I’d heard of the Duhks before and mentally filed them away under neo-bluegrass, but then I heard their cover of the spiritual “Mighty Storm.” The funky drum beat and the soulful voice of Sarah Dugas made me sit up and pay attention right quick. But that powerful song is just the tip of the iceberg for this eclectic band—and their performance last night at Kirk Avenue Music Hall in Roanoke underscored that in a big way.

The crowd skewed older—perhaps due to it being a Tuesday night—and between that and the dinner theater seating I thought it might be a snooze-fest. Not really knowing what I was getting into, I made the assumption that the live show would build up to “Mighty Storm” and that I’d basically be waiting patiently through the rest.

But the group from Winnipeg, Manitoba, (that’s Canada, eh?) came on strong with the very first tune and never let up. By the third song, two audience members took to the side stage to dance and it wasn’t long before people were clearing out the tables to create a dance floor. They sang in French, English, and Portuguese, played songs influenced by Cajun music, Appalachian culture, others by Celtic jigs, and still others in blues and cabaret styles. The encore was a medley based on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

Amazingly, none of the five came off as more talented than the others. All five are excellent singers. Banjo player Leonard Podolak (who rather resembles comedian Steven Wright) is the band’s funnyman and probably the glue. Tania Elizabeth plays the meanest fiddle I’ve heard in recent memory, while Jordan McConnell somehow managed not to break any guitar strings with his power-playing on the acoustic. Sarah’s brother Christian wailed away on the drums. The Dugas siblings showed off the versatility that comes from growing up in a musical family. And honestly, Sarah’s pipes can out-soul Amy Winehouse’s any day of the week.

Another notable tidbit about this amazingly talented band is that they’re attempting to tour in the most environmentally sound way they can. Check out the site www.greenduhks.com for more information and videos about their Sustainability Project.

So ultimately if you like bands who find a sound and stick with it, you’re not going to be comfortable with the Duhks. But if you want to be blown away track after track, I suggest you get a copy of their latest CD, Fast Paced World, the first full album with this new lineup. You can also catch them live in the New River Valley when they return for a Friday night performance at Floydfest at the end of July. I’ll see you there!

Taryn Chase is a sucker for the Celtic fiddle and took six whole lessons.