather Jacket,\u201d and \u201cMy Heart\u2019s Always Yours.\u201d Combine the Killers and Fitz & the Tantrums and you <\/span>might<\/span><\/i> get the Arkells. Key word: might. Kerman\u2019s presence and sound resemble that of Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, and his style also could be compared to Michael Fitzpatrick (or \u201cFitz\u201d) of Fitz and the Tantrums. Funk, blues, rasp\u2013all overflowing from the glistening Royale stage.<\/span><\/p>\n The first act said their goodbyes at 9 p.m. and made way for the headlining St. Lucia. The founder and face of the band, South African raised Jean-Philip Grobler has squeezed every bit of his diverse musical training, taste, and style into his six-year-old project St. Lucia.<\/span><\/p>\n Still an up-and-coming act in the music scene, but a big name in the indie-alternative genre, St. Lucia has mastered the ability to get crowds on their feet and lyrics stuck in audiences\u2019 heads for days. Members of the band include Jean-Philip Grobler, Ross Clark, Nick Paul, Dustin Kaufman, and Patti Baranek.<\/span><\/p>\n The alternative genre is vast\u2013almost too vast\u2013so what sets St. Lucia apart? Perhaps it\u2019s that two of the lead members are married: Grobler and Baranek. Not only this, but the couple had their first child in 2017: Indiana \u201cIndy\u201d Grobler\u2013an inspiration for several songs off of their 2018 record <\/span>Hyperion<\/span><\/i>. The couple have an undeniable charisma within the group. Perhaps it\u2019s the beloved \u201880s feel that bleeds from songs into listeners\u2019 ears. Lead singer Grobler\u2019s glossy and smooth falsetto doesn\u2019t hurt the band either, rather proving St. Lucia\u2019s distinct sound.<\/span><\/p>\n At 9:30 p.m., the artists emerged onto an empty stage. Grobler\u2013the founder and face of the band\u2013entered last. Synths of \u201cSeptember,\u201d one of the band\u2019s most loved and oldest dance anthems, introduced the set. This song would succeed in reviving the audience from a short break between bands, the first one setting the bar real high.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cChina Shop,\u201d a track from their latest album <\/span>Hyperion<\/span><\/i>, followed. After applause and a warm welcome, Grobler informed the crowd that it was the band\u2019s last show of the tour. They came to dance, to perform, and to give us absolutely everything.<\/span><\/p>\n With a lot in their collection, including three studio albums and a range of EPs, St. Lucia had a large number of songs to play in order to fulfill everyone\u2019s desires. Surely, the band did not ignore this task required by the audience; they knocked their last show out of the park, jumping from record to record.<\/span><\/p>\n Following tracks included \u201cHome,\u201d \u201cCloser Than This,\u201d and \u201cGun,\u201d each from a different album. \u201cWe Got It Wrong,\u201d \u201cDancing On Glass,\u201d \u201cA Brighter Love,\u201d and \u00a0\u201cWalking Away,\u201d kept the crowd moving to the increasingly upbeat dance favorites.<\/span><\/p>\n St. Lucia slowed down with \u201cAll Eyes on You,\u201d one of their oldest and fan-favorites. The song is as brilliant live as it is on the record. Catchy, but not familiar. Slow, but quick enough to require movement. Most of all, constantly building; the song\u2019s bridge of trumpet and synths\u2013steadily increasing\u2013builds with such weight, such power, that the song explodes into its final chorus, even more so live.<\/span><\/p>\n The ultimate highlight was Grobler and Baranek dedicating \u201cBigger,\u201d a song about their soon-to-be one-year-old, Indy. A spotlight would then shine on the youngster and his nanny, grooving upstairs in the balcony. Lucky nanny: Her bosses are rock stars. Luckier son: His parents are rock stars.<\/span><\/p>\n With it being the last night of the tour, it was fair to assume that the show would have some surprises. The band performed \u201cForgiveness\u201d and \u201cCold Case,\u201d both from their first album <\/span>When the Night<\/span><\/i> and songs that they \u201chaven\u2019t played in years,\u201d stated by the lead. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Grobler created an intimate setting during \u201cLove Somebody.\u201d He traveled through the pit, singing his lyrics to the faces of strangers.<\/span><\/p>\n When he returned to the stage, the band played \u201cPhysical,\u201d one of St. Lucia\u2019s most popular dance hits off of 2016\u2019s <\/span>Matter<\/span><\/i>. This had no problem getting the crowd back on their feet, even continuously jumping for several minutes. They closed their first set with \u201cWhen the Night,\u201d a moody trip from 2013\u2019s <\/span>When the Night<\/span><\/i>. It appears a slow song, but the synths in the background disagree; they build, and when the drums kick in it is a wonderful combination inspired by \u201880s synthpop, even comparable to Depeche Mode or the Talking Heads.<\/span><\/p>\n The audience\u2019s applause brought St. Lucia back for more. \u201cParadise is Waiting\u201d is perhaps the most diverse St. Lucia tune of all. Full of soul, even gospel-esque chants, the song encouraged fans to bump to the funky rhythm, sing lyrics, and stretch their arms like in worship. The opening Arkells then joined the stage for the finale, \u201cElevate.\u201d Ten members filled the stage then\u2013dancing, singing, making the most out of the last song on the tour.<\/span><\/p>\n The show closed with generous thanks and even a tour picture requested by Patti. The audience squeezed warm and tight so that every face could be captured in the band\u2019s memorabilia. <\/span><\/p>\n When St. Lucia will return? Unknown for now, but it sounded like the husband and wife couldn\u2019t wait for a long, comfortable break with their baby boy. The Arkells, however, aren\u2019t slowing down anytime soon; they were excited to announce a headlining show in Boston in just a short couple of months. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Christian Jaeger The Brooklyn-based St. Lucia and Ontario-based Arkells transformed a Monday night at Boston\u2019s Royale into a Saturday. The Theatre District night club was overflowing with energy. It was just after 8 p.m.. A bustling crowd for a Monday night was decked-out in Arkells apparel: hats, tees, etc. Surprising, because they were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13221,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525],"tags":[33,26,97,327,31,138,609,610,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3274"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3274"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3276,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3274\/revisions\/3276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}