The Pearl Company

Kim Wempe: Friday, October 11: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers/seniors. A powerful performer with smoky vocals and an undeniable stage presence, Kim Wempe has been tearing up highways and stomping her way across every stage in the country for the past three years. On the heels of her 2010 East Coast Music Award win and a 2011 ECMA nomination, her new album ‘Coalition’ is a big, bold, unapologetic leap into a whole new sound and has brought her a lot of attention from her peers. “Kim Wempe has one of those strong, raspy voices that’s only made better by whisky and more emotive by a sad song. She embodies the storytelling nature of the country genre, that slow burning hurt we know to be true of the blues, and these soulful gospel melodies that recall something almost spiritual.” -Alan Cross-Rock and Roll Journalist.  “Kim Wempe sings directly from the soul, and the result is incredibly powerful. She instantly draws you in with her voice, and holds you there with the strength of her performance and her songs.” – Jill Barber  http://kimwempe.com Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- XFpv3CJ1qE

Norbert Kögging with his band, KØGGING: Wednesday, October 9: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers/seniors. Dutch vocalist, Norbert Kögging, embarks on a tour from Toronto to Vancouver and one of the stops is Hamilton! KØGGING recorded their debut album, Daydreaming, at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2011. The music, described as singer-songwriter jazz, is intimate, distinct, and sincere. Norbert is a convincing story-teller who shares his experiences honestly and from the heart.  The tour marks Norbert’s fourth visit to Canada, a nation that holds a dear place in his heart. “This is where it all started,” Norbert recalls when KØGGING recorded Daydreaming, at the Centre in 2011. The album, which harnesses the inspiration that Norbert found there, is about fresh ideas, open space and the opportunities to come.  http://norbertkogging.nl Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaS7_ov2pRg 

C.R. AVERY with THE WEBER BROTHERS! Saturday, October 5: 8:00. Admission: $20.00 adv. $25 @ door /$15.00 adv. students/artists/seniors $20 @ door. CR Avery: Outlaw Hip-Hop Harmonica Player, Beatbox Poet, Punk Piano Player, String Quartet Raconteur, Rock & Roll Matador, Playwright. C.R. Avery is a unique, raw, and dynamic performer. His genius lies in many genres – blues, hip-hop, spoken word and rock & roll. He is a one-man band, but one for this generation; with the rare ability to sing poetic verse while beatboxing simultaneously while pounding the piano and adding harmonica like a plot twist. To put the incredible live performance of CR with the equally astonishing WEBER BROTHERS, WOW. There are bands for which rock and roll is a lifestyle, and then there are bands for which it is life. Ten years ago the legendary Ronnie Hawkins, duly impressed by the pair’s immense raw talent, invited them to audition for his storied backing band, The Hawks. They survived the intense musical apprenticeship of his fabled “Rock ‘n’ Roll Bootcamp,” and six self-released albums later, the Webers have spread their wings, shared the stage with icons like Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Leon Russell, Derek Trucks and Kris Kristofferson, and toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. Fusing the stomping country rock learned at Hawkins’ knee with the brothers’ own love of pop music in all its splendor, from gorgeous “Pet Sounds”/ “White Album” vocal harmonies to blacktop-burning 50’s rockabilly, full-throated Crazy Horse anthems to classic corner group doo-wop. Tightly focused in execution yet epic in scope.  http://www.cravery.com/  http://www.weberbrothers.com/ Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npGmpsL4v8

Shari Vandermolen with QUARTER TO NINE: Friday, October 4: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers/seniors. Quarter to Nine is a jazzy musical act with the remarkable Shari Vandermolen on vocals.  The name comes from the song “About a Quarter to Nine” from the musical 42nd Street.  Incorporating the sweet soft jazz feel of days gone by, or the burlesque feel of risqué blues, their influences include Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Etta James, Billie Holiday and the “big-band sound”. They’ll be bringing you Jazz Standards, naughty blues and torch songs peppered with just the right amount of show tunes for good measure. “Shari’s training as an actor imbues her music with an emotional edge that takes us places we have never been with these songs. Quarter to Nine is an experience as much as a concert.” http://www.q29.ca Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyDlzfMzUkI

EMERGENCY MONOLOGUES: Friday, September 27: 8:00pm. Admission: $18.00/$15.00 students/artists/seniors. A memorable evening of shock, horror, and hilarious true-to-life (and death) comedy. Morgan Phillips is an EMS paramedic/ambulance driver who has turned his true stories into a hilarious one-man performance that is part stand-up comedy and part (utterly) surreal storytelling. Phillips has won the NOW Magazine Audience Choice Award in Toronto and is back at The Pearl Company by popular demand. “Phillips [has an] easy and unaffected knack for telling funny as hell stories about crime scenes and head-on collisions.” Sean Davidson (EYE WEEKLY) “Side-splittingly hilarious view into the world of Paramedicine” Jason Ng (FNG) “Morgan Jones Phillips is a consummate story-teller – filling in the small details of each scenario as skillfully as a master-weaver entwines a rich tapestry.” Luc Iogna (Director) “Brutally honest, macabre and often hilarious…” (NOW Magazine) www.emergencymonologues.com Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0BrG-Z_0zo

Diane Beatty-Wearing: “AMBITIOUS”. Thursday, September 26. 7:00 to 9:30. No charge. Diane Beatty-Wearing brings a visceral perspective in her “Ambitious” Hamilton series. “Starting small and working to large, symbolic of the end result of ambition in any chosen direction. Hamilton has moved away from the reputation of manufacturing steel small c culture, into the culture driven multi media of arts production. Quite a large group now entertains this idea. It is the thought that counts. We are working towards a tipping point.”
DBW explores Hamilton with an eye towards the aesthetic. The architecture, abundance of trees and green space, Breathtaking scenery, community gathering places. There is a lot to draw from.
DBW has left the mainstream workforce to freelance as an artist and art educator.  High ambitions, fraught with challenge and bursting creativity.  Opening up the right-brain and following the feeling, DBW makes it up as she goes. “We are what we keep telling ourselves.  I AM Hamiltonian; I AM an Artist; I  AM.  And now to paint.”

Amber & Friends Fundraiser: Friday, September 20. 7pm doors. 8:00pm show. $20 / $10 for children under 12.  Please join Stephanie Beatson (Amber) for a musical fundraising event to help sponsor her upcoming volunteer work abroad in South Africa. Joined by fabulous special musical guests The Fox and the Moon, Jimere, Amber of course, and… much more TBA! Door prizes and raffles! This show is ALL AGES. Stephanie will be working in South Africa on two different volunteer placements.  The first is a cheetah reintroduction project that aims to help boost cheetah population long term.  The second one is devoted to the research and care of African elephants.  This is to study how the animals behave in captivity and to offer them a safe place to live, free of poaching.  For both projects, she’ll be helping with general park maintenance, cleaning and feeding, research tasks (collecting samples, observing behaviour, etc.) as well as helping to host guided tours in the park.

THE JACK STREET SHOW: THE LAST CALL: The Memorial Wake & Celebration of the Life & Work of the late local Artist & Story Teller. Monday, September 16. Doors at 6:00, show at 9:00. Pay what you wish at door. Join Jack’s wife LLLLaura, his family of friends, and his dog, Gonzo in celebrating the man’s life and work. At 9:00 the show be launched with bagpipes and we will showcase the eclectic parade that was Jack’s life: his poetry, his stories, his musical collaborations, his artwork (the retrospective he was working on before he passed away)..  Jack`s favourite music will accompany LLLLaura`s photo slideshow. Bob Ezergailis’ videos of Jack on stage, taken over the years will be projected on the big screen of the main floor theatre. Suggested attire is Gypsy/Hippy/Jack Street style. There will be spirited libations, merriment, great gobs of food, remembrance and lively conversation, all the things Jack loved the most. Truly a multi-faceted, entertaining, and interesting evening not to be missed. A good old “Knees Up” as Jack would say! Pot luck offerings welcome!

Ambre McLean & Tara Holloway:The Teeny-Weeny tour: Saturday, September 14: 8:00. Admission: $15.00/$10.00 students/artists. Guelph

singer/songwriter Ambre McLean (Busted Flat Records), made it through to round 3 of the CBC Music Searchlight competition which surprised no one except that she did not finish by winning!  “Ambre’s voice, is an instrument itself: gorgeous, sometimes with a rich, bluesy feel, other times a sweet mellow sound, alternatively soft and ferocious, always carrying these tunes straight to your musical heart.?” (David Yazbeck, CKCU FM).  “It doesn’t take long for her talent to make her seem larger than life, filling the room with the kind of songs that make you remember lost loves and abandoned dreams.” www.ambremclean.com And Tara Holloway (Light Organ Records) Somewhere in the sonic vicinity of Liz Phair and Susan Tedeschi lie the tunes of Tara Holloway, whose debut Sins to Confess exhales and thrashes in equal measure. But whether Holloway belts or bawls, rocks or ruminates, the blues is ever present.

Paul Reddick: Wednesday, September 11: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers. Paul Reddick calls Toronto home, but his reputation is spreading internationally. The award-winning harmonica player, bandleader and songwriter described his most recent CD, Wishbone, as “a soundtrack for dancing and sex.” (!) Now, the January issue of Mojo, listed the CD in the #3 spot on its annual list of the Top 10 blues records of 2012. And if those accolades weren’t enough, here’s Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin, a long-time Reddick fan, “Wishbone is terrific!”  When Reddick, nominated for no less than five Maple Blues Awards, was asked “What is the blues?” the answer: “The Blues will always provide a soundtrack, a language, an endless landscape. It offers an unlimited means to express, explore and experience every thing and every question that matters most.  It can be the heart singing its deepest song.” http://www.paulreddick.ca

Smoky Tiger: Sunday, September 8: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers. Very interesting group from Winnipeg. Check out the Youtube video below and join me in thinking that these guys are smokin’! Formed in the cold dark tundra of Manitoba, Smoky Tiger has made mere mortals tremble and the skies split asunder! Consisting of a revolving door of like-minded eccentrics from Winnipeg’s many-tentacled music scene swirling around one man (Andrew Courtnage) behind a powerful and intimidating Lowery organ!  “The entity Smoky Tygre is an angelic-demonic spirit which is sometimes summoned by, sometimes possessed by, sometimes channelled by….Andrew Courtnage…… Its songs express fury and ecstacy: the dualistic nature of modern existence. Courtnage has journeyed the planet …. trying to reveal inner truths through sonic vibrations to all the friendly and nonfriendly peoples of the planet with varied success.” https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smoky-Tiger/ Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-jifbpcww

The Art Bus is Sponsored by Judy Marsales Real Estate Brokerage:

First 2 Fridays of every month! Check out Hamilton’s unique and constantly evolving art scene!  Call Barbara (905.524.0606) or email (hamiltonartbus@gmail.com) to reserve your seat.  Next dates: October 4 & 11.  Cost: $15/$10 students/artists.  Start: 6:30 from The Pearl.

• September 6:
  The L’Arche Community Art Studio:  This favourite stop for our Bus patrons is an international family of communities for people with learning disabilities and those wishing to share life with them. Participants produce colourful paintings and works in clay as part of their programming.
  Ottawa Street Stroll: Earls Court Gallery: Currently showing the very painterly ‘Alla Prima’ with artists Dara Aram & Jan Yates.
  AllSorts Gallery: A co-operative art gallery and gift store with 38 local artists and artisans including: ceramics, glass, textiles, wood, and jewellery.
  337 Sketch Gallery: Opening Reception of  ‘My Way’ – a collection of work by Anne Becker influenced by her pilgrimage through Spain (Camino de Santiago), and Italy (Via Francigena).
  Arts 4U Studio: A gallery, studio and a classroom with a collection of 19 artists and artisans showing and teaching. Artist in Residence Mary Simms hosts.
  Montmartre Gallery: Rob Laffier, John Stirling, Don Graves
  Nathaniel Hughson Gallery on John Street North is dedicated to representing artists in their early and mid careers. We will be previewing gallery artists Christina Sealy’s , “Small Paintings and Studies”.

Explore Hamilton’s exciting Art Scene on the Art Bus!
•    Starting at 6:30 from The Pearl Company
•    Reserve a spot via email or phone, and purchase your trip ($15/$10 students/artists) when you arrive
•    We finish at The Pearl for an après-tour wind-down, either a tour of the building or admission to that night’s event
Call Barbara Milne at  905-524-0606 or email hamiltonartbus@gmail.com to reserve your seat. The Art Bus has been called ‘The Best Deal in Town’, ‘A great way to catch the Art Scene in Hamilton’ ! Meet new people and/or bring your own party. Group Tours arranged.

The Steel City Jazz Festival: August 22 to 25. $10 admission. The 1^st Annual Steel City Jazz Festival was founded by Chris Ferguson and Emily Milko and is playing in several venues around town. www.steelcityjazzfest.com 
At The Pearl Company:  
August 22: Bob Shields/Jay Burr/Mike Malone @ 10:00pm, Mike Malone (trumpeter, composer, arranger) has been an important part of the Canadian jazz music scene since the early 1970s. Jay Burr plies his tuba chops mainly in the bass chair with a variety of groups in a wide range of styles, but is also active as a soloist and in improvisation. Bob Shields is on guitar with his usual panache.
The Johnathan Black Trio @ 11pm, $10. Cancelled.
August 23: Brian Browne w Sean Browne: 10pm, $10: Brian Browne is an Ottawa-based pianist who has played extensively in Toronto and New York. He has recorded seven albums as leader over a career spanning fifty years and studied with legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. He has recently returned to Canada after spending ten years on the New York jazz scene. Bass player, Sean Browne has adopted a non-standard fingering technique that lends his playing a dexterous, powerful sound.
August 24: Mike Malone w/ The Chris Platt Trio, Carissa Kimbell: 10pm, $10:  Trumpeter Mike Malone has been an active member on the Canadian jazz scene since the early 70s, and has worked as a writer and performer with a number of groups. The Chris Platt Trio have played with Mike before, and have expertly demonstrated why the classic jazz pairing of younger musicians with a veteran player is such an exciting, vital part of the music. Carissa Kimbell, , draws from a wide array of influences in her selection of material and in her own writing. Carissa’s repertoire ranges from Amy Winehouse to Joni Mitchell and plenty more.
August 25: Hamilton Dixieland All-Stars, 6pm, $10: Performing a mix of Broadway, classical and contemporary music in their unique Dixieland manner.

: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers/seniors. Kim Wempe’s beautiful voice is haunting and smokey; the child of Janis Joplin and sister of Adele; but Wempe is out to blaze her own trail. This may be because she is far from the fragile and sensitive singer songwriter and when she sings, her vibe is strong woman with the urge to move mountains! She has won both an East Coast Music Award and Music Nova Scotia Award.  http://kimwempe.com

Norbert Kögging with his band, KØGGING: Wednesday, October 9: 8:00pm. $15 /$10 students/arts workers/seniors. Dutch vocalist, Norbert Kögging, embarks on a tour from Toronto to Vancouver and one of the stops is Hamilton! KØGGING recorded their debut album, Daydreaming, at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2011. The music, described as singer-songwriter jazz, is intimate, distinct, and sincere. Norbert is a convincing story-teller who shares his experiences honestly and from the heart.  The tour marks Norbert’s fourth visit to Canada, a nation that holds a dear place in his heart. “This is where it all started,” Norbert recalls when KØGGING recorded Daydreaming, at the Centre in 2011. The album, which harnesses the inspiration that Norbert found there, is about fresh ideas, open space and the opportunities to come.  http://norbertkogging.nl