Prince Albert duo Cupid’s Heart kicked off their Prince II Prince Tour with a special show at Spice Trail on Saturday evening.
The duo of cellist Stacey Dunn and guitarist Emma Jean will travel from Prince Albert to Prince George over the next two weeks, playing multiple shows along the way.
“It got started when we played Napatak Ramble this past summer,” Jean explained. “We met Danny (Bell) from Mad Loon (Entertainment), he does a bit of show organizing over in Prince George, (and) there was a bit of a connection there with Britt AM who is another one of the artists that we will be playing with.”
While Jean and Dunn liked the idea of a tour, it wasn’t until they were booked to play the SkirtsAfire Festival in Edmonton that things really took off.
“Playing a show that was a bit further from Prince Albert, further from our main city that we usually play, it just gave us an opportunity to be like, ‘hey Stacey, what do you think about doing a few more shows since we are already over there?’” Jean said.
Dunn said that it would be a great way to get their music out there.
“Obviously going anywhere out of province just helps get more exposure, (and) delivers (the music) to new audiences,” she said.
The tour was made possible by a Sask Arts microgrant. Jean and Dunn said the tour wouldn’t be possible without them.
“If you look at the price of gas it can just shoot through at any second, so we are super grateful to have received that,” Dunn said. “(It) will definitely help add a level of security to the tour and we are really thankful for that.”
The show was scheduled for an early start on Saturday because of Voices of the North being on the same evening. Music lovers packed the Spice Trail to hear Cupid’s Heart, along with Prince Albert arts mainstay Kayanna Wertz, who opened the show with her new musical project ‘kay’ and received an encore call from the crowd.
“I think that kay has mentioned that they are trying out some new music on the crowd as well,” Jean said. “That’s also really exciting. We are excited to be a part of that.”
Cupid’s Heart recently released their first single at the Rock Trout in Prince Albert. This tour will help build momentum off of that event, and they are extremely excited to get going.
“Playing with other bands that we have lined up is a really exciting part of it for us,” Dunn said. “The people factor is always a big part of why we love doing live shows. We have kind of given priority just (to) moving around and seeing other communities, playing in other communities, meeting other people and making connections. You never know exactly where it is leading, but these things tend to lead somewhere and you never know who is in the crowd. It’s just a really good time.”
The band decided to kick their tour off at the Spice Trail because the pair frequent the restaurant and are quite comfortable with the ownership.
“She had approached us and said that she would really like to bring live music into the lounge area and we were all for it,” Dunn said.
Jean said it was nice to add another venue for live music in Prince Albert.
“We are excited to see how a space like that can act as a live music venue, and I think it will be really nice to have something the size of it,” Jean added. “It really opens itself up to more intimate shows and to artists that are getting started. I think that it could be a really great space.”
Clay Cottingham ran the soundboard for the evening. Cottingham is another artist bringing more music to the venue. He runs a punk and metal night there.
“I hope that we can all enjoy it together and that it goes really well so that the Spice Trail will want to continue to have that sort of thing there,” Jean said prior to Sunday’s show. “I think it is going to be a really fun lively night and really special for us.”
The tour will stop in Edmonton with opening act Selfish Bodies at the Naked Cyber Cafe on Feb. 22. On Feb. 23, they play at the Stand Easy in Jasper with Ostella. On Feb. 24 the tour stops in Quesnel, B.C. at the Barkerville Brewery, on Feb. 25 the tour is in Prince George with Britt AM at Omineca, on Feb. 25 the band is in Wells, B.C. at the Wells Hotel, on Feb. 28 they are at the Overlander Pub in Williams Lake, on March 2 they are at the Last Drop Pub in Revelstoke and on March 4 they are at the SkirtsAfire Festival in Edmonton.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
