"Artword Artbar is a cosy little licensed listening room on Colbourne at James St. N., that always features interesting live music." Graham Rockingham, Hamilton Spectator 03/29/12
Friday September 27, 2019, at 8 pm, $tba. Jazz, funk and pop singer Emily Kemp set up her first concert at Artword Artbar in September 11, 2010 (we opened in September 2009). It will be a treat to have her kick off our 10th Anniversary Celebration. Details coming.
Thursday September 26, 2109, at 8 pm, $10. The Planet of the Loops returns! Noted guitarist Andrew Aldridge and his legendary Planet of the Loops live at Artword Artbar. Special guests for Thur
s Sept 26 are cellist Cheryl O and Steven Sauvé on keyboard / laptop, both members of quasiMODAL, a floating electro-accoustic improv trio.
Join us for a night of live improvised recycling of sounds! Anything can happen, and frequently does! Andrew explains: “In 1998 I started a Collective event called Planet of the Loops. It’s an improvisational/ experimental night consisting of 3-4 players. It ran in Toronto until 2005. Then I moved to Hamilton and occasionally had some Planet events in various locations. I was touring a lot too and couldn’t do a regular monthly event.” In 2017 Andrew brought his Planet of the Loops to Artword Artbar, where VJ improviser Judith Sandiford joins in with some real-time visual “looping”.
Wednesday September 25, 2019, at 8 pm. Scottish musician Ewan Macintyre is on tour with his band: Ewan Macintyre: vocals, guitar, mandolin; Karine Bouchard: violoncelle/ cello (from Montreal); Peter Menzies (pronounced mingus): fiddle (from Moray Scotland). They are touring this summer and autumn across the UK, Europe and Canada.
“Cowboy campfire meets Celtic grooves.”
Ewan weaves his own blend of folk pop traditions, featuring beautiful string arrangements, ripping solos, soaring harmonies and heartfelt lyrical content. http://www.ewan-macintyre.org/
Sunday September 22, 2019, at 4:00 pm. Book launch: The Perfect Archive by Paul Lisson, published by Guernica Editions.
The Perfect Archive is a story in verse about an archivist who moves beyond his role as protector and cataloguer of others’ work and begins to question the very nature of a “pure and accurate” archive. The role of a government Archivist is to organize and catalogue books, statutes, and memoranda. What happens when these documents are weaponized?
“Paul Lisson creates intricate Kafkaesque worlds in art galleries, on the stage, and on the page. A coal black seam of humour runs through all of his work but I mostly feel like I’ve walked through a dystopic door and I have this prickly feeling that somebody’s going to lock that door behind me.” Jeff Mahoney, columnist with The Hamilton Spectator
Saturday September 21, 2019, at 8 pm. Flamenco ensemble, Clic-Clac: Angela Deiseach (dance), Shirley ‘la Pili’ Pincay (vocals), Amilia Cervantes (violin), and Juan D Toledo (guitar). Rooted in traditional flamenco music and dance, Clic-Clac also incorporates influences from other genres and styles. Their performance celebrates expression and storytelling through song and dance, drawing on their collective knowledge and experience of the multifaceted flamenco genre. Formed earlier this year and based in Toronto, Clic-Clac made their debut as part of the Tablao Flamenco Toronto showcase at Supermarket. The group has since been featured in the Dance Matters Into the Fire Series at Toronto’s Pia Bouman School.
Friday September 20, 2019, at 8 pm. $15. Americana-country songstress Tia McGraff, and singer-guitarist Tommy Parham return to Artword Artbar. This time they are bringing Duane Rutter to play electric guitar with them. Their friend singer/songwriter David Wells will play an opening set. The concert will be followed by a meet-and-greet.
“Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham continue proving they are one of the best creative duos working today with the release of Stubborn in My Blood (2018).”
Tia and Tommy have earned a respect in the music industry and a global fan base. The duo have a gift for getting to the heart of the matter and writing relatable songs about life, love and this crazy world we live in. www.tiamcgraff.com/
Tia McGraff is an award-winning Americana/Country singer-songwriter from Port Dover, ON. Tia’s talent has been described as “haunting and soul-gripping.” Tia’s 2015 release Crazy Beautiful, produced by Colorado native, husband and longtime collaborator Tommy Parham, immediately impressed radio programmers in the USA, Canada and Europe. Tommy, who moved to Nashville in 1998 with a staff songwriter deal in hand, soon became one of Music Row’s sought-after hit-writers, and is credited with cuts by major label artists and film placements.
Thursday September 19, 2019, at 8 pm. $15 advance/$20 door. Cantrip, a high energy Celtic trio, is releasing a new live album in celebration of their 20 year history. Come enjoy an evening of good humour, companionship and music from the Celtic isles and beyond. Jon Bews (fiddle, vocals), Eric McDonald (guitar, bouzouki, vocals), Dan Houghton (pipes, flute, whistles, guitar, bouzouki, vocals).
“Cantrip” is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief. It aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements, likewise the compelling potency of their musicianship. Cantrip sprung from a local session in Edinburgh nearly twenty years ago. With their first album “Silver” (2001) in hand, Cantrip made its way across the water to the United States. www.ericmcdonaldmusic.com
Sunday September 15, 2019, from 3 to 6 pm, tip jar. Supercrawl Weekend. The original Art Crawl band! Bill Lutes and the Art Crawlers: Bill Lutes guitar, vocals; Lilia Lutes very cool vocals; Kenny Clark guitar, vocals; Hank Paton guitar, vocals; Robert Louis guitar, vocals; Bob Rudy bass, vocals; Phil Dales drums, playing all your favourite tunes.
Event, James North events, Music, Music-folk, Music-pop-etc.
Saturday September 14, 2019, at 6 pm. Supercrawl Weekend. Introducing Rob Knaggs.
Avant-cellist Rob Knaggs, originally from Brisbane Australia, is known for his atmospheric walls of sound and live performances that transport audience to the northern reaches of his adopted home in the Canadian sub-arctic. In the last five years, he’s performed concerts for beluga whales and beneath the northern lights, collaborated with throat singers, played support to Montreal sound wizard Tim Hecker, represented Manitoba at travel conferences across North America, and captivated audiences at the renowned Woodford Folk Festival in Australia. www.robknaggs.com
Joining Rob is Hamilton’s own musical adventurer Dave Gould. Dave is a visual and audio artist/musician who explores many art mediums. Gould has made instruments since 1998. He currently makes exotic instruments out of rare things like whalebones, antlers and toilets. He enjoys drumming and creating original music with a plethora of artists and bands internationally. Dave provided improvised and composed soundscapes for Artword Theatre’s recent production of Whoever You Are. www.davegould.ca
Event, James North events, Music, Music-Classical, Music-Improvisors
Friday September 13, 2019, at 9:15 pm, tip jar. Supercrawl Weekend. An Artbar favourite, Beg To Differ Quartet, are back with a special late concert.
Tim Ninehouse on keyboards, vocals; Doug Sikma on guitar; Steve Foster on drums and new member Ryan Ethier on bass. Unique renditions of blues, jazz and funk songs, drawing from a large musical repertoire from early blues roots to jazzified contemporary songs. http://reverbnation.com/begtodiffertrio
Event, James North events, Music, Music-Blues, Music-funk, Music-Jazz, Music-rock
Friday September 13, 2019, 6 to 9 pm, $5. Supercrawl Weekend. Pop-rock music showcase from Mohawk music program: Joshua Pascua, ADVM, and Skylar Valli.
Thursday, September 12, 2019, at 8 pm, $10. Artword welcomes back singer-songwriter Rebekah Hawker with a concert celebrating the release of her new EP release Careful Women.
With guest sets by singer-songwriters Emma Elena Grace and Shealagh Rose.
For reservations call: 905-543-8512
August Special Concert #4. We will be open for only these special events:
Saturday, August 24, 2019, at 8 pm. Admission by donation. Marcelo Puente, singer-songwriter, gives a fundraiser concert for his trip: “I was invited to Chile to play in October at the Museo de la Memoria. It is for me a great honour to be part of that, the memory of the atrocity of the dictatorship.” Marcelo is among the many Chileans forced into exile by the brutal Pinochet dictatorship after the military coup in 1973 against President Allende.
August Special Concert #3. We will be open for only these special events:
Friday August 16, 2019, at 8 pm, $10. Two singer-songwriters on tour: Dana Sipos, plus Sarah Beatty with lead guitarist Peter Horvat.
Dana Sipos is an acclaimed Canadian songwriter who tours internationally, extensively and often by alternative means; tall ship, train, canoe, bicycle. Nominated for numerous Canadian Folk Music Awards, Dana is touring in support of her 2018 release, Trick of the Light, described as a “luminous and compelling work (Exclaim!).” Her work is described as “beautifully crafted, slightly strange and completely mesmerising (Gold Flake Paint UK).” www.danasipos.com
Quirky and captivating, songwriter and scientist Sarah Beatty is known for enchanting audiences with warmth, wit, and messages that make people think. She is touring with virtuoso lead guitarist Peter Horvat, from Austria. Her album, Bandit Queen, released in February 2017 peaked at #1 on Canada’s Roots charts, recognized by bloggers and industry insiders as one of those albums that people need to hear, is on international playlists from Nashville to The Netherlands. www.sarahbeatty.ca/
Artword Artbar, 15 Colbourne St, off James St North, one block south of Barton. Click to enlarge.
ArtwordBlog
Wed May 17, 2017. We just received notification of this honour! Artword Artbar selected as one of the 35 best jazz venues in Canada.
