'A good time to be a country bar': The Duke celebrates 10 years of fun

THE DUKE DECADE BLOCK PARTY

Where: The Duke Saloon, 502 Discovery St.
When: Saturday, Aug. 24, 4 p.m.
Tickets: $45 from eventbrite.ca

The idea of an authentic country bar in Victoria, situated in a rough-hewn industrial area, with live music as its foundation, was not considered a recipe for success 10 years ago.

Not by a long shot.

But despite the odds, The Duke Saloon has become one of the city’s big success stories, where arts and culture is concerned. Since opening its doors on Aug. 22, 2014, the brick-lined nightclub located at 502 Discovery St. has disproven doubters in a big way. Now considered one of the top nightlife spots in Victoria, The Duke is celebrating its 10th anniversary Saturday with an outdoor block-party on Discovery Street featuring live performances by St. Albert, Alberta’s Hailey Benedict, Penticton’s Hillside Outlaws, and Victoria’s Pony Gold, among others.

A decade after opening, business is still booming, according to general manager Johann Vincent. Having some of the biggest stars in music today — from Luke Combs to Post Malone — coming from the country genre doesn’t hurt, either. “It feels like The Duke is the most popular it’s ever been,” Vincent said. “With country getting on a rocketship in terms of is popularity, it’s a good time to be a country bar.”

The roots of the venue outfitted with barn doors and a rusted steel sign began with founder Joel Friesen, who cut his country teeth promoting theme-night events at Upstairs Cabaret in 2009. By 2012, Friesen had grown his monthly Gone Country showcases into one of the city’s major draws, prompting him to open The Duke two years later. Big Bad John’s is a country-flavour mainstay in Victoria, but live music is rarely performed there. That is why a brief run of success was predicted for Friesen and his owners, given that the same venue had previously housed a succession of nightclubs, with names like Rehab and Evolution.

But everything coalesced immediately, Friesen remembered.

“I had blind faith that something I was passionate about and believed in could serve Victoria and the Island,” Friesen said. “I knew people would show, and thought I would have a short run [of success] at the very least. But it just kind of stayed busy, and continued to grow.”

The designated heritage property which houses The Duke has a unique place in Victoria history. Francis Rattenbury designed it, and it was built in 1901 to house the National Electrical Tramways & Lighting Co., which went on to became a central hub of Victoria’s streetcar system. Today, the slogan on the outside of the bar situated at the corner of Discovery and Store streets reads: “Beer. Bourbon. Bands.”

Friesen left the operation in 2017, long after The Duke had ensconced itself a go-to source of entertainment for country music fans. And with the crowning of Lake Cowichan’s Sunfest country music festival as the biggest live music event on Vancouver Island, and one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the province, Vincent doesn’t see support for The Duke wavering any time soon.

“It’s kind of like the peoples’ bar, even though it’s a country bar,” he said. “All walks of life come through that place. It’s just a friendly environment. It’s contagious, because it’s just so much fun.”

[email protected]