Photo provided Michael Duvall, lead guitarist and vocalist, and Venkatesh Sankarayanan, percussionist and vocalist, make up the DuVenky Code.
Engineer and director by day, jamming two-piece band by night, that’s the DuVenky Code. This local band will be bringing their sing-along style and covers of classic tunes to an upcoming Concert on the Plaza performance.
Michael Duvall, lead guitarist and vocalist, and Venkatesh Sankarayanan, percussionist and vocalist, make up the DuVenky Code. A Columbus native, Duvall works as a director of manufacturing excellence at Catalent Pharmaceuticals, but he previously worked at Cummins and also owns his handyman business. Similarly, Sankarayanan, who comes from India, also works at Cummins as a mechanical engineer.
Duvall and Sankarayanan said they have always had an interest in music. The two met through a callout post online looking for musicians to meet up and play. From there, the two really hit it off, leading them to form their own band, with the name taken from Duvall’s last name and Sankarayanan’s nickname Venky.
“My wife actually came up with it and I joke that Merrium-Webster, if you look it up, it means ‘a band that is fun to watch, sing along with and be happy,’” Duvall said. “I tease about that all the time. So that’s my definition for the DuVenky Code.”
Since their formation in 2023, the band has mostly stayed local to the Columbus area, but they have also played in locations including Shelbyville and Seymour. Duvall said they focus on uplifting and entertaining music from multiple artists and genres, from light rock to gospel to folk.
“It’s mostly the kind of songs that people will be able to hum along to, sing along to, be able to dance to and be able to basically have fun with, so that’s kind of the goal that we chase in terms of choosing songs,” Sankarayanan said.
While they are mostly a two-piece band, Duvall said they recently added a drummer, Tom Foust, to some of their sets. Their upcoming show at the Bartholomew County Public Library will also feature lead guitarist Alan Eddelman and rhythm guitarist Gary Kincer from local band EKG to create that bigger band sound, Duvall said.
Everyone can look forward to a fun, upbeat show with lots of familiar tunes, great vocals, great instrumentation and great harmonies, Duvall said. DuVenky Code performances always feature lots of interaction, with Duvall saying that he sometimes cracks jokes or comments during the show, and audience members are welcome to sing along to their tunes.
“I like to interact and talk with the audience a lot,” Duvall said. “At times, if I hear someone singing in the audience and they’re carrying a decent tune, I’ve had them get up on stage with us. So it’s just fun, it’s interactive, we don’t take ourselves too serious.”
