The Duke Saloon - Victoria BC's Country Bar

BACKCOUNTRY FRIDAYS
2024-04-05 21:00 - 2024-04-06 02:00 (America/Vancouver) | The Duke Saloon, 502 Discovery Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 1G8, Canada
Backcountry Fridays
Featuring Whiskey Business
Every Friday
Doors: 9PM
Close: 2AM
Kickstart your weekend with a bang at Victoria’s favorite country bar. Whiskey Business will be taking the stage to bring you incredible live music all night long.
Happy Hour Hoedown: From 9PM to 10PM we will be offering $5.75 highballs, $5.75 Coors, and $5.75 Arizona!
In accordance with government regulations, we are required to review two pieces of valid identification upon entry. These pieces must be physical, not digital, and one of them must be a piece of government issued photo ID. We are members of the BarWatch Program.

NYE DOUBLE HEADER! JOJO MASON & WHISKEY BUSINESS
2023-12-31 21:00 - 2024-01-01 02:00
We’re honoured to have JOJO MASON grace our stage this year to help us celebrate NYE!
Get your tickets early, we’re going to ring in the New Year with a proper barn burner! Then we have your favorite resident band Whiskey Business to close things out!
In his six years since breaking into the Canadian Country music scene, multiple CCMA Award nominee JoJo Mason has been on a mission to find his own unique voice. The release of his newest EP “Sky Full of Stars” shows fans exactly what kind of artist he wants to be.
JoJo’s career thus far has seen many incredible highlights, including five Top 10 tracks, numerous notable national media appearances, and countless major festival and tour plays. Over the last two years JoJo performed on the 2020 & 2021 CCMA Awards broadcast, received a BCCMA award for Entertainer of the Year, and got the news that his single “Better On You” had earned CRIA Gold-certification.
Even with so many accolades to celebrate, some of the moments that mattered most to JoJo were the ones spent with his fans. Now, with the release of his newest single “Let Me Down Easy”, JoJo is looking forward to getting back on the road and making those memorable connections once again.
**These tickets are valid for express entry before 10pm & non refundable.

KYLE MCKEARNEY at THE DUKE SALOON
2023-12-08 19:00 - 21:30
Kyle McKearney is a Canadian country/Americana artist who gained recognition as one of Canada’s breakthrough independent artists in 2022. His creative journey started in 2020 when he settled in Alberta after spending time in Nashville and being part of various musical projects. Kyle began posting YouTube videos of himself performing cover songs, marking the beginning of a creative reinvention.
Two years later, Kyle’s debut solo album, “Down-Home,” received a Canadian Country Music Association award nomination for Alternative Country Album of the Year. He also earned two Western Canadian Music Award nominations, was named a SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalist, placed second in Alberta Music’s Project Wild, and shared stages with notable artists like The Black Crowes, Kip Moore, Our Lady Peace, and Dean Brody. His music has garnered over one million global streams.
Kyle continued to build on his momentum with new music releases, including singles like “Mercy,” “River Rain,” and “Grandfather,” which showcased his growth as a songwriter and his powerful voice. He collaborated with Juno Award-winning producer/guitarist/songwriter Russell Broom.
One of his latest singles, “Whispering Pines,” is a duet with his wife, Sarah, and has gained recognition in the current country music scene. The song reflects the challenges faced by families when one parent is working away from home, and the other takes care of things at home, capturing the emotions and struggles of such situations.
Kyle’s music is deeply rooted in his small-town upbringing in northern British Columbia and his family’s Metis heritage. He grew up listening to country and bluegrass, which ignited his passion for music. Despite exploring rock and pop in various projects, he returned to his country roots during the pandemic and found his true musical voice.
Kyle’s sound is a blend of country, blues, R&B, and rock ‘n’ roll, exemplifying the essence of the Americana genre—a genre known for its pure heart and soul. You can find more information about Kyle McKearney on his website at imkylemckearney.com and on social media platforms @imkylemckearney.

THE HEELS
2023-10-27 21:00 - 2023-10-28 00:00
Join us on Friday for an all ladies barn burner!

Collectively and individually, music and healing have always been inseparable for The Heels; part and parcel of their uniquely inspiring brand of Country pop, deep personal bonds, and something they put centre stage on their 2023 EP, Work of Heart.
Produced by BCCMA Award Winner Anthony Fiddler and underpinned by lush but perfectly balanced Solfeggio Frequencies (tones shown to positively impact people physically and mentally based on the Solfege scale created by 11th-century monk Guido D’Arezzo), it’s a rare piece of work. One that finds Bobbi Smith, Brittni Dominelli, and Kyla Rawlins expanding substantially on their signature sound and enhancing their message of hope and healing with a tight set of the most grounded and honest songs they’ve ever written.
Sonically, Work of Heart represents an intentional departure from The Heels’ previous work; a record that reflects the life changes and challenges the West Coast-based band experienced during the pandemic while deepening the impact of what’s drawn listeners to The Heels over time. Namely, their chill-inducing vocal performances, lyrics and hooks that are instantly relatable to anyone with a pulse and the good-natured, sometimes bold, and often sassy attitude the trio are so well known for.
“It’s a fuller, more resonant sounding record, which ties into the healing frequencies. But I think our ‘frequency’ as a band has shifted as well,” Kyla says, citing ‘I Am’ – the title track of their 2021 sophomore album. The first song they’d included healing frequencies in, and one that started getting substantial play in yoga and wellness sessions, and sowed the seeds for a recording that, for The Heels, from stem to stern, is truly a Work of Heart.
When Covid restrictions put the boots to their plan for a run of US shows, the band turned a negative into a positive and headed to a lakeside cabin in the Kootenays instead to write and regroup. “We weren’t planning to record a new EP, but creating is what we do best and we’re so happy we did,”
Bobbi says. Amid recording the album, Brittni also gave birth to her first child with her partner, Fiddler. “And, with Anthony and Brittni bringing this new person into the world,” Bobbi says, “we felt even more drawn to make the world a better place.”
Granted, themes of empowerment, self-care, and healing have always been the driving force behind the musical sisterhood they’ve formed, a natural byproduct of their high-energy live shows and the larger-than-life stage presence that’s earned them the title of ‘The Queens of Canadian Country Pop.’
With a shared love of country music, the three came together in a way that’s as organic as their music, at a North Vancouver café co-owned by Kyla, where Brittni worked behind the counter and Bobbi was a regular. With their mutual love of singing, one thing led to another, and they decided to join forces. The release of their debut 2017 album, Love, Heels, and lead single, ‘Come Around,’ propelled the band to prominence in Western Canada, leading to performances at festivals including the Calgary Stampede and Sunfest Country Music Festival, and garnering them six nominations at the 2018 B.C. Country Music Awards and two BCCMA Awards, including the Ray McAuley Horizon Award.
Confident in the strength of their vision and driven to consistently evolve as singers, songwriters, and performers, with ‘I Am,’ they expanded on their sound, taking inspiration from other fearless contemporary female artists such as Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, and Whitney Houston, and incorporating classic country, gospel and Motown styles into their music.
The album singles ‘Hush Money’ (which racked up over a million views on TikTok) and ‘Catch & Release’ (featuring Canadian country superstar Aaron Pritchett) fuelled their momentum, leading to widespread acclaim in Canada and, in 2022, the Josie Music Award for Best Country Trio – a show during which The Heels took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. Since The Heels have continued to tour widely in Canada and the United States, honing their chops as a standout live act, deepening their bond personally and creatively, and writing relentlessly.
On Work of Heart, inspired by sessions at the Kootenay Sound Healing Centre, the band took the ethic of offering healing and solace via their music further, inviting a sound healer from the facility to contribute to the recording. “We looked at each song, the emotions behind it, and then matched them that way. We explained what the songs were about and what the whole message of the album was.
Then the co-owner of the Centre recorded a gong healing/meditation session by one of their sound healers, and we determined which parts matched each song,” Bobbi says, “not only musically, but to enhance the topic of each song.”
They were also determined to expand on what they’ve done so beautifully before in terms of harmonies and worked with long-time friend and vocal coach Monique Lefevbre, to help them create even more dynamic and nuanced vocal arrangements.
The impact of those efforts is crystal clear on every track, and nowhere more so than on ‘Work of Heart,’ a song that speaks to the heart of their intentions with the EP, Brittni says: “That any negative can have a positive spin put on it so you can let that negativity go. That there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
It’s a sentiment they drive home on ‘Trust’ – a track aimed squarely at helping listeners deal with loss, fear, and guilt by encouraging them to foster connections with others to re-establish and repair relationships that may have been damaged in one way or another over time. That’s a thread they tease out even further with the standout, ‘Caught Up In The Good,’ a song that reads like a recipe for a better world. “Which, we hope,” Kyla says, “shows people how to get to that place by reminding them of all the good in the world.”
Doing so isn’t necessarily easy. It requires commitment, dedication, and the wherewithal to take the reins, figuratively and literally, with direct action. That’s something they take on with characteristic enthusiasm and humour on ‘John-Wayneing’ – a raucous, rollicking track that captures all the energy, attitude, and playfulness of The Heels’ high-octane live performances. Essentially, it’s a call to, “Grab your boots and go out and make a difference,” Bobbi says. “Speak up. Have those hard conversations.
The more you do, the more you’ll find people who feel the same.”
At the core, that’s the message of Work of Heart – when things get tough, even terrifying, you have to step up, face your fears down, and help others do the same.
Ultimately, as eminently hooky and radio-ready as all the tracks on Work of Heart are, “For us, this is about so much more than that,” Bobbi says.
“It’s about strength and empowerment,” Brittni puts in. “It’s about turning negatives into positives,” Kyla sums up, “which is, and has always been, the whole point of The Heels.

WiL LIVE at The Duke Saloon
2023-10-05 19:00 - 23:00
What happens when you combine a fiery, silver bearded frontman with mad acoustic guitar skills and a super skilled & chilled drummer? You get the Indie folk outfit known simply as WiL.

Not one for school, ‘Billy’s youth consisted of skateboarding and holing himself up listening to music; everything from the country twang of Chet Atkins to the raucous punk sound of The Sex Pistols but It wasn’t until 1998, after hearing the flagrant use of an overdrive pedal on an acoustic guitar in Neutral Milk Hotels ‘In an Aeroplane over the Sea’, that he really started refining and defining his sound and playing style, one that would capture the attention of label execs in 2003. Signing to EMI shortly after saw the re-release of his debut indie album Both Hands launching his career as a songwriter and touring musician yet it wasn’t until the release of an international tourism campaign by Travel Alberta that WiL’s music found a broader audience. His song ‘Roam’ instantly resonated with listeners across the globe and has become a standout signature track.

WiL is perhaps known best for performing with his long time drummer Keith Gallant but sometimes adds an accompanying musician when the occasion presents itself. Whether, duo, trio or more, WiL mesmerizes listeners with his unusual strumming technique while creating lush, fat and full acoustic guitar sounds that have become signature to the live experience’. It has taken the better part 20 years to get there and he’s still not done. Fastidious. Yes. Meticulous. Yes. A.D.D.?? Probably, but it’s precisely this that has landed him some pretty cool gigs. Standouts include opening for soul legend Mavis Staples, Canadian Indie darling, Feist and one of his music heroes, Ray LaMontagne.

WiL’s sixth studio album, ‘The Gold Mine’ is available to Stream/downloa

THE GOOD ONES TOUR - DAWSON GRAY
2023-09-29 21:00 - 2023-09-30 00:00
Since beginning his professional career in August of 2021, Dawson Gray has taken the Canadian music scene by storm. With an already impressive resume, Dawson has performed across 100 events, while covering over 75 different venues. At 24 years old, Dawson has generated significant buzz within the industry through his honest vocals, electric stage presence, and captivating song writing. Hailing from the coastal town of White Rock, BC, Dawson played high level baseball growing up. It wasn’t until his career was cut short in grade 12 due to an eye disorder, that he first picked up a guitar and began playing. Shortly thereafter, Dawson moved to Kelowna in 2017 to pursue a degree in business at UBCO. During his first few years at university, Dawson developed an affinity for Country and Folk music. Under the guidance of friend, and fellow professional musician, Ben Dunnill, Dawson quickly began to hone his singing and guitar abilities. However, it wasn’t until his 4th year of university that Dawson found his true talent in songwriting. Dawson’s writing incorporates his roots in Folk and Country Music, with gut wrenching storytelling, to create a truly unforgettable sound.

THE HAPPY COUGAR COLLECTIVE
2023-08-31 21:00 - 2023-09-01 01:00
The Happy Failure’s final show as we send Ash off to Czech! Additional face melting by Stray Cougar and Base Collective!

NINTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
2023-08-19 21:00 - 2023-08-20 02:00
The Duke Saloon’s Ninth Anniversary Party
Saturday, August 19th, 2023
9PM Doors

Featuring The County Line Performing Twain Wreck, Whiskey Business & The Tumblin’ Dice
19+

We’re excited to be celebrating The Duke Saloon’s Ninth Anniversary Party on Saturday, August 23rd. We can’t tell you how much fun it’s been serving you over the years. We’ve had so many incredible performers grace our stage and memorable events take place within our walls. We happily invite you to come raise a glass with us to celebrate all of these good times.

We’ll be running drink specials all night and have a couple incredible giveaways planned, including tickets and flights to the upcoming Morgan Wallen concert in Vancouver.

We’ll have a massive lineup taking the stage. We’ll be kicking things off with a Twain Wreck courtesy of The County Line followed by Whiskey Business and The Tumblin’ Dice. Don’t miss out on what promises to be a night for the record books.

We will NOT have advance tickets so make sure you get down early.

Straight from the hip's FINAL ACT - CANADA DAY July 1st
2023-07-01 20:00 - 22:30
