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Union Duke
with Jerry Leger and Gavin Gardiner
$15 advance
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Band Details
From the Promoter
Advance tickets also available at Rotate This, Soundscapes & The Horseshoe front bar
UNION DUKE
Union Duke is a Toronto folk act that bridges big-city rock with bluegrass and country, defined by their entwining rambling banjos, soaring vocal harmonies, chicken-pickin' electric guitars and a fast driving, heel-stomping beat.
The three original members, Matt, Ethan, and Jim, were drawn together by their teenage hooliganism, skipping class to play music on battered instruments in an old workshop basement. It wasn't long before they were sneaking into bars around the Toronto circuit to play shows at the age of 13. They picked up Will and Rob, natives of Port Hope and Red Deer respectively, and since then their rough and rowdy dynamic has continued to thrive, on and off the stage.
Union Duke has played alongside Elliot Brood and have a number of festivals under their belt including Mariposa Folk Festival, NXNE, Burlington Sound of Music, Lupercalia, Halifax Urban Folk Festival, Bloor Ossington Folk Festival, Fred Eaglesmith Picnic, and Pitter-Patter. Since then, they have been working hard on their latest album. Recorded in a shotgun shack secluded on the shores of Lake Ontario, Bandits & Bridges captures the voracious energy and unrefined, unrestrained performance that encompasses their live show.
Union Duke are five guys, 24 beers, and a half-ton truckload of foot stomping folk rock.
JERRY LEGER
At heart, Canadian singer-songwriter Jerry Leger is driven by a quest to convey in his own manner the purity embedded in the grooves of the vintage rock, country and blues recordings he so dearly loves. This trait attracted support from fellow singer/songwriters like Ron Sexsmith and his staunchest ally, producer and label head Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, who signed Jerry to his label, Latent Recordings/Warner Music Canada in 2013. He has been called “one of Canada’s best” by Exclaim, a “gifted storyteller” by The Toronto Star and "One of the best Canadian songwriters" by Rolling Stone. His latest release, the Polaris longer listed Nonsense and Heartache is a 2-record set showcasing the two major musical sides of him. The idea was spearheaded by Timmins with Nonsense displaying Leger’s rock ‘n’ roll and bluesy grit while Heartache is a more folk-roots-melodic expression.
"One of the best songwriters I've heard in quite some time." - Ron Sexsmith
GAVIN GARDINER
Canadian mastering engineer, musician and songwriter. Currently works at The Lacquer Channel.