The Pearl Company

The ƒ Holes: Thursday, August 4. 8:00. 15$ at the door.10$ students/artists: An impeccably authentic, raucously entertaining blend of gypsy jazz, zippy Dixieland, viper blues and roots from this Winnipeg creative hybrid that is rewriting the definition of roots music. Over-the-top vocals meet pedal steel, blistering horns, banjo and fiddle to create this campy, slightly twisted take on country, blues, dixieland, klezmer and anything that piques their interest, apparently. With music that would be at home on an off-Broadway stage, this musical conglomerate swirls around the hell-fired vocals of Patrick Alexandre Leclerc and a group of talented musicians who throw caution to the wind in their bid to make a distinctive mark. (The F refers to the holes in acoustic guitars and standup basses…) www.thefholes.ca

LEHERA with Sarah Buechi: Friday, July 29: 8:00 pm. $15 advance / $20 door.  Gary Santucci opens for this remarkable fusion band. Lehera brings to the table a unique sound born out of a confluence of Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music styles creating a genre-tripping vibe that is both energetic and contemplative. Sarah Buechi is a highly skilled jazz vocalist who has immersed herself in South Indian classical music. The results are apparent in her use of its demanding rhythmic and vocal techniques in a jazz context. www.sarahbuechi.com Vocals in English and Classical Indian styles intertwine with Hindustani slide guitar, violin, bamboo flutes and vocal harmonics, driven by exciting Ghatam (Clay pot drum), Konnakol (Carnatic drum language) and world percussion peppered with funky and bluesy guitar. Lehera is: Hindustani slide guitarist, Prakash Sontakke, Percussionist Karthik Mani, and multi-instrumentalist Prashand Michael John. http://lehera.net (more…)

“Loose Ends” Art Exhibit: Saturday, July 23, from 1-8pm. No charge. One day only.  Curator – Amanda McIntyre The remarkable Amanda McIntyre, a recent graduate of York University’s Visual Arts Program will be exhibiting and curating a group exhibit of 12 emerging artists here at the Pearl Company. The work plays off the phrase Loose Ends, and will be filling the walls of our two floors. The artists range in age from 22 to mid-30s and hail from Cambridge, Hamilton, Dundas, Flamborough and Binbrook. Their talents include abstract to realistic paintings, photography, woodcuts, intaglio and linoleum.  “I wanted to give emerging artists a hand up, to give them an opportunity that might not otherwise be available to them,” said McIntyre.

Artists: Kyle Hytonen, Jennifer Card, Maranda Diep, Barbara MacDonald, Betty Topblack, Elizabeth Gosse, John Steinberg, Amber Aasman and The Group of Four.  This is a free event so come by and check out these emerging, talented, local artists.

Stand Up Theatre Company Presents: TOYS the Musical: Written and directed by Colin Leversidge; based on the 1992 movie. Friday July 22.  8:00pm. $10 General Admission. Colin has been producing plays for young actors ages 9-14 for many years.  He has worked with The Disney Company Lion King, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museums,Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, S.A.G.E, as well as dozens of classrooms and art/music camps throughout the province.  And now he has brought his unique talents and vision to The Pearl.  This is the grand finale for his two-week Summer Camp, a serious endeavour for all concerned.  Colin writes the music and the book, teaches the children three- and five-part harmonies, and trains them well in the theatrical arts. Outstanding performances in store!

The Laws: John & Michele Law on Tour: Saturday, July 16. 8pm start. $15adv/$20 door. Known for their tight-as-a-glove harmonies and heartfelt lyrics; joined by award winning mandolin/guitar picker Jason Dennie, The Laws have performed at folk, bluegrass and country festivals, theaters and listening rooms throughout North America and Australia, and have been called the best duo out of Canada since Ian and Sylvia. “The Laws are among the best songwriters I have ever heard.  Every song was a gem, lyrically and musically.” (Barbara: The Pearl Co Newsletter after their April show) “Their voices blend beautifully–John’s reedy, gritty tenor and Michele’s plaintive, alto drawl (you’ll hear some Emmylou lurking in there) – [making them] one of the most beautiful harmonic convergences in contemporary music.”  The Bluegrass Special, New York,  www.thelaws.ca

GREENLAW presents SKYLAB “experiments in beats, bass and voice”: Friday, July 8. 8:00pm. $15 at the door. After an amazing year and fresh from a sell out European winter tour, Jazz / Dub / Soul / DNB sensations Greenlaw (MC Ozzie and Skyla J) return to their home turf of Canada to celebrate the release of their brand new international hit single ‘After I’m Gone’. Their unique brand of dub / soul / jazz and drum & bass infused rhythms, combined with a unique high-energy live performance and visual showcase appeals to audiences across the spectrum, regardless of where in the world they perform.
This gig started out to be with Skyla J & the Vibes which includes MC Ozzie and Skyla J as well as other musicians and which is attracting international attention as a fresh sound in Soul/Jazz world. GREENLAW has been around longer and is the better known of these 2 musical endeavours and for this show is featuring  Skyla J’s soulful voice as SKYlab!  www.greenlawmusic.com www.skylaj.com

Martha’s Trouble: Thursday July 7: 8 pm. $10 in advance and $15 at the door.  Martha’s Trouble is an Americana folk/pop duo, currently touring in support of their latest release, ANCHOR TATTOO, which has been celebrated by BILLBOARD MAGAZINE with these words: “With its 10th album, “Anchor Tattoo,” the Alabama-based husband-and-wife duo, Martha’s Trouble continues to intensify the mystery as to why they remain a hidden gem “.  The new album, takes the duo back to their roots, bringing back the signature sound that made them touch so many when they first came to the music scene 12 years ago, Jen, from Ontario, and Rob, from Nashville, TN.  Some of the most influential and well-respected music critics of our time have paid tribute to this duo. They have been listed and featured in Billboard Magazine, USA Today and Performing Songwriter. Their songs have received awards and have been featured in a number of movies.  www.marthastrouble.com

Meaghan Smith with Ian Kelly: Wednesday, July 6. 8:00. $15 at the door. Meaghan Smith was born in London ON, and she was born singing. Stage fright led her to go to school for animation but when she couldn’t fight the urge to sing her songs; she conspired to make the album ‘The Cricket’s Orchestra’ with producer, Les Cooper. Her love of the music of the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, recalls those eras but with her own special spin. Last March’s Juno Awards named her the best new artist of the year. Smith lets her personality shine and expand on her music, accompanied on guitar by her husband Jason Mingo.  www.meaghansmith.com Ian Kelly: He’s the big guy with that unique voice; he’s got a knack for nifty arrangements and a unique blend of ethereal pop and down-home rootsy fare. www.iankellysmusic.com

Arts Hamilton 2011 Annual General Meeting (AGM): Here at The Pearl Company; Tuesday, June 28 at 6:30 (doors open at 6:00 PM) The Membership and the general public are invited to attend. There will be a keynote panel presentation on the state of the arts in Hamilton and how we can work effectively together to enrich this city. The panel will feature Councillor Jason Farr (an Arts Hamilton Board member) and will be moderated by Arts Hamilton President, Jeff Feswick. There will be a raffle draw for a rare work of art by one of Canada’s most beloved artists and feature performances by local artists and celebrities Emma Rush, Annette Paiement, David Premi, Terra Lightfoot & Cam Malcolm!
Attendees are encouraged to “Bring A Friend” to participate in this exciting forum on the arts in Hamilton.
Be here for the exciting new mission statement and the resolution to formally change the name of Arts Hamilton to the Hamilton Arts Council. For more info or to RSVP please contact: Stephen Near, Program Director, Email: project@artshamilton.ca

Contested Landscapes: Saturday, June 25. 6:00 to 9:00. No Charge.  Music at 8:30/9:00 with Matthew de Zoete and Earth Wind & Choir. PWYC. Josh St. Denis presents a sound installation during the Opening. On the one-year anniversary of the spectacle that was the G20 Summit in Toronto last June, Dave Heidebrecht examines and exposes the significant issues that were largely ignored by the pornographic, disaster news gaze of Canada’s mainstream media.  Contrasting urban landscapes of protest with the natural landscapes on which protests were focused; Heidebrecht’s portraits of contested landscapes give a voice to the people and issues that went unheard during Toronto’s G20 Summit.  Addressing realms of legitimacy, power, and democracy, Contested Landscapes examines the intersections between global and local issues within a Canadian context. (more…)

World Beat Fusion: Friday June 24: 8:00 pm.  $15 at door.  A once-in-a-lifetime concert! Four remarkable musicians: Gary Santucci on guitar, Randal Hill on mandolin and fretless tenor banjo, Killian Bamberg on bass, with Bashir Abbas, Sudan’s premiere oud player.  Gary Santucci: Just in case you don’t know; Gary is “the real thing” as he was called the other day. A guitarist/composer who plays flamenco, classical, and world beat. Randal Hill: Voted “Blue Grass Entertainer of the Year” (at least a hundred times…) Randall is one of the leading mandolin players around.  He’s played with Ian Tyson among others… Killian Bamberg: Considered a “marvelous talent”, he can be found in any number of bands playing both upright and electric bass. Bashir Abbas is just plain incredible.  He is the Sudan’s top instrumental musician (He will play the oud, which is a pear-shaped, lute-related, stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music.) and we are stunned to have him here.  What a night this will be!

Lansdale Neighbourhood Association presents their annual “Summer in the Park”:  Sunday, June 19 at 1:00 – 5:00pm. In association with Solus: A Community Earth Vision Festival. (www.manyhandsart.org) Starting with a Giant Puppet Procession from the Pearl Company at 1pm and heading to Tweedsmuir Park at King William and Victoria.  An afternoon of free family fun, food, and entertainment! Check out the gorgeous poster.

Due to a vehicle break-down in Montreal, this show has been canceled…A line-up of Ambient / Indie / Psychedelic / Experimental/ Modern Classical performers from Seattle via Chicago and Hamilton: Sunday, June 19. 8:00pm. $10 at the door. $8 students/artists
ELECTROLUMINESCENT: Hamilton, ON – www.myspace.com/electroluminescent
LOCRIAN: Chicago, IL – http://www.myspace.com/thelocrian
HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE: Seattle, WA – an Aaron Turner (of Isis) solo project
MAMIFFER: Seattle, WA – www.myspace.com/mamiffer
Mamiffer is Faith Coloccia, a Seattle-based pianist, and Aaron Turner
from the band Isis, Jodis, Lotus Eaters, as well as a collective of other song-weavers and visionaries.
The group has been called “an environmental salvo of noise and atmosphere that is elegant, striking, and evocative.”

HOTCHA with the Nonie Crete Band: Saturday, June 18: 8:00pm  $15 door / $10 students/artists. HOTCHA: High-energy hillbilly swing duo blends old-time Western, bluegrass, early swing and country gospel delivered with the energy of a runaway train. Soaring vocals, lively accordion, gritty guitar, wailing harmonica and big-beat bodhran. www.HOTCHA.ca Nonie Crete Band: From heady blues, Irish balladry, to Cajun and French Canadian folk,  this one-woman music festival also features Eugene Rea (vocals, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, whistles) and Gary Kreller (accordion, piano). “… [her] delightful accomplished original pieces, ranging in style from melodic Anglo-American balladry to bluesy rock, gutbucket saloon songs and country folk, reveal Crete as a powerful and engaging storyteller with an extraordinarily sweet voice and a mean harmonica”. ~ Greg Quill, Toronto Star www.noniecrete.ca

Jenn Grant with Jim Bryson: Friday, June 17. Doors 8:30. Concert 9:00. $18/$22 at door. Jenn Grant, an East Coast Music Award winner for Best New Artist, rose to attention with her intuitive songcraft and with her jazzy, Feist-influenced folk/pop. She’s a fine arts graduate with a voice like brushstrokes on a canvas. Her latest album, Honeymoon Punch, is a frisky concoction of spirited, synth-sweetened songs balanced with muted, natural elements: it drives the dark clouds away. Jenn has performed across Canada, the US and Europe, with Hawksley Workman, Martin Tielli, Barenaked Ladies and others. www.jenngrant.com
Jim Bryson: Ottawa’s Jim Bryson is known as the songwriter’s songwriter. For the past decade, he’s been releasing carefully crafted, quirky collections of folk-rock that have earned him a spot in the backing bands of Canuck icons such as Sarah Harmer, the Tragically Hip and lately the nation’s favourite Winnipeggers, The Weakerthans, who are backing him on his latest album, Constellation. He is also a member of Kathleen Edward’s touring band. www.jimbryson.org