Saint Bernadette frontwoman, Meredith DiMenna opened Tuesday’s show with a generous promise to personally reimburse any dissatisfied patron. The payment? Alcohol. Shots of tequila. Overpriced New York liquor. In that strangely lucid dreamscape that musicians occupy, this guarantee set the tone for the evening: thick, boozy ruminations of love, feminism and love of money.
It’s difficult to neatly compartmentalize Saint Bernadette as a genre-specific band. Certainly the music smolders with jazz influences, but there are also elements of 60s rock, soul, and a kind of hip lounge (if lounge embraced a fearless, "point of no return" attitude). DiMenna’s voice channels the melodramatic lilt and smoky sass of a Grace Slick-Peggy Lee hybrid, without the unsettling romp through Muzak territory that contemporary jazz often breeds. Her bold presence and big, infectious vocals filled the backroom of the Lower East Side’s 11th Street Bar. For songs like "Beat Dialogue," the tiny space was well-suited—dimly lit, haphazardly arranged café tables, the lingering ghosts of smoke-filled years past; however, other tracks seemed to fall prey to the venue’s size, creating a forced intimacy that did little justice to the band’s rock-happy tracks. Nonetheless, SB proved themselves troopers, chatting easily with friends and fans, and maintaining a gracious temperament (even when their set was cut short due to "excessively loud rockin'").
Saint Bernadette performed selections from their debut album, In the Ballroom, as well as several yet-to-be-released tracks. They closed their set with a cover of David Bowie’s "It Ain’t Easy." Tuesday’s show was the first of a series of free performances at the 11th Street Bar (21+). The next show is scheduled for Tuesday, October 23rd at 9:00pm.
For more information about the band, or for a schedule of upcoming shows, visit:
www.myspace.com/saintbernadette
-Lara Crombie
