Laura Courtese and the Dance Cards
Friday July 25, 2014  7:30pm - 9:30pm (2 Hours)
Music

 gm@kingstheatre.ca
 (902) 532-7704

Laura Cortese has a vision for her band's sound: bold and elegant, schooled in the lyrical rituals of folk music and backed by grooves that alternately inspire Cajun two-stepping and rock-n-roll hip swagger. It's appropriate then that the trio, featuring Cortese, call themselves Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards.

Since appearing on Cortese's most recent album, Into the Dark (2013), Valerie Thompson (cello/vox) and Mariel Vandersteel (fiddle/hardingfele/vox) have paired their sophisticated string arrangements and rich vocal harmonies to Cortese's poignant and powerful singing. Seeing the trio on stage, you get the sense that they might snap some fiddle strings or punch a hole in the bass drum. This is post-folk that seriously rocks.

On Into the Dark, Cortese doesn't shy away from heavy subjects or rely solely on her own experiences. On "Brown Wrinkled Dress," she writes from the point of view of a woman who discovers her husband's infidelity; on "Village Green" she sings in the voice of a servant who yearns for something more. Both songs echo traditional themes - "Brown Wrinkled Dress" is a murder ballad in the most classic sense - but others have an undeniably modern cadence. You can hear pop in Cortese's deftly-written hooks and rock 'n' roll in the syncopated pulse that propels even her gentlest melodies. Her cover of Laura Veirs's "Life is Good Blues" perhaps captures this spirit best: when Cortese sings, "Life is good when the band is smokin' hot," it's easy to believe her.

This trio is in line with Cortese's collaborative style; her last several projects have featured the finest of the Boston folk-pop scene. 2010 saw the release of three EPs: Two Amps, One Microphone, a duet with guitarist and singer Jefferson Hamer; Simple Heart, a collaboration with five other female vocalists; and Acoustic Project, which provided the seed for the fiddle-based arrangements of Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards.

"Technically brilliant yet warmhearted fiddling - sprinkled with urbane splashes off cool jazz and hot pop." Boston Globe
Pricing & Tickets
Pricing: Reserved Seating. $18 Advance, $16 Members, $20 Door, $5 Youth

Where to buy Tickets: Box office: by phone or in person

Purchase Tickets Online
Poster
209 St George Street
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

 boxoffice@kingstheatre.ca
 902-532-7704

       

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