You can see the popular musical group’s fun, heartwarming act at the Fifty -Five Plus Lifestyle Show September 27 and 28.
By Jennifer Hartley,
Dueling Pianos. Sounds like a competitive sport that might involve some bloodletting. But if you are a fan of live music, you might know Dueling Pianos is a popular, entertaining group that has been wowing fans for over 22 years.
Dueling? Nothing could be further from the truth. This fun-loving trio—Dave Kalil, Tyler Kealey and Todd Huckabone—is more like family, but without the bickering and dueling.
Dave Kalil is no stranger to the stage. He has been playing Ottawa’s music scene since the 70s and eventually became known as Ottawa’s Piano Man. Fat Tuesdays opened in the ByWard Market in 2002 and its owners had seen the dueling pianos concept in the United States and wanted to bring it to Canada’s capital city.
“But they only had me,” he explains. “So, we put out an ad for a second player. After 12 horrible auditions I was out of my mind. I mean they were so bad … and in walked this kid. Tyler was 21 at the time and he blew us away. He tells the story of how grumpy I was—and I was—but we clicked immediately.”
Add in Todd, the guitar player Dave had already been playing with in a band for a couple of years, and voilà, Ottawa’s Dueling Pianos was born. Every Saturday from 2002 until 2015 the trio regaled audiences of all ages, from 20-year-olds to septuagenarians, at Fat Tuesdays into the wee hours of the morning. And what an incredible journey it was. “Playing there, with Todd and Tyler, changed me as a performer,” Dave says. “I learned how to just `let it go’ and to not be afraid to make mistakes. My vocal range increased a couple of notes, I believe, from the adrenaline that flowed in that place.”
In all that time together, they have never rehearsed. They go with the flow and play on the fly. Everything is impromptu.
So, in essence, it is like improv for music? “Yes, exactly,” Dave affirms. “The spontaneity is what makes it so good. Our personalities also gel so well together. We give 100 per cent every night. There is no slacking off . It is always about the audience and the show. It is really fun. Th e chemistry among us is amazing.”
Todd Huckabone agrees. “I’ve played in many situations with many musicians over the last 30-plus years, but it takes something special to last as long as Dueling Pianos has. People who see us are drawn in by the fun we have on stage as much or more than the music. It’s infectious, real and unscripted. We just honestly enjoy each other’s company and we mesh musically too.”
Just how many songs do they know? They are not sure, but somewhere near 500. Their repertoire includes everything from the Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John and the Eagles to Led Zeppelin, Eminem, 1950s music and TV theme songs. As Todd says, “We are a fun, interactive show for all age groups. Bring your toddler! Bring your mom!”
Another impressive thing about these three is they don’t use sheet music. “We just play and sing songs and chat in between,” Dave explains. “And we make jokes; we laugh a lot. We have such a good time on stage it rubs off on the audience. We can ease into the show or ramp it up quickly. Feeling that audience is a talent we have.”
Spontaneity is the defining word for the Dueling Pianos. If people want to dance, they can or they can sing or just listen.
Who are the performers in the Dueling Pianos?
All three band members come from a musical background. Dave says, “My family was musical, but I actually went to Queen’s to become a doctor. I rented a piano and started jamming. I knew I could sing. I auditioned in Kingston and that was that. I was 21 and I have been playing for 48 years.” His other love is golf. He is an award winning PGA golf instructor at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, the championship course that’s ranked among the top 100 in Canada.
Tyler and Todd started playing professionally early in life. Todd grew up in a musical family and played with his dad in bars. He has been a working musician for 40 years.
Tyler is also a full-time musician, as well as a busy father of two young kids. He trusted his music-making friends to do the interview, a testament to their friendship. “Dangerous, right?” Dave jokes, adding, “Seriously, he is great writer, recording artist and super talented musician.”
And then there was COVID
When the pandemic hit, the band’s three gigs per week dropped to nothing.
Dave, on a whim, started a Facebook Live show. “Take a Break started from my living room where I was playing into my iPad once or twice a week, just jamming to entertain people. It had an organic growth and a community came out of it. Th is guy came to me and said `I will give you a $1 a head for every person who follows the show online.’ I had $100 and then he gave $100, and we decided to start raising money for local charities. In 88 shows, we raised $205,000, all from playing music into an iPad. It was so much fun and so rewarding. People felt part of a community and they wanted to help out.”
Dave was honoured with the Mayor’s Community Builder Award for his efforts.
As for the Dueling Pianos? During the pandemic the trio didn’t play together at all.
Todd produced some music in his studio, including songs for both Dave and Tyler, who wrote a great song about COVID called Silver Linings. “But the ping pong of open/closed government regulations had me dust off my journalism degree, take a technical writing course from U of Waterloo and land a med-tech job which I still have today,” he reveals. “Doing both now can be a little challenging, but manageable. The forced break taught me that not playing with other people isn’t an option. Honestly, I was pretty miserable during that whole mess.”
Thankfully, that mess ended. “Then we came back and it was like no time had passed,” Dave mentions. “We didn’t even miss a note.” The band’s format has changed a bit since COVID. There is a dinner/concert every Tuesday night at The Marshes, but the show doesn’t go on until 2 a.m. “We call it quits at 10 or 11,” says Dave. “It is a lot easier on the body. I am 69 now. The others are in their 40s and 50s.”
Todd says the group feels a kinship to its audience. “It has been pretty cool to be ‘in it together’ through the changes in our own lives as well as observing the changes in our audience in many cases. We’ve played countless first dates and then weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties for these same people. It’s pretty special to have that kind of connection with an audience. Definitely not typical for a cover band in my experience.”
“We like to get to know the audience,” Dave explains. “I venture to call them friends. In fact, between sets, we chill with them. We sit down with people and talk to them.”
The audience over the years has included a prime minister, Wayne Gretzky, Charles Barkley, Dennis Hull and Catriona Le May Doan. “We have played some fun events.” And today, sometimes Terry Matthews shows up at The Marshes for a show.
Any favourite music?
“We don’t really care about ourselves. It is all about the audience. We love playing things in harmony. We never have a plan. We get on stage, we ask ourselves what we want to start with that night and we just go.”
After more than two decades of playing together, they are close. “Our personalities mesh, our voices mesh,” says Dave. “We really listen to each other so well. You would thing two pianos going together would be clashing but we listen and we complement each other.”
Anyone attending a show can expect to hear great music, played well. “Most of all, we want you to leave feeling really good,” Dave notes. “Escape from life for about three hours.” You will. The Dueling Pianos are headlining the Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show September 27 and 28 at the EY Centre on Uplands Drive. Don’t miss it. duelingpianosottawa.ca
