REVIEW: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards @ Davis Concert Hall (January 21st 2023)

For those not in the know, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards are an independent folk-pop group that call upon Celtic and Americana stylings to create rich and beautiful harmonies, combining various eclectic elements into a coherent and unique sound. Laura is a talented individual who has been fiddling and plucking strings since her childhood, and has been touring both solo and in groups since the early 2000s. As a true testament to how impactful she has been in the indie folk scene, Laura is even a co-founder of the Boston Celtic Music Festival, which began in 2003.

photo: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, from the group’s website

During their recent tour through Alaska, Laura and her eponymous Dance Cards made a stop in Fairbanks where they performed at the Davis Concert Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. Thanks to the Fairbanks Concert Association, KSUA 91.5 staff members were able to attend the concert and see Laura & The Dance Cards live. There were approximately two hours of songs, with a small intermission in the middle where attendants could buy merch and or write on postcards that the band would ship free of charge. Afterward, members of the band casually stuck around in the UAF Fine Arts Complex lobby, speaking with fans and signing merchandise.

Laura and her crew had a very natural connection to the audience. Between every two to three songs, they would address listeners directly and converse with them. These quick conversations were lively and had a personal feeling to them, with topics ranging from how the band’s flight was canceled and they nearly didn’t make it on time, Laura’s vacationing protocol during the winter, and the creative process behind some of the songs performed over the night. On the note of their flight cancellation, the band had actually ended up driving all the way out to another airport two hours away just so they wouldn’t have to cancel the show. This wasn’t the end of it though, as this second airport delayed their flight, with the band opting to drive instead. Because of this, the band ended up earning only two hours of sleep before performing. This did not stop them from gracefully performing with consistency and a confident energy, which is a great example of how they’ve mastered their craft.

It was an all-around wonderful experience between the dynamic lighting that changed to match the mood of songs, each member of the band’s lively and conversational energy in spite of their sleeplessness, the soothing vocals, and elegant string instrumentation. The moments after the concert were also wonderful. While Laura’s long history and importance in the folk scene may make one feel a bit intimidated approaching her, they shouldn’t feel that way. Laura and her band members were welcoming, friendly, and unpretentious during merchandise signing, and showed genuine appreciation for what people had to say to them. The way they freely walked the building lobby and conversed with many admiring fans was heartwarming, and their ability to give such a crowd of admirers equal attention is very admirable.

photo: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards’ 2020 album, Bitter Better

A few days later, I still find myself humming the melodies of many of the songs I heard that night, especially the Dreaming and From The Ashes… tracks from the band’s 2020 album, Bitter Better, which has found its way into my rotation despite being a punky metalhead at heart. Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards are a class act and have a beautiful sound to them, and I hope to one day see them return to perform in Fairbanks once more.

KSUA 91.5FM would once again like to thank the Fairbanks Concert Association for alerting us about the concert and for providing us with admission tickets.

–Production Director Moody