The West Kortright Centre is presenting their last concert of the 2013 season, The Duhks (on a triumphant reunion tour) on Saturday, November 2, at 7pm. The concert is sponsored by Courtney Funeral Home, Walton, NY. This roots band from Canada has reunited after a three-year semi-hiatus and for the first time since 2007 as the original Grammy-nominated lineup of lead vocalist Jessee Havey, fiddler Tania Elizabeth, guitarist Jordan McConnell, percussionist Scott Senior, and banjo player Leonard Podolak. The group is doing limited tour dates and recording again, so the 2013 West Kortright Centre season is closing a bit late this year. It will be a rare opportunity to hear the group unplugged in an intimate acoustic setting.
The Duhks (say “Ducks”) was founded in 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band members boast a diverse collection of musical influences, including old-time, jazz, Celtic folk, and even punk, and they blend these disparate genres into an irresistible sound that simultaneously feels both traditional and modern. That sound—found on four stunning studio albums—captured the hearts of a huge fan base and has received extensive critical acclaim. The Duhks’ 2005 self-titled record won the Best Roots & Traditional Album Juno Award, and, in 2007, they were nominated for a Grammy in the Best Country Performance category.
Earlier in their career, the band spent up to ten months each year touring, a punishing pace that led to what Podolak wryly refers to as “a series of Spinal Tap-esque obstacles” and a band-wide case of burnout. All five members went their separate ways in 2010, pursuing other projects that ranged from luthiery (McConnell quite literally knows his guitars inside and out) to theater. (And Tania Elizabeth toured and recorded Mary Gauthier’s newest album with her.) They’d come together for the occasional show, though, and have such a great time performing with one another that calling an end to their hiatus seemed only natural.
After their time apart, The Duhks are approaching their music with a renewed energy and passion and whereas some bands might be content to trot out their old favorites for festivals, all five members agreed that new music would be an essential element of their reunion. The band released an EP this spring, to be followed by the release of their fifth full-length studio album later in the year.
With the explosion of the neo-folk scene and the increasing popularity of bands like The Avett Brothers, The Duhks are excited to be returning to stage and studio and sharing their sound with their extensive fan base. “The way folks reacted to our music is a big honor, and sharing stages with our heroes isn’t something we take lightly,” Podolak says. “But we’re not going to be that 200-gig-a-year band anymore. This is a way to honor and continue something we’ve been doing for a long time, but now in a healthy, more sustainable way so we can enjoy it as much as the fans do.”
Tickets for this concert are $28, $25 (WKC Members) and $11 under 19. For more information, call (607) 278-5454, or visit www.westkc.org.
The West Kortright Centre is located midway between Oneonta, Delhi, and Stamford. Follow signs from state Route 23 in Davenport Center or state Route 10 east of Delhi. For exact travel directions, visit www.westkc.org.
2013 West Kortright Centre arts and community programs are funded in part by our Members, contributors to the 2013 Program Fund Drive and to the Nancy Fales Garrett Workshop Scholarship Fund, by the Bert Santora Trust, and by grants from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and from the O’Connor, Robinson-Broadhurst, and Dewar foundations.
