The Pearl Company

Big Johnny Blue & Strange Cargo Celebrate the Blues! Saturday, May 2, 8:00pm, $15 / $10 students/seniors/wage-challenged….  Like the blues?  You’ll love them John Crawford style.  Big Johnny Blue is John M. Crawford, Hamilton guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and founding member of The Hamilton Blues Society. He has written hundreds of songs, and played with countless local musicians over the years. He is committed to supporting local music and musicians, especially by supporting efforts to tell the story of Hamilton’s blues history, and the power of music to improve the life of every man. These guys rock;  Code Red Blues all ’round! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE8p_zRZeIs&index=1&list=PLB3320D903F7A1FCE   https://www.facebook.com/bigjohnnyblueandstrangecargo/

Laila Biali & The Radiance Project Album Release Concert: Sunday April 26, at 8pm Tickets: $20. Award-winning Canadian pianist, vocalist and songwriter, Laila Biali, has toured with Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega, and Sting. Critically acclaimed as one of Canada’s finest jazz musicians, her new album – House of Many Rooms – sees the Brooklyn-based artist venturing into a more pop-oriented sound, full of catchy hooks, sweet melodies, and anthemic musical arrangements. For this special album release concert, Laila is backed by a stellar ensemble featuring Anna Atkinson (violin, vocals, musical saw), Graham Campbell (guitar, ukulele, vocals), Chris Tarry (electric bass) and Ben Wittman (drums). Special thanks to IMAGO and the generous supporters of The Radiance Project. www.theradianceproject.com  Listen: http://bit.ly/LailaBialiRadianceProjectVideoEPK

Ian Andrews & The Smokin’ Scoundrels: Friday May 1, at 8pm Tickets: $20. Blistering Blues! Join us for an incredible concert experience, the music of Ian Andrews & The Smokin’ Scoundrels will be heard in fine form “in one of Hamilton’s greatest venues”. Featuring Rick Donaldson and Alan Duffy as the remedy rhythm section for the evening. We all know and love the groove this team can do. Also joining The Smokin’ Scoundrels for this evening is the mighty Mike Almas on second guitar and the blistering Bill Holinaty on tenor/baritone sax and bass clarinet. Get your tickets as soon as possible as seating for this concert will go fast.   “We are very much looking forward to sharing this experience with Hamilton. Thank you for all of your support Hamilton.” Ian  Andrews:  https://www.facebook.com/IanAndrewsandTheSmokinScoundrels
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z-awXYJjok&feature=youtu.be

Michael Gabriel: ‘Strings Attached’:  Saturday, April 25. 8:00pm (Doors open at 7:30pm) Michael Gabriel is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter with a riveting concert series emphasizing community building. In ’Strings Attached,’ his emotionally fluid storytelling compositions are surrounded with a driving string section, piano and enhanced by local choirs to create “…a breathtaking coming together of sound.”  Marielle Julian – Velvet Rope Magazine. As with every concert – Michael plays with his core ensemble that consists of a 3-part string section, piano and percussion – while sharing the stage with talent from the community.  For this production, What The Folk will be the opening act and sing with Michael.  Harmonies will also be sung by W.H. Ballard Glee Club.  Chamber Strings from the Bel Canto Strings Academy will join the ensemble to perform a song.  Partial proceeds from every ticket will be donated to the Bel Canto Strings Academy. ‘Strings Attached’ showcases his strongest material with orchestral pop flavours – to create an event that has been in the making for his entire career. www.michaelgabrielmusic.com Listen/Experience http://www.youtu.be/qhr2xeJBVzs

Corrina Keeling with Jeff Giles: Sunday, April 19. 8:00pm. Tickets $20 at the door.  Corrina Keeling creates conscious acoustic music rich with honesty, experience, and insight. Since independently releasing her album “Say Yes”, she’s had the opportunity to play for change-making audiences around the world. From David Suzuki’s Blue Dot Tour to the Uplift Festival in Byron Bay, Australia, she has shared the stage with artists like Feist, The Barenaked Ladies, David Suzuki, and Neil Young, sending a message of hope and action around the world. Her words and music carry the spirit of her passion for environmental justice and emerging social consciousness. Corrina is a sophisticated songwriter, a technically accomplished acoustic powerhouse, using her music as medicine to drive healing and change.  Her sophisticated rhythms are rock-solid, rooted and driving, with harmonies from her sister Jessica Dawn that are almost mystically intuitive. http://www.corrinakeeling.ca/ Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttUd65fZ8I
Jeff Giles: Actor/Singer-Songwriter and Hamilton native Jeff Giles returns home for this unique night of music. Whether you’ve heard his own music before, seen him play Buddy Holly at Theatre Aquarius or somewhere across Canada, or attended his successful solo theatre show “Letters to Hope” at Theatre Aquarius join Jeff in celebrating the love and power of live music and intimate songwriting. Jeff’s work is influenced by many styles, though it is the threads of blues and roots music, both old and new, that hold his songs together.  www.jeffgiles.ca   Listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMxQ9xtS00M    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3-iF69Yjzk

Carlos del Junco and The Blues Mongrels: Saturday April 18, at 8pm Tickets: $20 advance/$25 at the door. Carlos is one of those players whose music is so advanced that when it comes to awards, it’s either retire the category or rephrase the question to “Best Harmonica Player Not Named Carlos”. (Eight time Harmonica Player of The Year at the Maple Leaf Blues Awards!). Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, the band’s playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz. The emphasis is on blues, but they are not afraid to merrily traipse off in other directions delivering a seamless fusion of New Orleans second line grooves, jazz swing, Latin, hip-hop or ska melodies, to swampy roots rock. The Blues Mongrels are: bassist Henry Heillig (founded the nine piece Latin band Manteca), and guitarist Eric St. Laurent. Get ready to trash all you thought you knew about the harmonica. The Blues Mongrels deliver a no-holds-barred display of fun and melodic virtuosity.  “a model of focus and urgency..a true virtuoso”.. Brad Wheeler – The Globe and Mail  http://www.carlosdeljunco.com Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpuBtxuE_xo

Presented by Love Letters Cabaret: CABIN FEVER: Friday, April 17. 8:00pm (Doors 7:30pm) Admission: $25 Advance/ $30 @ Door/ $45 Ringside seat.  It’s cold out and we’re going batty! Enjoy a hysterical evening of nonsense, singing & burlesque! Get over your winter blehs with comedy, dance and music from “Toronto’s edgiest, most sexually charged dance theater company”. This innovative and interactive company is the creation of Artistic Director and Choreographer Pastel Supernova (dubbed by Flare magazine as One of Canada’s most influential women). She is a former international dancer for Nelly Furtado with appearances on the David Letterman Show and more. Pastel packs the stage with beauty and talent, using elements of vaudeville, contemporary dance, and burlesque to tell stories, explore primal instincts. Witness a cast whose collective credits include: the National Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions and Second City Productions just to name a few. You’ve never seen them? Here’s a peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3nObw-7wk     www.loveletterscabaret.com   Adult content.

Touch of Klez: Thursday, April 16, 8:00pm. Door 7:30. $15 at the door. Note the change: Jordan Abraham will be bringing the klezmer band, Touch of Klez instead of SpectreBox. “TOK” is a professional ensemble bringing its unique take on traditional klezmer music to appreciative audiences for over 13 years. Based in Eastern European Jewish tradition, the music is fused with elements of cantorial, gypsy, turkish, mediterranean, and traditional jazz music to create something that is at once unique and universal. The music is joyous and sad – capturing the bittersweet essence of life itself in its sonorous melodies.  It is frantic and filled with longing – for a by-gone era, for a place we once knew, or for people whom we loved.  Touch of Klez breaks down barriers with music that aims straight for your soul. The players: Charlotte Price – Violin; Rick Black – Soprano Sax; David Ludwin – Bass Clarinet; Jordan Abraham – Accordion; Ron Richter– Piano; Alan Livingston – Guitar; David Guild – Drums

Dave Gould Sound Hunter: Sound Hunting Party! Saturday, June 10. 8pm. PWYC (pay what you can). Free Improvised exploration with caribou, moose, whale etc…  Special guest artists to be announced. Come and enjoy spontaneous sound hunting on crazy instruments with crazy artists. It’s a pwyc (or free) event for all in this amazing venue. https://www.facebook.com/dave.gould.737

Mackenzie Leigh Meyer CD Release: Special guests Jess & Tay and Shealagh Rose. Tuesday, May 8. Doors: 7pm. Show: 7:45pm. $10.  Launched into the music scene after winning the 2013 Hamilton Music Awards Rise to Fame Competition, the now 23 year old, Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, has already begun playing all over Ontario; performing at major festivals where she has shared bills with the likes of Doc Walker, Chad Brownlee and Runaway Angel. She is also on regular rotation at the majority of southern Ontario’s A-list country music venues, performing over 75 gigs. Mackenzie’s been studying voice and performance at Humber College with some top Canadian musicians, including Rik Emmett of Triumph (for songwriting!). Honing her craft for the past four years, she has begin drawing major attention to her music. In 2016, she caught the eye of producer/engineer Ken Scott (The Beatles/David Bowie/Super Tramp) who commented “Watch out Carrie Underwood” after producing her debut single ‘Should Have Known’ at The Humber Studios. The combination of Ken’s classic rock sensibilities and Mackenzie’s emotional performance and bold pop melodies creates a unique twist to her modern country sound; unveiling a song that fuses Taylor-Swift-type writing with a classic rock aesthetic. Dive Bar Diva’s beauty flaunts all of the diverse and dynamic sides that comprise Mackenzie. The EP soars through many sub-genres of modern country music; ranging all the way from the vulnerable-americana “Your Company” to her confident, attitude-riddled-blues “Hope You’re Lonely”, and rounds off with her poignant, emotional ballad “More than a Memory”. It results in one of the more authentic and enchanting perspectives to come along in country music in years, creating a world both bold, broken and incredibly cathartic. www.mackenzieleighmeyer.com  www.facebook.com/mackenzieleighmeyer

Shari Vandermolen & David Brideau: Saturday May 5.  Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20. Shari Vandermolen is a renowned vocalist and award-winning performer in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area who has been entertaining audiences for 15 years with her Quartet, Trio or 5-piece band Quarter to Nine.  She is also the lead vocalist for the 10-piece jazz combo SwingLine.  On May 5th Shari brings her powerful and impressive vocal stylings back to the Pearl Company for a more intimate evening of song with jazz guitarist David Brideau, James Gannett on bass and Vince Waters on drums.  “…hear Vandermolen make jelly of your emotions with her voice and her art… one example is Stormy Weather… I barely weathered that storm intact.”  – View Magazine
David Brideau is a Canadian jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher who has been an active musician for over 15 years. A Hamilton native, and honours graduate from the Mohawk Jazz program, David has played all around the GTA with his own group, the David Brideau Trio and Quartet, as well as being prominently featured in groups with Michael Morobito, Amber-Leigh Palka, and Lauren Perreira among others. He studied under jazz greats Bob Shields, Pat Collins, Kim Ratcliffe, and Mark Ucci and is currently continuing his studies at McMaster University. David often composes his own standards, and released the sold-out EP “Addicted To You” in 2016. He is a recipient of the Dave McMurdo Music Bursary, the Antony Roberts Music Bursary, and the Richard Newell Memorial Scholarship.
Ticets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/21098/

The Big Johnny Blue CD Party: Friday, May 11. Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20 / $15 students/seniors/un(der)waged.  We are delighted to welcome and celebrate Big Johnny Blues’ first CD. What a success he has had so far. With sales in the hundreds over the last month, Big Johnny is receiving much critical acclaim from his peers and those in the know in the music and media business. Radio personalities like Ronnie Lindsay in Winnipeg and Darren Flowers of Toronto are playing Big Johnny Blues’ music. CB Rocker in Florida will be calling Johnny to do an interview to introduce his music to the United States. Local blues icon Tim Gibbons told Johnny “not to change and thing” and that “he was jealous” of the new CD. Local music and entertainment promoter Helen Graham says that “this is a must have CD for your collection”. Harpdog Brown was heard saying that the Big Johnny Blues CD “is worth every penny.” Radio personality Judy Marsalles says of Johnny’s CD “a very progressive but strong retro sound that endears your spirit.”
With Thom Adkins opening the show for Big Johnny Blue and Charly Chiarelli coming to help celebrate this most important event, you do not want to miss this hot night of great music with Big Johnny Blue!

Jazz, The Pearl, and Adam Vaughan: Monday, April 13 at 7:00pm – 9:30pm. Enjoy an evening of jazz, flamenco and classical guitar with Gary Santucci and conversation with Adam Vaughan, LPC’s housing and urban affairs critic, and Anne Tennier for Hamilton Centre at The Pearl Company, Hamilton’s performing arts gem. Tickets are $100 per person, including light refreshments, and are available by calling 905-523-6575 or online at http://events.liberal.ca/Event/jazz-the-pearl-and-adam-vaughan.aspx?Lang=en&mi=A

The HamilTEN Festival: April 10, 11, & 12.  $15 / $10 income-challenged.  HamilTEN is a festival of ten-minute plays by playwrights from Hamilton and surrounding areas. With more script submissions than Darren has ever had previously, HamilTEN 2015 promises to be our biggest festival yet! We will be presenting ten 10-minute plays at this year’s festival. A ten-minute play is a streak of theatrical lightning. It doesn’t last long but it should hit its mark! The festival is now in its fourth year (!) and they are back at The Pearl Company with something for everyone: a little drama, some comedy, with a little bit of madness to spice things up. All plays are featured at each performance. Darren Stewart-Jones, Artistic Director, is a theatre producer, director and a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. He has produced and directed plays in Hamilton, Toronto, and London. He is the proud founder of The HamilTEN. Festival Tickets available at the door (cash only) online at www.ticketscene.ca or www.thepearlcompany.ca and by email at hamiltenfestival@gmail.com  Questions? Email: hamiltenfestival@gmail.com   Check out: http://hamiltenfestival.blogspot.ca https://www.facebook.com/pages/HamilTEN-Festival/
Show times:
Friday, April 10 @ 8pm
Saturday, April 11 @ 8pm
Sunday, April 12 @ 2pm

Our line-up for 2015, in no particular order, is as follows:
The Bridge by Jessica Anderson
Conversations with a Capital “A” by Robin Sadavoy
Tyson by Kevin Somers
Appearances by Katherine Albers
Evinrude Fabio by Colette Kendall
Barbershop Trio by Blending Reality Productions
Pee & Qs by Josh Downing
The Hourglass by Francesa Brugnano
Saint Catherine of Ontario by Bryan Boodhoo
Matter of Negativity by Sean Hurley (more…)