Piano men and women fronting bands seem to be the outliers in popular music today. Perhaps it’s because there’s no such thing (that I know of) as “air piano.” Air guitar playing is the standard. There’s even a World Air Guitar Championship, I kid you not. I imagine shredding guitar and doing stupid high kicks is just where it’s at.
Maybe that’s one reason piano front men and women are the exception, not rule. But the ones who have become stars have stood out, ranging from the great Leon Russell to Billy Joel and Elton John, Marc Cohn, Ben Folds, John Legend and others.
Over the last few years, singer-songwriter Lucas Jack has built an impressive catalog of music. And yes, you guessed it – he’s a piano man.
A Michigan native, Jack initially chose a path he thought he was supposed to take. He went to college, then law school and found a job as a lawyer in Chicago. But in his spare time he continued playing music that had gripped him growing up in a variety of bands like the comedic EDM outfit The Flavor Savors.
But then Jack hit the crossroads that many single people in their 20s do: He found the love of his life. He met his wife at a gig in St. Louis where he was opening up for John Oates (of Hall & Oates) and the two of them decided to build a life together. Part of that was a move to San Antonio, where she worked as a military physician and he left the law behind. Jack then built a full-time music career playing in Texas clubs with his rhythm section – former Nashville session bassist Justin Schneider and drummer Mike Gomez – the lineup that remains today, playing around the U.S. as Lucas Jack.
The band now operates out of St. Louis, where Jack recently completed a live performance studio focused on delivering a steady flow of online performances to fans. And Jack and the band recently sat down with The Load Out for a conversation and performances from the new studio. Enjoy!