Geoff Berner

Geoff Berner is a singer-songwriter on accordion from Canada. His political, humorous songs and live shows have gained him a solid underground reputation in Canada as well as Europe. He is often accompanied by Diona Davies of Po' Girl on violin and Wayne Adams of Zolty Cracker on drums. Berner is the stepfather of actress Genevieve Buechner.

Berner's early years had him learning the piano, and after someone asked him why he didn't play the accordion, he decided to start playing it. He started out as a musician in the punk band Terror of Tiny Town, but went solo on his accordion after the band quit after just one release. His first release was an EP, Light Enough to Travel, released on the Sudden Death Records label in 2000. It featured several songs he wrote as a member of Terror of Tiny Town. Starting out small in the British Columbia area, he gained a reputation quickly because of his insightful humour and politically charged lyrics. He released his first full-length album, We Shall Not Flag or Fail, We Shall Go On to the End, on the black hen label in 2003.

Around 2003, Geoff's musical style changed dramatically - he decided to use his now respectable underground status, to help revive the old traditional jewish musical style klezmer, and begun a trilogy of klezmer-themed records, the first being Whiskey Rabbi in 2005, followed up by The Wedding Dance of the Widow Bride in 2007.

A surprising number of his songs have been covered, the most famous of which is The Be Good Tanyas' cover of "Light Enough to Travel". Berner also frequently collaborates and tours with fellow canadian artists, such as Carolyn Mark and the Corb Lund Band. Additionally, Berner is close friends with American ukulele singer-songwriter Carmaig de Forest, and frequently covers de Forest's compositions on tour.

Geoff Berner has also released his own instructional booklet, "How To Be An Accordion Player", a recognized underground humour book which provides the reader with information on anything but actual accordion playing.

Berner has lately risen to small-time fame as the warm-up act for Norwegian alternative rockers Kaizers Orchestra on several occasions. Berner first saw Kaizers Orchestra live in 2000, at the SideSound Festival in Norway. Berner had been deported to Norway at the time. Berner has since been featured both in the band's Viva La Vega DVD and their biographical book Kontroll på kontinentet.