SWEETER THAN WINE

Breathe CD Release Party

with guests

The Laura Coyle Band and Sans Cherubs

Review by Dave Merrill

"The Laura Coyle Band" was already playing as I entered Toad's Place. They're an OK band, but nothing to write home about. Female vocalists were the rule that night. "The Laura Coyle Band" began packing up after I'd heard only a few songs, which gave me time to get my bearings. There's a table set up to the left of the entrance where the three bands sold souvenirs and CD's. Denise Blake from "Sweeter than Wine" was working the table, so I decided to touch base with her. She sent me down to the dressing room to see Dawn Mastro.

It was down into the guts of Toad's Place for me. Guts is a good way to describe the nether regions of Toad's; the stairs and the walls were bare and unfinished looking. The dressing room wasn't much better, but Dawn's warm greeting put me at ease. A table set with a vegetable and fruit platter filled one wall. A refrigerator stood beside it. Beyond that, there wasn't much there. Dawn supplied me with a set list, making my job that much easier. I've seen, "Sweeter than Wine," twice before, so I'm familiar with their songs, but every little bit helps.

After acquiring some bottled water for my date and myself, I left Dawn to prepare for the show. "Sans Cherubs" set up their equipment and prepared to start playing. The crowd was still light at this point. They're college age to mid- thirties mostly. Since this was an all ages show, the room was divided by netting, drinkers on one side, nondrinkers on the other. "Sans Cherubs" are a five piece band with acoustic and electric guitar, electric bass and drums. The lead singer plays acoustic guitar, while the backing vocalist doesn't play an instrument. Their sound leans toward folk. The vocals were dwarfed by the instruments; adjusting the sound balance would help. Even so, their performance wasn't all that inspired. They didn't move around much on stage, leaving the audience with nothing to look at. As they kicked into their fifth song the back up singer left the stage.

Their newest song, "Flavor," was better than the others. The guitarist cut loose more for a looser, harder sound. This song showed some promise -- perhaps in a year they'll be a much different band. As "Sans Cherubs" packed up, I began preparing to shoot "Sweeter than Wine." The room began to fill a bit more, evidence that "Sweeter than Wine's" following is pretty large. The newcomers were just here to see them. I wasn't the only one moving toward the stage. I chose a spot to the right side of the stage, to get good angles.

"Sweeter than Wine" finally began setting up. Soon, they were ready to play. They started off with an older song, "In Time, " followed by "On the Horizon," and "Waiting," from their new album, "Breathe." Dawn Mastro and Denise Blake share the lead vocals, alternating from song to song. Dawn sang the first song, Denise the second two. Their voices are quite different, yet blend well together. Dawn has the sweeter voice, but both are quite good. The two were joined on stage by Jon Peckman on drums, Amy Blaze on percussion, John Boyle on Wind flute, sax and harmonica and Rusty Corso on bass. Boyle provided a sax solo on "In Time," and a flute solo on, "Waiting." Boyle's mike was up a bit too loud, as his playing seemed to overpower the rest.

Two older songs followed, "Voilet," and "Drop Down Mama," with Dawn on lead vocal for "Voilet," and Denise on "Drop Down Mama." A blues influenced piece, "Drop Down Mama," had a nice guitar solo by Denise. Boyle's mike was still up for his harp solo. Next up was "Taxi to LA," one of the better songs off their new album. Dawn's lead vocal was inspired, while Denise's Knopfleresque guitar solo was intense. It was apparent to me at this point that Denise changed her style according to the needs of the song, pretty impressive. She's better at some styles than others, but mostly managed all of them well. It's obvious the two have a great time on stage together, which definitely helps involve the audience.

Also from the new album, "Train," had a countryish feel to it. Denise's lead vocal fit the piece well. Their voices lilt on the refrain, "Gonna ride that train. .", as they draw out the word train. They explained that when they recorded, "People," they did it a dozen times, each version was completely different. It would be interesting to hear the other versions. This is the song that reminded me most of "Heart." Yet, Denise's guitar solo borders on "The Doors. " Intense!

A highlight of their show, "The Spanish Song," has an infectious Spanish beat that makes the song a fan favorite. It's on the new album. Denise's vocals were great on this song, only surpassed by Amy Blaze's percussion solo. The song really made me want to move. "Back to You," probably my favorite song from "Breathe" featured Dawn on lead vocals. This song was awesome live! It has a folk influence and great harmonies. Dawn's lilting "Yeah, yeahs" can cause chills. Denise introduced, "One Lonely Dream," by saying "This is a really somber song." It struck me as either too slow or too loud. It's really soft but the sound board balance wasn't working well for the song. Dawn commented, "I heard a request or two for this one. . .," as a lead in to, "Lost and Found." This one was also a slower paced number.

The harmonies were excellent. Of the guitar solos, this is perhaps the one with which Denise has the most trouble. Boyle's flute was even more overpowering than on the other songs, to the point where it hindered my enjoyment of "Lost and Found." To be honest, I don't think they need the flute at all in the first place. I would have preferred most of the songs without it. "Running Wild," another of my favorites came next. Denise and Dawn's guitar work was fierce on this song. It had a quicker beat, with Dawn on lead vocals. Denise's backing vocals sounded a lot like Stevie Nicks. At this point they thanked the audience for coming out to support the local music scene. As their last song of the set they played an older song, "Peace of Mind." The guitar solo sounded flute-like on this song.

On finishing, they said their good-byes and left the stage. At this point it became apparent that Denise's parents were in the audience. I imagine Dawn's may have been too. After a short time they came back out for an encore. Denise introduces it with, "This one is not pretty. Just thought I'd warn you. It's not pretty. This is the bonus track from the CD." "Monster" was a great bluesy, grungy kind of song about AIDS. It's awesome! It had a monsterish quality on the bass and a wild guitar line that wouldn't quit. Denise explained that the last song is an old Lithuanian folk song. She put on a false accent for the song, bringing an off-beat humor to it. Dawn's backing vocal, "Dunkin' Donuts," served to make the song a lot of fun. "Sweeter than Wine," said their final good-byes and left the stage. Band members began disassembling equipment.

"Sweeter than Wine," put on a good show despite the poor sound balance on the instruments. It would be a better show with the vocals up a bit and the instruments, particularly the flute, a bit softer. Despite the sound problems it was a spirited and enjoyable performance. They have fun on stage, so the audience has fun too. They're well worth the price of admission for repeat viewings.