Bluesman Dwayne Dueck hosts the city’s top songwriters every week at Mikey’s

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Shortly after moving to Calgary, Dwayne Dueck found an effective way to immerse himself in the city’s music scene.

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The veteran blues and roots singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has spent decades on the Winnipeg music scene, began hosting Thursday night showcases at Mikey’s on the 12th.

Dueck was approached by Mikey’s owner and fellow bluesman Mike Clark to take over the Thursday night slot at the popular concert hall, where he’s joined by a different songwriter each week.

“He thought it would give me a chance to get to know a local band since there’s a different one every week,” says Dueck. “And it worked. It was awesome. If you want to get to know someone, there’s nothing like getting on stage and making music. I haven’t had a guest yet that wasn’t fun.

It’s not a new format, of course. Carter Felker does the same on Sunday mornings at King Eddy. But the song-swap presentation provides a relaxed and intimate evening.

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While Dueck may be meeting some of these songwriters for the first time, the showcases allow music-tuned fans to see some of the best in town let loose with impromptu sets. Thursday night regulars can not only see Dueck perform his assured originals and a well-curated selection of blues standards and other covers, but also hear his guests deliver some surefire gems. Over the past few weeks, this has included Tom Phillips’ expert rendition of Hank Williams’ Cold, Cold Heart, Justine Vandergrift’s soulful run through Tom Waits’ Long Way Home, Tim Leacock’s upbeat take on the favorite of Charley Pride / Texas Tornados Is Anybody Are you going to San Antone? and Brooke Wylie singing Orphan Girl by Gillian Welch.

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“They call it a singer-songwriter night, but I treat it like there are no rules. Let’s just play some music,” Dueck says. If you want to do a cover, great.

Dueck grew up in southern Manitoba in the predominantly Mennonite communities of Winkler and Morden. It was a house of music. His father played the guitar and had a large collection of country music records. The family sang gospel and church music.

“Lots of harmonies and stuff,” he says. “When I was a kid, I was just fascinated by it. When I started, I was, I don’t know, maybe 10 years old. I started taking the guitar a little more seriously when When I became a teenager and discovered girls, I realized that I could attract more attention with my guitar than with a hockey stick.

One day in high school, Dueck was in the smoking area when he heard music coming from a car stereo. It was Stevie Ray Vaughn. “It was the first time I heard something like that in my life,” he says. “It literally changed my life.”

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In 1989, 20-year-old Dueck began playing guitar for Canadian blues icon Big Dave McLean.

“He had an amazing record collection,” he says. “And there’s another guy in Winnipeg called Gord Kidder, he was a harmonica player. I spent afternoons at their house drinking coffee and listening to records. That’s where I discovered Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy. These guys were hardcore. That’s all they listened to. They lived it. Being young like that, you fall into all that. I used to walk around in a black suit with a tie and shiny shoes and slicked back hair, just trying to be the blues guy. It was cool, just a great education.

All those miles on the road with Big Dave and other blues musicians have allowed Dueck to develop an intuitive and well-rehearsed style on the guitar, which he often uses to accompany his Thursday night guest, whatever the genre he plays. .

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“I love playing in front of people,” he says. “A guy looks at me and says, ‘This song is in A and goes to this chord.’ I just say “Play it. I find it exciting and I’m not afraid to make mistakes. If I hit a bad note, keep plugging in. I think all musicians can relate to that. A real musician is someone who is not afraid to make mistakes.

The Singer-Songwriter Series with Dwayne Dueck is every Thursday at Mikey’s 12-7 p.m. Upcoming guests include Richard Inman (March 10), Patrick Alexander and Frank McShane (March 17), Tim Williams (March 24), Jay Bowcott (March 31), Ben Sures (April 7), Steve Pineo (April 14.)