The Pearl Company

CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS!!!Tia McGraff: Friday, December 17 at 8:00. $12 / $10 artists/students at the door. Writing and recording since the age of 19, Tia McGraff’s uplifting, heart-warming songs have been garnering her strong fan acclaim from her strong beginnings. The Port Dover native headed to Nashville, where she and Tommy Parham quickly became a musical force to be reckoned with. Writing, performing and producing, they have captured the attention and respect of artists, producers and industry insiders.
“Tia McGraff is a fantastic singer with her own vocal personality which reminds me of an early Linda Ronstadt. She is a very intuitive songwriter who knows what a song needs to make it tick. A joy to work with.” – Randy Bachman Read the rest of this entry »

Rant Maggie Rant: Frost and Fire; A Seasonal Celtic Celebration: Saturday, December 11. Concert at 800pm. $20 advance/$22 at the door. This brilliant band combines traditional elements with a contemporary approach to deliver an exotic blend of new and old; that’s what Celtic music is built on, this exciting evolution of the genre. Don’t miss “Rant Maggie Rant” as they prepare you for the coming cold winter with a hot show you won’t soon forget!  Traditional tunes played straight up or yielding to the influences of world rhythms; reels with a touch of Appalachian Swing, jigs driven by Latin hand percussion, slow ballads as they’ve been played for centuries; they will take you on a journey charted through the past, to new compositions of the present, passing by the shores of the seven Celtic nations on their way.
“Rant Maggie Rant exudes a style and brand of Celtic Entertainment that is both new and old. Their showmanship, and delivery combined with their diversity of traditional sound coupled with upbeat and unexpected blends, makes them a welcome addition to any musical line up….”  Maggie Durocher.    www.myspace.com/rantmaggierant Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketscene.ca or call The Pearl: 905 524-0606

The Good Lovelies: Wednesday, December 8. 8:00pm. $22 advance/$24 at the door. . We are delighted to present this group again as they reprise their Christmas CD! Sharp, sassy, funny and building a following across Canada, the Good Lovelies are not your run-of-the-mill “all girl” band. At a time when too many of us are affected by gloom, doom and advancing recession these three women are the perfect antidote.  Armed with a pile of instruments, a repertoire of sassy and sophisticated songs, and an effervescent sense of humour they never fail to charm even the toughest audiences. The aptly named Good Lovelies are Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore. Described as “flirty-bluegrass” and “the mischievous Andrews Sisters” the Toronto-based trio relies on unerring three-part vocal harmonies, clever songs and, onstage, convulsively funny repartee.     www.myspace.com/goodlovelies

Steve Brockley Band: With local musician, Annie Shaw. Sunday November 28. 8pm. $10 tickets at the door/ $8 for Artists & Students.  “These are songs that other songwriters talk about, and musicians that other musicians talk about.”  Leon Power’s beats combined with Kevin Bertram’s double bass swagger make a low-down groove while Steve Brockley’s finger-picked electric guitar tactics and whiskey-blend vocals deliver some honest songs from the heart and guts.  While Brockley’s knowledge and repertoire of traditional folk music is apparent, he’s able to take the style in new directions without making the audience feel up-rooted.   Put them in a wood-paneled station wagon touring across Canada in continual support of their latest album and you have the truly infectious Steve Brockley experience. “His album, crafted in the riff-filled, storytelling tradition of legends like Johnny Cash, is beyond his years.” www.myspace.com/stevebrockley

Ladies of the Canyon: Saturday, November 27. 8:00pm. Tickets $15, $10 students / artists. Ladies of the Canyon are four friends who got together in their living rooms to write and sing. Musicians and songwriters Maia Davies (vocals, guitars, mandolin, keyboards), Senja Sargeant (vocals, guitars, mandolin), Jasmine Bleile (vocals, guitars) and Anna Ruddick (electric and upright bass, vocals) have their distinct tone and personality, but when they come together for harmonies, it’s a gorgeous, soaring blend. Their debut full-length album, Haunted Woman was produced by Hamilton’s Colin Cripps (One of Canada’s premiere guitarists, Cripps previously produced critically acclaimed albums by Kathleen Edwards and Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy.) Cripps has deftly showcased the wide range Ladies of the Canyon confidently explore; both as songwriters and vocalists. But when they get on stage, these four women make one wonderful sound. www.ladiesofthecanyon.com

Ruth Moody: Friday, November 26. 8:00pm. Tickets $15, $10 students / artists.  Few singers lay it all out with the seductive grace of Ruth Moody, the Australian-born, Winnipeg-raised member of the Wailin’ Jennys, one of the most sought-after bands on the Canadian Folk scene. We are honoured to have Ruth here at The Pearl.  Her first, full-length solo album contains a dozen gorgeous musical excursions with strong, insightful songwriting,. Each pays some sort of homage to traditional country, with a discreet banjo lick here, some mandola or fiddle there, but these are highly personal, gently rendered ballads that transcend any one style. The discreet modulations in Moody’s silken vocals are seductive enough, but she also plays many of her own instruments, including guitar, piano and accordion.  Ruth Moody is one of the significant forces on the Canadian roots landscape. www.ruthmoody.com

“Performances in tribute to the memory of Kerry Schooley” Wednesday November 24. 7:30-10:30pm. Remembering the remarkable man who was so important to the writing and arts community in Hamilton. A tribute concert of various people performing (musical, written, etc.) tributes to Kerry, things he would have liked, some of his work.  Put together by Chris Pannell, Bob Megans and Gary Barwin. Contact: himself@garybarwin.com or 905-525-7545 for more information.

Social Planning and Research Council: Feasting for the United Way: Thursday, November 25, 7:00 – 10:00. Tickets: Regular $40, Student/Senior/Underemployed $30. Featuring ‘Mean Old Hammer’, 4 well-known and well-respected Hamilton Musicians – Linda Duemo, Carrie Ashworth, Gord Lewis, Jack Pedlar. “Punk and roots influences find the middle ground of rockabilly creating a unique new take on music in the Hammer.”  Food and Drink, Silent Auction, Fun and Entertainment, Door Prizes! For more information, 905 522-1148 X 308 or cwalters@sprc.hamilton.on.ca

Alexa Woodward & Annie Crane: Sunday, November 21. 8:00. Tickets $15, $10 students / artists. Two of New York City’s most revered singer/songwriters, Alexa and Annie, are touring Eastern Canada this November. Annie, who entices with her Urban Americana, and Alexa, who captures the imagination with her banjo storytelling, are touring together again after returning from their highly successful spring European tour. Both are promoting critically acclaimed albums: “Speck” (Woodward) and “Through the Farmlands and the Cities” (Crane). Read the rest of this entry »

Oscar Wilde’s Salome: “How Beautiful Is The Princess Salome Tonight….”
TICKETS: $15.00 cash at the door.
SHOW DATES AND TIMES:
Thursday, Nov. 11 – Saturday, Nov. 13, 8:00pm
Sunday, November 14, 3:00pm
Friday, Nov. 19 – Saturday, Nov. 20, 8:00pm
Sunday, November 21, 3:00pm

A “Physical Theatre” adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Salome. A Shvydkyy / Santucci production.  Reservations can be made by calling The Pearl at 905-524-0606.

A madly inventive presentation of Wilde’s 1891 play subtitled, “How Beautiful is the Princess Salome Tonight” by Ballet Master and Choreographer, Sergiy Shvydkyy. Shvydkyy, an internationally renowned avant-garde dancer, actor, choreographer and leading figure in contemporary performance arts in the Ukraine brings his unique choreographic vision, to The Pearl Company. He does this with a fresh imagining of the famous story of Salome unique in both its dance style and its interpretation of the story.    CAST ALSO INCLUDES LOCAL ACTORS;  John Wilbur, Tara Smith, and Marianne Kelly.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dean Hollin: MERCER 101: Thursday, November 18; 8:00pm. Tickets $15 advance or $20 at the door. $15 students / artists. Although the great Johnny Mercer’s impressive body of work includes songs crediting him for both “Words and Music”, his greatest achievements clearly came as lyricist, collaborating with some of the most regarded composers of a generation including Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, and Henry Mancini. Mercer, 101 journeys through a lifetime a brilliant songwriting including hits like: Too Marvelous for Words, One For My Baby, Come Rain or Come Shine, Autumn Leaves, Days of Wine and Roses, and Moon River to literally name just a few. In addition to the songs (and the stories behind them) this newest of Dean Hollin’s live “Musical Biographies” explores Mercer’s lifetime with wife, Ginger, his obsession with Judy Garland, his success as a personality and singer, and more — and with November 2010 marking the 101st anniversary of Johnny’s birth, Mercer, 101 becomes a rather timely musical affair!

EXCHANGE: Learning Together. Tuesday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. No charge. The Meeting House, in partnership with the Mennonite Central Committee, will bring five extraordinary individuals from Africa to Ontario. Friends from Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa will experience our community (and Canada) through a series of tours and events. They’re coming to The Pearl!

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear their personal stories of challenge, perseverance and hope. There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion. For more information visit the Africa blog africa.themeetinghouse.ca or email Natalie Ott at natalie.ott@themeetinghouse.ca

Dean Hollin: WHOLE LOT O’ HOAGY: Friday, November 5 at 9:00 pm. $20 at the door. $15 students/artists.  Dean’s Hoagy gig in London this weekend fell through and he is bringing this fabulous show back to The Pearl. Hoagy Carmichael is regarded today as one of the finest, most inventive jazz composers of the twentieth century!  Responsible for an impressive string of classics including Georgia On My Mind, The Nearness of You, Lazybones, Ole Buttermilk Sky, In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, Heart and Soul, Stardust, and so very many more, his is a genius deserving of celebration!  Accompanied by an eight-piece jazz orchestra led by Musical Director, Steve Thomas, entertainer Dean Hollin recalls the life, tells the stories, and performs the songs – all in a unique “Musical Biography” format.  Researching and presenting shows which pay homage to Porter, Kern, Mercer, Carmichael and the like has become something of a love-affair for Hollin – “Whole Lot o’ Hoagy” standing as his largest show to date, with its’ eight-piece band delivering a sound and style synonymous with early jazz of the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.  Don’t miss this exciting production, guaranteed to take you back to a time of musical magic and memories! http://www.myeyeproductions.ca

Dave Gunning: Saturday, October 30^th at 8 pm. Tickets $15 advance or $20 at the door. East Coast recording artist brings his warm voice and hot guitar to The Pearl Company. Call 905-524-0606 to reserve.
Gunning wowed an appreciative crowd on his last visit to Hamilton with a gig at the Studio at Hamilton Place. Since that time, Dave has continued to gather attention including three 2010 East Coast Music nominations for Songwriter Of The Year, Male Solo Recording and FACTOR Recording Of The Year for his album “We’re All Leaving”. These supplement prior East Coast Awards for 2008  and 2005.  All told, Gunning has released 8 albums.
Engaging and charismatic, Dave’s magnetic gift of captivating audiences by creating a bond through homespun humour and seasoned musicianship will be in full evidence at the Hamilton show. Dave is looking forward to his first gig in the warm confines of The Pearl Company.  http://www.davegunning.com

Carl Bernstein: Thursday, October 28 8:00 pm. $15 at the door, $10 students/artists. We are very excited to have secured Carl for a performance in Hamilton.  He has just returned to his home in New Mexico after a 6-month solo musical odyssey throughout India.   During his Hamilton performance he will present a broad selection of musical offerings including classical, original instrumental and vocal compositions, improvisations and arrangements of well know popular selections.   In recent solo performances he has noticed a profound creative influence from his India travels.   For further information on Carl and his music go to his website:  www.carlbernstein.net