The Pearl Company

Rita Chiarelli in Concert: Friday, September 10 & 11. $25 at the door. Dubbed the Canadian Goddess of the Blues by CBC’s Shelagh Rogers, Rita is releasing her 8th CD, SWEET PARADISE… All new! Featuring some of Canada’s finest musicians!
“I like to take the listener with me, so they get a picture as to where I’ve been… I guess you could say that I write from the road trips of my life.”  Rita Chiarelli
“These past few years, I took long and lonely journeys to Mississippi and Louisiana… the songs you will hear are the bluesy swampy rootsy experiences I had… they are real and they are from the heart” Rita again.

“What a voice! Powerful…lively, warm, and sensual. The emotion is there, it vibrates and is palpable. This Sweet Paradise is really superb!” Gilles Blampain, Blues Again, Paris, France
www.ritachiarelli.com

The ƒ Holes: Thursday, September 9.  8:30. 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

Dean Hollin: The Songs of COLE PORTER & HOAGY CARMICHAEL: Featuring Dean Hollin accompanied by pianist Mark Spencer: Friday August 27. 8:00pm. $15 at the door.  $10 artist/student: Catch this captivating actor/singer as he presents: A state of musicality…? A mere 131 U.S. miles separate Peru, Indiana and Bloomington, Indiana – the respective birthplaces of Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael.  Was there something particularly musical in that 1890’s Indiana state water?  Coincidental?  Apparently.  Worth singing about?  Absolutely!

Join Hamilton native, Dean Hollin and pianist Mark Spencer for an undeniably delicious evening of lyric & melody as they journey through the music of Porter & Carmichael.  Presented with unparalleled affection, you’ll remember the hits (Stardust, I Concentrate On You, Miss Otis Regrets, The Nearness of You) – experience the rarities – and re-live the genius of two of the greatest tunesmiths of the twentieth century (and the state of Indiana!). www.myeyeproductions.ca

The John M. Crawford Blues Band: Friday, August 20, 8:00pm, $10 at the door.  Like the blues?  You’ll love them John Crawford style.  Here’s the line-up: Bass, Kerry Nash; Key board/Vocals, Willie Van Culuart:  Rhythm Guitar Michel Leon; Lead guitar/Vocals John M. Crawford; Drums Bob Letzer.  These guys always rock; you need to hear them sing (and this is exclusive to Hamilton) The Code Red Blues!

Wednesday Night Showcase: Wednesday, August 18, 8:00pm, $10 at the door. The Wednesday Night Showcase is a venue for talented singer songwriters in Hamilton and surrounding areas. Hamilton is a hotbed of talent that often has a hard time highlighting their works; The Pearl Company is happy to provide the opportunity to turn up the volume and let these artists show what they can do. We are hoping to find new talent and have more established musicians work with them while displaying their own talents. Some of the showcased artists will be headlined at the Pearl Company in a future date. The showcase is a once-a-month feature. This Wednesday: Gordon Odegaard and Tim Selles with his band “bruekke” – and more!

Aidan Knight’s Friendly Friends Tour: Thursday, August 5. 8:00pm. $10 at the door, $8 artist/student: Aidan was known as a great backing musician, playing everything from pop-rock bass lines to violent, pounding hardcore drums. All the while, he was writing songs of his own resulting in ‘Versicolour’, a deeply personal yet universally relatable eight-song collection of ‘oddly charming and delightfully catchy’ tunes. His songwriting is striking, from a hushed love song set on top of classic horns and fingerpicked guitar to life-affirming lyrics and timeless anthems. With a talent like this, it’s clear that it was only ever a matter of time before Knight rose above his supporting role and struck out on his own.

Toby: Thursday, July 29. 8:00 $15 at the door, $10 artist/student:  Energetic, raw and feisty, Toby is a charismatic singer, songwriter and guitarist magically weaving together roots, rock and reggae.  Passionate and joyous on stage, Toby and her Australian band is pulling them in all over the world.  As a stand out performer with five Canadian tours up her sleeve, Toby also tours throughout Europe, America and Australian, playing major festivals, and performing her own headline shows. She wears her emotions, thoughts and adventures on her sleeve as clearly as the delighted smile she sports while playing. It’s the chemistry and connection that makes each performance so strikingly unique and deliciously unpredictable.  http://www.myspace.com/tobybeard

Serial-Numbers: Thursday, July 22. 8:00pm. $10. $7 student/artist: Opening  group, Toronto’s Slowly, Slowly. The Musique Actuelle group, Serial-Numbers is made up of nine passionate musicians from different regions of Ontario and Quebec devoted to creating and performing new original music. Negotiating between genres, the music brings together composed and improvised, traditional and contemporary, with influences of the east and the west. The current project is called “voices”. It is essentially a suite of songs put together to tell an overall narrative.  Their music is truly unique and original, rich in textural variety and sincere in content.
A new CD is due to be launched as Serial-Numbers heads out on their second summer tour across Ontario and Quebec.   www.myspace.com/serialnumbersmusic See also: www.myspace.com/slowlyslowly

Wednesday Night Showcase: Wednesday, July 21, 8:00pm, $10 at the door. The Wednesday Night Showcase is a venue for talented singer songwriters in Hamilton and surrounding areas. Hamilton is a hotbed of talent that often has a hard time highlighting their works; The Pearl Company is happy to provide the opportunity to turn up the volume and let these artists show what they can do. We are hoping to help develop new talent and to have more established musicians work with them while displaying their own talents. Some of the showcased artists will be headlined at the Pearl Company in a future date.  The showcase is a once-a-month feature.

Gabrielle Papillon with Jon Bryant: Friday, July 16. 8:00pm. $15 at the door, $10 artist/student: Gabrielle Papillon a singer-songwriter based out of Montreal with Halifax singer-songwriter Jon Bryant who plays regularly in Toronto, Seattle, and New York.  Both released albums within the past year. Gabrielle’s music is often about a feeling. Her muse is the amalgamation of people in her life, or an imaginary scenario. Above all she loves the journey of a song.  Jon has been featured on iTunes in their indie spotlight section and his single ‘Deaf’ has been the single of the week. His album was featured as the singer/songwriter album of 2009. www.myspace.com/jonbryantmusic

Rosie Burgess Trio: Thursday July 8.  8:00pm.  $15 at the door, $10 artist/student: This Australian group crosses borders armed with music, love, and a wicked sense of humor.
The Rosie Burgess Trio are a Melbourne based band, one of the many Australian groups crossing the Pacific to bring their brand of musical magic to North American audiences. The music is a blend of blues/ folk and gypsy styles, but it is their remarkable passion, love for their craft and incredible sense of humor that have ignited audiences from Wagga Wagga to Tacoma, from Adelaide to Philadelphia, from Alice Springs to Kansas City and Umundi to Ontario.
Quirky, lovable songs with grooving rhythms, infectious vocals and an electric violin that will have audiences erupting with delight.
“When you have heard Rosie perform, you’re sure to be tongue-tied trying to tell people how good she is…” says Dave Ritter, organiser of the Bruthen Festival of Blues and Arts.

Elizabeth Shepherd: Wednesday, June 23, 2 sets!! Advance Tickets: $20, Available at Dr. Disc or The Pearl Company. Showtime: 9pm, Doors: 8pm With Guest DJ: Afternoons In Stereo. Elizabeth Shepherd pushes the boundaries of what is considered conventional jazz, all the while creating a sound completely her own. From London to Tokyo, Elizabeth has captivated audiences and critics on both sides of the pond. Her Juno nominated debut album, ‘Start to Move’ continues to receive critical acclaim. Her latest album, ‘Heavy Falls the Night’, has been receiving critical acclaim across the country…  “…an exceedingly textured collection of story-driven tunes running the rhythmic gamut between thick and heady late night moods and high steppin’ dance floor fillers.” (Exclaim) “Shepherd’s music combines her husky vocals with intricate harmonies that avoid the traditional while pushing creative boundaries” (Eye Weekly’s Best Bet) http://www.elizabethshepherd.com/

Elizabeth has just been longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize!

Miss Emily Brown with Corwin Fox as Morlove: Saturday, June 26.  Doors at 7:30pm. Concert 8:00pm. $10 ($7 student/artist).  Local musician Matthew de Zoete opens.  Morlove is the banding together of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Corwin Fox and folk-pop singer-songwriter Miss Emily Brown. Blending autoharp, banjo, guitar, mandolin and hushed vocal harmonies, this experimental folk band was born around the campfire of the 2007 Artswells Festival in Wells BC.
Pieces range from sparse, evocative folk-songs with quiet vocal harmonies and delicate strings to…. pulsing pianos and….banjos in unorthodox time signatures whispering the history of the 1930’s gold-rush town.  “The music is thick and lush, reminiscent of amped folk played through an ancient jukebox full of nickels.” (Emily Brown)
Matthew de Zoete: Take a dozen new songs, a whole lot of melody, and a tight touring band. Throw them together in an old barn turned studio, and you’ve got Matthew’s second album ‘Bottom of the World’. ” Fresh, conceptual pop-rock, containing the talent of a singer-songwriter wise beyond his years.” (Emily Utter)

The Undesirables: Saturday, June 19th, 2010 Doors: 7:30pm Show: 8:00 pm. $20.00 $15 (artist/student price) Reserve your seat; pay at the door. This is their 3rd visit to The Pearl and there is no doubt Corin Raymond and Sean Cotton will present an entertaining and beautifully harmonized show which will include both their own songs and some well-chosen covers; it will also include Corin’s insanely funny patter between songs, and Sean’s full-orchestra guitar. Their inspiration comes from roots / blues / folk / but as they put it: “we’re inspired by everyone who is honest and on fire, and who is saying something real and doing it with conviction and colour.”

Here’s a quote that Corin Raymond sent out this week: “In honour of the risk-taking Barbara and Gary do to make The Pearl Company so vital, The Undesirables’ll be taking a few risks of our own Saturday night. We’re gonna attempt a few things we’ve never done, we’re gonna inject new life into what’s familiar, and we’re gonna sweat and sing like you’ve come to expect…. The Pearl is the best place in Hamilton you could possibly catch us.”

“If you stumbled upon a tavern where Tom Waits, Ray Bradbury, Jim Morrison, and Charles Dickens were huddled in a corner exchanging stories, perhaps eavesdropping on them would give you a better idea of what to expect from this Toronto duo.” http://theundesirables.com