"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
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July 18 to 28, 2019: Artword Artbar BYOV hosts three plays in the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Tickets: $12 (Fringe Backer Button required)
Tickets: http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/
Bungalow is a new play written and directed by Sky Gilbert, performed by Shaun McComb and Tim Walker. Bungalow is a play you might find happening in your front (or back) yard. Sky’s take on gentrification is to write plays in which members of Hamilton’s working class — the ‘hardcore Hamilton’ survivors — take centre stage, and often face off with Hamilton’s more wealthy, sometimes newly arrived, prosperous elites. Kiefer runs a coffee shop and Lloyd is, well — kind of a grifter who likes a drink once in awhile. They are next door neighbours. They meet on Kiefer’s porch. Kiefer would prefer that Lloyd would go away. But he doesn’t, and through their meetings we learn a lot about the two men, and about the class distinctions that sometimes separate us.
Running time: 60 minutes.
Showtimes: 19 Jul Fri: 9:00 pm. 20 Jul Sat: 5:00 pm, 21 Jul Sun: 3:00 pm
26 Jul Fri: 9:00 pm, 27 Jul Sat: 5:00 pm, 28 Jul Sun: 3:00 pm
July 18 to 28, 2019: Artword Artbar BYOV hosts three plays in the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Tickets: $12 (Fringe Backer Button required)
Tickets: http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/
Charly’s Piano, performed by Charly Chiarelli, written by Charly Chiarelli and Ronald Weihs, directed by Ronald Weihs, songs by Charly Chiarelli.
Charly’s Piano tells the true tale of Charly as a young hippie looking for work in Toronto in 1972. He gets a job in a psychiatric hospital, and organizes a fundraising concert by patients and doctors to buy a piano.
Running time: 60 minutes.
Showtimes: 18 Jul Thu: 9:00 pm, 19 Jul Fri: 7:00 pm, 20 Jul Sat: 9:00 pm, 21 Jul Sun: 7:00 pm, 23 Jul Tue: 9:00 pm, 24 Jul Wed: 7:00 pm, 25 Jul Thu: 9:00 pm, 26 Jul Fri: 7:00 pm, 27 Jul Sat: 9:00 pm
July 18 to 28, 2019: Artword Artbar BYOV hosts three plays in the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Tickets: $12 (Fringe Backer Button required)
Tickets: http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/
Tiny Bill Cody Sees the Devil, written and performed by musician and storyteller Tor Lukasik-Foss.
Tiny Bill Cody Sees the Devil uses story and song to recount the true story of meeting the devil on a Hamilton street in the 1980’s. It also a story about regret, hesitation, a mid life crisis, and the city’s best falafel.
Running time: 60 minutes.
Showtimes: 18 Jul Thu: 7:00 pm, 19 Jul Fri: 5:00 pm, 20 Jul Sat: 7:00 pm, 21 Jul Sun: 5:00 pm, 23 Jul Tue: 7:00 pm, 24 Jul Wed: 9:00 pm, 25 Jul Thu: 7:00 pm, 26 Jul Fri: 5:00 pm, 27 Jul Sat: 7:00 pm
Saturday July 13, 2019, at 8 pm, $15. The MOJO Octet brings together great players from the Hamilton and surrounding area, and a great repertoire to challenge them. Featuring five horn players: John Bialy trumpet; Don Templeton trombone; Darren Blundel alto sax; Lindsay Paul tenor sax; Dave Runbicini baritone sax; AND Brandon Walker piano; Tom Altobelli bass; Ken Bower drums. This dynamic octet takes an uncompromising approach to their own brand of jazz. Join the Men Of Jazz Octet for a great evening of hard bop and beyond from composers such as Don Sickler, Dave Holland and Bill Cunliffe.
Friday July 12, 2019, at 8 pm, $20 regular / $10 students. Call 905-543-8512 or Book online
Modern instrumental improvised music with The Lorne Lofsky / Adrean Farrugia Quartet: featuring Lorne Lofsky guitar; Adrean Farrugia piano; Kieran Overs acoustic bass; Chris Wallace drums.
Lorne Lofsky is an internationally recognized jazz guitarist. Born and raised in Toronto, he has been playing professionally for the last 42 years. He has played/toured or recorded with a who’s who of the jazz world, including Oscar Peterson, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Chet Baker, Joey DeFrancesco, Pepper Adams, Ray Brown, Neils Henning Orsted Pederson, Rosemary Clooney, Kirk MacDonald, Dave Holland, and many other respected members of the international jazz community.
Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano. Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan. Adrean has performed/recorded with some of music’s greatest and most diverse artists including: Sheila Jordan, Ernie Watts, Brad Goode, Pat Labarbera, Adam Nussbaum, Curtis Fuller, Cyrille Aimee, Lorne Lofsky, Molly Johnson, Jane Bunnett, Joel Frahm, Dafnis Prieto, Kinan Azmeh, Kenny Wheeler, Don Thompson.
Thursday July11, 2019, 8 pm, $10.
The Vagabond Duet: Geoff Ball on cello, guitar and vocals, and Rachel Nolan on pedal harp, lever harp and vocals. The Vagabond Duet mixes and mashes musical genres with reckless abandon. Cello and harp and two voices come together to bring you folk & baroque, old and new, fierce and lilting, existentialism and hope. In addition to their original compositions, you will hear Simon & Garfunkel, Claude Debussy, The Tea Party, Fleetwood Mac and more, as you have never heard them before.
Event, Music, Music-Classical, Music-folk, Music-singer/songwriter
Wednesday July 10, 2019, at 8 pm. Carissa Kimbell‘s Going Away/EP Fundraising Show. Tickets are $25 (includes digital download). Ticket link Eventbrite.
Singer-songwriter Carissa Kimbell is performing original songs from her new album Like Water, with Andrew Aldridge on lead guitar.
Saturday July 6, 2019 at 8 pm, $15. Another of our Peña evenings, this time performed by Los Quatro: Marcelo Puente, Pepe Sanhueza, Nano Valverde, Miguel Vásquez. An evening of Latin-american folk music / Canto popular latinoamericano.
Friday July 5, 2019 at 8 pm,
$15 at door, $10 advance online: Book online
Jazz with the Nick Maclean Quartet: Nick Maclean piano, Brownman Ali trumpet, Jesse Dietschi bass, Tyler Goertzen drums.
The award-winning Nick Maclean Quartet makes Artword Artbar the second stop of their September tour. Led by 26-year-old fast-rising piano star Nick Maclean, this contemplative and often thrilling quartet explores modern jazz in the vein of 60’s Blue Note era Herbie Hancock. The quartet features Brownman Ali, internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet iconoclast: “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpet player” (NYC Village Voice).
Nick Maclean – piano (www.NicholasMaclean.com) Brownman Ali – trumpet (www.Brownman.com)
Jesse Dietschi – bass (www.JesseDietschi.com) Tyler Goertzen – drums
Thursday July 4, 2019, 8 pm, $10/pwyc. They just Keep Comin’ Back! Alt-Rock act Water Bear (songwriters Tom Dusome & Alex T.) returns to the Artbar to release their song Keep Comin’ Back, produced, mixed, and recorded by Hamilton legend Mike Trebilcock.
Water Bear will perform two sets: one as a full band, and one as the original acoustic duo. “We write songs about resistance, resilience, and home.”
There will be an open mic to follow, for those who want to share.
https://waterbear.bandcamp.com
Thursday June 27, 2019, at 8 pm. $10/pwyc. George Douglas hosts a singer-songwriter night at Artword Artbar, with Marcus Starr, Gavin O’Sullivan and Jesse Macrae. They will be serving up some tasty handcrafted songs for your entertainment and enjoyment. Start your Canada Day weekend on Thursday night!
Wednesday June 26, 2019, at 8 pm, $10. Twenty-one year old independent singer/songwriter and recording artist, Julianna Jones hosts an evening of her own original Pop and RnB songs. 
Plus a special guest, folk singer/songwriter Cassidy Taylor (photo right).
Musicians include: Spencer Devolin bass, James DeGeer guitar, Santiago Rozo keys, Cameron Watson bass.
Saturday June 22, 2019 at 8 pm, $15. Call 905-543-8512 or Book online
The Waleed Kush African Jazz Ensemble is back for their summer show at Artword. This ensemble combines the ancient rhythms of Africa with the jazz harmonies of modern times. Waleed Abdulhamid (Composer/Band Leader) explains: “We play melody on top of traditional jazzy chord progressions with a twist of African ancient rhythms. There is a place for African instruments such as gombri, lakoumbe, marimba in the music.”
Band members are: Waleed Abdulhamid bass, vocals, percussion; Joseph Callender soprano and tenor saxophone; tba keyboard, piano, accordion; Ilios Steryannis, drum kit.
Friday June 21, 2019, at 8 pm, $15. Call 905-543-8512 or Book online
Back at Artword, The Acoustics: Bonnie Bell on violin, Vince Spoto on guitar and vocals, and Alfonso Spoto on accordion, playing their own lively and original folk/rock, world/roots compositions with distinctive musical arrangements.
For the past 16 years, they have been cultivating their unique music for local fans and venues. During this period they have released three studio CD’s, their debut CD (Dec. 2003) A Thousand Yesterdays, their second CD, Forever and a Day (Dec. 2007), and their third CD, Erie Long (Jan. 2013).
Thursday June 20, 2019, at 8:00 pm, $20 or pwyc. World Refugee Day Concert hosted by the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees, in support of family reunification for refugees.
Arabic songs by Moutaz Al-Shalabi on oud and Marah Assaf on vocals.
Music of Latin America by Lil America and Marcelo Puente.
Eclectic roots rock by Babbage Industries.
Donations over $20 are eligible for an income tax receipt!
From the United Nations website: “In a world where violence forces thousands of families to flee for their lives each day, the time is now to show that the global public stands with refugees. On World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20th, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees. This year, World Refugee Day also marks a key moment for the public to show support for families forced to flee.”
Tuesday June 18, at 9 pm, free admission (sponsored by Hamilton Arts Council and the Downtown BIA). Part of Hamilton Arts Week.Event, Literary, Spoken Word, Music, Music-Classical, Special event, Storytelling
Saturday June 15, 2019, at 8 pm, $15 door, $10 advance. Call 905-543-8512 or Book online
From punk to present: Edgar Breau and Jean Caffeine bring songs and stories from their storied pasts.
Edgar Breau is a local and national treasure steeped in folk and Canadiana. Playing a style of guitar he describes as ‘Canadian primitive’, Edgar’s songs run the gamut from folk to blues to country to pastoral with a lyricism rare in this age of instant communication. Joining him on stage will be jazz vocalist extraordinaire, Colina Phillips of the legendary girl group, The Tiaras and a charter member of Toronto’s super session singers, THE GIRLS.
Jean Caffeine is an Austin-based genre-fluid artist who writes folk pop/folk punk and Americana hooky tunes that will burrow into your ear. In the mid aughts, Jean spent two years in Hamilton and a year in TO. During that time Jean collaborated musically with Mike Trebilcock. Mike T. will be backing Jean up at the show. Mike has played in the Killjoys, Simply Saucer and the low heels and composes music for ghoulish movies and musicals.
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.
