Three Chords and a Capo
May show announcement + gallery show recap
First off, we are thrilled to announce that we’re throwing our own little all-ages show close to home on Saturday, May 23rd in West Dublin, Nova Scotia.
It's an experiment: a grown-up birthday party that we hope will turn into a nice little community event. No alcohol served, open to all, pay whatever you can afford. We generally can’t afford to do things like this ourselves, but joining forces with our pals, fellow locals Pretty Alrights and the lovely West Dublin Community Hall makes it possible to host an accessible event that won’t put us in debt (we've already got plenty of that!)
Here’s where you come in: join us, if you can, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia on May 23rd. Bring yourself out to a show in a tiny, century-old landmark. Celebrate my birthday (it’s also right around Julia (lead singer of Pretty Alrights) solar return! Double birthday rock and roll / punk rock). It’ll be cool family-friendly and most assuredly a night to remember.
So, about our last show…
The title of this post is a misnomer: when it comes to Cursed Arrows songs, there’s always more than three chords involved! Alas, there’s another reason for this title. I’ll get to it.
We finished our month of intimate live acoustic shows with the most intimate of them all on March 25th. We performed two two-hour sets at Teichert Gallery in downtown Halifax, both as a test of our endurance and as a testament to our commitment to playing shows that fully match our band ethos.
As visual artists, we both loved being in the room - and the building - with so many people’s creations. Teichert Gallery showcases local artists’ works both for sale and for rent (*ahem* film industry types). The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia entrance is located right across the hall. We were set up in front of a large scale abstract painting and our setup involved little more than two guitars and a music stand (plus Ryan’s amp), and we couldn’t have felt more at home.
Seated in front of us on cozy leather settees were a charming rotation of engaged, appreciative and respectful humans. We were met with warm smiles, gratitude, and best of all conversation with almost everyone in attendance. After a few songs, one person would offer some thoughtful words. We’d end up having chats in between sets of songs, just like the cafe shows, kitchen parties and coffee houses of yesteryear.
As a music lover, I’ve always adored watching performers deliver in intimate settings, opening up a dialogue with the room. Some of the earliest live performances I ever took in as a teenager were quiet, conversational acoustic gigs. I guess in all of my years of touring as a punk/rock act - in venues to loud to chat without shouting - I’ve missed that feeling.
As for the title of this post, that came from Joe, pictured above doing a sketch of us while we performed. This gentleman was happy to see us playing a Canadian-made guitar (Seagulls are beautiful and we are fortunate to have one). He mentioned that he plays guitar, too, but only knows a few chords. Something about “three chords and a capo,” he said.
Sometimes, that’s all we need.
UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS + ART MARKETS*:
Saturday, April 18 - Kentville, NS @ Valley Vintage Showcase*
Friday, May 1 - Truro, NS @ The Commune, 8pm Saturday, May 9 - Halifax, NS @ Dark Odd Artists, Halifax Forum*
Saturday, May 23 - West Dublin, NS @ West Dublin Hall with Pretty Alrights, 7pm
Friday July 3 - Sunday July 5 - Halifax Body Arts Convention*