St. Lucia with Tigertown at the Phoenix Concert Theatre

Photographs by Dawn Hamilton.

An impending snowstorm set to hit Toronto and Eastern Canada, may have put a damper to the end of the long weekend for some but the balmy, frenzied pop of St. Lucia had fans dancing up a storm like a hot summer’s night inside the Phoenix Concert Theatre Monday night. 

Neon Gold label mates Tigertown, opened the night with a set of charming, yet forgettable synthpop tunes. Warming up the audience for the boisterous pop Jean-Philip Grobler and company were about to descend upon Toronto. 

Opening the night with “Home,” from their sophomore album, Matter, the band’s sharper electro-synthpop sound emerged from the St. Lucia’s new material, though sunny grooves and buoyant pop were never far behind. Wrapping their mix of new wave, tropicália, synthpop and techno in the neon glow of 80s pop; St. Lucia took the chill off a frigid February night in Toronto with the breezy charm of crowd favourites “All Eyes On You,” and “Closer Than This.” 

The night progressed into a 80s nightclub, transporting the crowd to warmer climates with tropical beats, techno and electrifying synth on “September,” “Help Me Run Away,” “Winds of Change,”and recent single “Physical.” Like a welcome dose of amnesia, St. Lucia’s engrossing pop took fans on a vacation, forgetting their proximity to the 49^th parallel. Even if just for a moment, coat check is an ugly reminder.