Sarah Gwen – Knife shop

contributor: Shephard Mayo – Jan. 11, 2009

Sarah Gwen’s set at Kelly’s Olympian this past weekend was not without problems, but was also not without promise. She’s very shy on stage, hiding behind her trucker hat and “tiny guitar.” She also hides a really fantastic voice, which I wish she had more confidence in using. To be fair, the sound wasn’t exactly great that night. Her songs tend to bleed into each other musically and thematically, covering a wide rang of topics, such as: love, sex and heartbreak, followed by more love, sex and heartbreak and some drinking too. This is to be somewhat expected from a Country/Americana artist. Scott Weddle, quite a talented guitarist, joined her on stage acting as a bridge, filling in the gaps of Sarah’s somewhat choppy and plodding rhythm, while simultaneously accentuating and complimenting her voice, which was easily the best part of her performance. It’s slow and thick like molasses, sensually evoking the heat, humidity and friction that exemplifies her obvious southern influences.

She did struggle a bit through her set. There was also very little interaction with the audience, and by this I don’t mean witty banter or back and forth, but that for most of the night her playing felt slightly disconnected and somewhat restrained. However, the last song she played, To The Woods, did break this mold. She sat on the edge of her seat, and for the first time extended herself beyond simply playing a few songs to, well, putting on a show. It’s a fantastic song, moody, bluesy, slow and deliberately crafted. For me, it really saved the evening, and is indicative of the talent and potential that Sarah Gwen Peters does have. I’d like to see more from her in the future – more of a performance, more accompaniment, more finely crafted songs, but to reiterate: I’d like to see more of her in the future. Myspace