Family Matters:
Performing INSIGHT
P
by Benjamin Nunnally
lenty of bands are built on friendships, but for local three-piece A Quarter Short, the connection goes deeper
than that.
Gillian McCary plays fiddle for the band; her
father, Joe, works with guitars and more, and
their surrogate sister/daughter, Megan Parris,
sings lead vocals and provides guitar accompaniment. As the three talk, the family connections are clear. Joe beams at stories the
girls tell about their childhood, chiming in
with the Dad Version of their history. Gillian
claims Parris as her own — “Other Megans are
not mine; this one is mine” — and Parris has
stories about Joe teaching her songs before
performances.
“We’ve become a little family,” said Parris.
“Gillian always says we’re family, that family
doesn’t end in blood.”
That familial vibe explains some of their diverse setlist, as the trio tell of Chuck Berry
covers mixed with Pearl Jam tunes, Live’s
“Lightning Crashes” set beside the Beatles,
many of the songs specifically attributed to a
family member or special event that the song
recalls, favorites played for mothers and others in memory of lost friends.
It’s no surprise that becoming a band was a
matter of time rather than anything, with all
three having known each other for years prior.
All three had picked up positions as camera
operators at TV 24 for a bluegrass show, “Pickin’ and Grinnin’ with Distant Cousins,” while
the girls were still in high school. During the
downtime between shooting segments, the
three would step into the hall, break out their
instruments and form an impromptu jam
band. Eventually the show’s hosts decided to
put them on the air.
May 2015
INSIGHT