Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Duke Saloon is more than just a country bar

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Locals may know The Duke Saloon as Victoria’s resident country bar, but there’s a lot more to the place than you’d think.

The Duke is an urban re-creation of the kind of bar you’ll find scattered throughout rural North America. Instead of walking into a wild west standoff, when you enter The Duke, you’ll find a warm, inviting, and award-winning room design.

The Jim Beam Saloon Stage is at the centre of the spectacle. Once you step foot inside you will feel like you’ve been transported to the Calgary Stampede.

Expanding Their Musical Horizons

Although The Duke specializes in country music every Friday and Saturday night, it’s not the only thing the Saloon prides itself on.

Over the past year, The Duke’s musical horizons have been expanding.

They’ve booked hip-hop, punk rock, metal, and everything in between and continue to be a valuable asset to the Victoria music scene. This led to the creation of their popular hashtag #notjustacountrybar.

Below is a series of upcoming shows that folks of all musical tastes can enjoy. Some are foot-stompin’ country, while others hit the rest of the musical spectrum. Give them an opportunity to impress your eardrums – whatever your genre of music may be!

6 – Take Off Your Pants and Jacket Thursday, April 19th

Do you remember Big Shiny Tunes albums? Did you love them? A revolving show happening once every 6 to 8 weeks, which for some of us isn’t often enough to get our punk/alt rock fix. Featuring covers of all your favourites from the 90’s and 00’s: Blink 182, Green Day, Gob, Counting Crows, Creed, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth and the list just keeps going and going. Come take a trip down memory lane and have an old fashioned sing along.

5 – Rotten Little Kings “The Early Show” Friday, April 13th

Rotten Little Kings are a local 4 piece original band turning out high energy dancefloor packing Road House Boogie Woogie music. What is a Road House Boogie Woogie you say? Well, you take a heap of Rock n Roll, add some Texas Blues and a dash of twangy Country and you get a mix potent enough to blow the roof off any venue from here to Nashville. 2017 saw “ LK” become winners of the first annual The Duke’s Dust Up, Battle of the Bands. “The Early Show” is a series of shows that aren’t country that perform between 8PM and 10:30 PM before they transition in to a country music venue on Friday nights. This gives us a chance to show off both types of music and have the clientele cross over and enjoy something we might all otherwise never get to witness.

4 – Dan Challis “The Early Show” Friday, May 4th

Australian songwriter Dan Challis shares his story through unfiltered moments; exploring the light, the shade, and the roughness of being to the rustic sounds of classic folk. Rich with punchy, understated folk hooks and see-sawing textures of outlaw country, Dan’s songs have a vulnerability and rawness that have seen him riding local airwaves in his hometown of Brisbane and earned him a following in dive-bars across New York City since hitting the Big Apple in 2015. Dan now lives in Vancouver and is slowly establishing himself as a songwriter in Canada. Come check him out and support and up-and-coming act!

3 – Eliminator “The Early Show” Friday May 18th

Victoria’s very own ZZ Top cover band. Lonnie Glass takes the lead as the “Sharp Dressed Man” covering every ZZ Top you could possible want to hear. If you aren’t familiar with Lonnie and his musical stylings this is a show you definitely should not miss.

2 – Friends in Low Places: A Garth Brooks Tribute Sunday, May 18th

If you haven’t heard of Garth Brooks you must have been living under a rock for the last 25 years or so. This is what The Duke does best; just country music all night long. Wayne from Montgomery County is Garth Brooks, wearing the same hat, wrangler shirts, and he even sings with the same wireless microphone headset. Wayne will be out on the dance floor playing side by side with you while you are two-stepping the night away. Come down and help Montgomery County celebrate their recent record label signing which has them splitting their time between Victoria and Nashville recording their future album. This is another recurring event happening on long weekend Sundays, country on!

1 – Twain Wreck: Canada Day Edition Saturday, July 1st

The Duke’s first and most successful recurring theme night. Megan Johns from The County Line covers Shania Twain all night like no one you’ve ever heard before. The County Line is a Canadian Country Music Award nominated band who are all born and raised right here in Victoria. Being part of the rotating house bands The Duke showcases since their beginning in 2014; the band has come a long way and is chasing their dream of reaching the top of the country music scene. Come help support their dream while supporting the birthday of everyone’s favourite country.

The Duke has been a part of the great Victoria music scene over the last 4 years, and invites you to join them and spread the world about Victoria’s fastest growing live music venue. Don’t forget to check them out during Rifflandia, follow them on Facebook, or take a look at their website for constant updates on events!

They excel and specialize in awesome private events, offering anything from awards ceremonies, birthday parties, to work function. Their sister company, Frontier Food, also provides excellent catering for any party – no matter how small or large.

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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