Rainbow Girls come to Vashon for an intimate show

The Californian folk trio meld love, self-reflection and social justice into their music.

Rainbow Girls, a folk trio from California, will play a show at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 27, at Snapdragon Bakery & Café’s new Black Cat Cabaret.

The show, presented by islander Debra Heesch, is a return to Vashon for the trio. They recently received a warm reception on the island when they opened for The Shook Twins, also presented by Heesch. She said it is rare for Rainbow Girls to play in such a small venue such as Snapdragon and urges islanders to attend the intimate concert.

Comprised of three musical talents — Vanessa May, Erin Chapin and Caitlin Gowdey — Rainbow Girls are known for shows that meld soulful harmonies, layered instrumentals and lyrical content with subject matter ranging from love, self-reflection and social justice. Their instruments and techniques include slide guitar, keys, upright bass, harmonica and beat-boxing and mouth trumpet.

Their latest album, “American Dream,” was released in 2017.

Explaining the ideas and themes behind the album, band member Chapin wrote about the group’s concepts in the music publication POP Matters.

“The idea of the American dream is this paradise that you achieve after you reach some sort of finish line,” Chapin said. “But what we’re learning is that you need to find the paradise in the small moments, and find the ‘dream’ in your everyday truth.”

Originally formed in Santa Barbara, California, in 2010, Rainbow Girls have performed internationally, from busking on the streets of Europe to playing pubs and theaters in the United Kingdom, to house concerts, festivals and shows in the United States. They have also burnished their reputation on National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk concert series and KQED’s “The California Report.” They’ve played alongside the likes of Hot Buttered Rum, The Brothers Comatose, ALO and John Craigie.

Tickets to the show, $15, are still available online.