The Pearl Company

FOR THE LOVE O’ NAT – CHRONICLING THE LIFE, TIMES & MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE: Dean Hollin presents another of his popular “Musical Biographies”.  Saturday, May 28th,  8 pm.  $18 advance / $22 door.  An evening of memories and melodies, all tied together by one man — that tremendous crooner of the twentieth century, Nat King Cole. The songs: “A Blossom Fell”, “Route 66, “Mona Lisa”, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “Paper Moon”, “When I Fall In Love” and, the timeless “Stardust”! In direct keeping with the instrumentation of the original Nat King Cole Trio piano, rhythm guitar, and upright bass — Dean will be accompanied by a live jazz trio.  http://www.deanhollin.com

Vinx in Concert: Saturday, May 8 at 8:00pm $20 at the door. DJ and Host Michael Williams and The Pearl Company present the much-anticipated return visit of Vinx to Hamilton! Opening Artist: Queen Cee and her band:  Queen Cee is a potent Hamilton singer-songwriter who can provide solace and peace from a crazy world with her warm voice and conscious message. Her musical stylings are that of smooth R&B/Soul with a Hip Hop edge. Not only does she pack a voice and positive energy that she wants to share with the world, she is out there making a difference in her community with social initiatives such as When Sistahs Get Together and the Be-you-tiful Girls Club. www.myspace.com/queenceemusic
Queen Cee video :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9feYe-qbr0M

Vinx is/has been a Percussionist/ Vocalist with Sting, Bonnie Raitt, Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.  “For any who does not know his music, take heart. Your life is about to improve. Perhaps you have never heard creativity so beautifully arranged, or imagined that the human voice could be bass, saxophone and trumpet in the same mouth. Listen and receive the gift.  As he takes the mike, he begins to record layers of harmony….  All praise the power of spontaneous creation fueled by the love of an audience.”  ”He sings lead with or without drum! When in the mood, he will capture his own lead vocals in order to sing harmony – fabulous! He is also a very entertaining and humorous stage presence!”

Rant Maggie Rant:Friday, May 7. Concert at 830. $15.  This five member ensemble brings you a presentation of Celtic music with a bit of attitude – 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. “Rant Maggie Rant” 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, Windsor Celtic Festival.    www.myspace.com/rantmaggierant

May 7: The Art Bus will start at the Lincoln Alexander Centre, head off to Gallery on the Bay, then a Locke Street Stroll including the transit gallery, Textures and more, and off to Dundas for the Carnegie Gallery, the Dundas Valley School of Art and the Oddfellows Hall of Galleries and Studios.  Finishing back at The Pearl Co.

May 14: This second Friday we will be experimenting with an Ottawa Street Ramble (Earls Court Gallery, Under the Moon and more…) and the James North Crawl, finishing up with the Tiger Group Studio Gallery.

Starting at 6:30 from The Pearl Company at 16 Steven Street and King William.
Please reserve a spot beforehand via email or phone, and purchase your trip ($15.00) when you arrive.
Finishing up at The Pearl for an après-tour wind-down which includes a tour of the building often with music whether from Gary Santucci or whatever event is happening on the theatre floor.

Invitation: The Hungarian Visual Artists of Canada - Opening Reception: Sunday, May 9 from 1 pm – 4 pm.  You are cordially invited to the first fine art exhibition in Hamilton Ontario for this vibrant group. Paintings, sculptures, photography, woodcarvings and enamels.  The show will be on display from Friday April 30 to Tuesday June 1, 2010.

The association consists of a group of artists who have joined together to promote their work, interest and participation in contemporary visual arts, to encourage each other and to hold exhibitions in Canada and abroad. Their members include painters, sculptors and photographers who work in various media.  They believe that art builds bridges between people, generations and nationalities; it serves as a common denominator among economic groups. Art opens people’s minds to new possibilities, provides a foundation for shared experience.

Two Grooves, One Heart: Friday, April 30 at 9:00. $15 at the door. A concert collaboration of cross-cultural chords.  Masaisai: Afro-Zim Mibira Dance Party. A part of Masaisai Mu Dare, a circle of Zimbabwean musicians, dancers and story-tellers who are sharing their vibrant culture using a fusion of traditional and contemporary ingredients.
Lauren Best and the Renegade Company.  Just 19, this dynamic singer-songwriter-keyboardist’s “catchy tunes and quirky lyrics” have been winning the hearts and minds of audiences from Hamilton to Montreal. www.myspace.com/masaisai www.myspace.com/laurenbest