The Kruger Brothers are back in Kitchener with their unique brand of acoustic music, ready to take the stage at the Registry Theatre on Saturday night.
Joel Landsberg, vocalist and bass player for the group, says he and the band love coming up to Canada from their Wilkesboro, North Carolina base to play their music for audiences. He says that every show is unique, and played straight to the crowd.
“Every Kruger Brothers show is a challenge because they are all a little bit different. We always gear our shows to the mood of the audience, the mood of the day and how people are feeling. We have such an incredibly huge repertoire that it isn’t ever the same show twice,” he said while packing up to come north of the border. “We are playing in Owen Sound on Thursday, we are in Toronto on Friday, and then Kitchener on Saturday.”
Landsberg, joined by the band’s namesake, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger, says he can’t really put a label on their brand of music. The group takes a little bit of everything to create their one-of-a-kind sound.
“What we do is a new acoustic music, which is a blend of classical, with folk influences, with bluegrass influences, with blues influences, with rock. We are children of the 60s so we grew up in the rock and roll era, but we also lived through the folk times too,” he said. “Originally, I am from New York City, so I have the whole folk scene in there. It is tough to pigeon hole exactly a style of music that we play. We just like to say that we play nice music for nice people.”
Their unique mix of influences has always been welcome in the Kitchener area, says Landsberg. The group has a strong connection to Canada, having received White Hats in Calgary, and commissioned to write a song for the Banff Centre for the Arts called Spirit of the Rockies, which they will be taking on an international tour.
“We have been to Kitchener a few times before to sold-out houses. We are looking forward to another great evening there. We have a tremendous fan base in Ontario, and we absolutely love them. We have been coming up to Canada for the last ten years or more, at least once a year, mostly in Ontario. We just have a great admiration and deep respect for Canada,” he said. “When we are in Kitchener, we have a plethora of friends there and people that we have made deep contacts with over the last several years. We just hope that we will have a wonderful evening of great music, camaraderie and community.”
Landsberg wants audiences to feel as though they have taken a break from the stresses of life while they are playing their music. That is just what they hope to do for those who have tickets to their Registry Theatre show this weekend.
“We hope that they come to spend a beautiful and relaxed and contemplative evening of music with us. We always try to give folks a break from the day-to-day,” he said. “You don’t come to a show to watch musicians on stage showing off, or watching them practice. You come to be entertained and enlightened and moved and that is what we try to do in all of our shows.”
The band takes the stage for an 8 p.m. start Mar. 19 at the Registry Theatre on Frederick Street in Kitchener. Tickets are $35, and can be purchased at the door if any are available, by calling 519-578-1570 or online at www.registrytheatre.com.
