Artword Artbar

Thursday, October 24, 2019, at 8 pm. $15.
To reserve tickets (and seating), call 905-543-8512, or  Book online

Hamilton for Beginners: a show of stories, songs and photos featuring singer-songwriter-journalist Mark McNeil. Followed by a song-swap with Mark and harmonica wiz Les Smith.
Hamilton for Beginners: Fresh from the Hamilton Fringe, singer-songwriter and long-time Spectator journalist Mark McNeil performs a special expanded version of his one-man show about the quirky city we live in. If you’re new to the terrain — maybe fleeing TO’s ridiculous housing prices — or whether you’re a longtime Hamiltonian looking for a refresher, Hamilton for Beginners is a must see. In words, songs and photos, Mark takes you on a tour of the strange history and odd practices of the “the biggest small town on the planet.”
The show will be followed by a song-swap session with Mark and singer-songwriter and harmonica wiz Les Smith. Les has performed around the area for decades with bands such as Crowbar and Trickbag and runs the Hamilton Regional Songwriters Group, an offshoot of the Songwriters Association of Canada.

Event, Music, Music-singer/songwriter, Storytelling, Theatre

Tuesday June 18, at 9 pm, free admission (sponsored by Hamilton Arts Council and the Downtown BIA). Part of Hamilton Arts Week.
Special event at Artword Artbar: The Capella Intima vocal quartet (Sheila Dietrich soprano, Jennifer Enns Modolo alto, Bud Roach tenor and Artistic Director, David Roth bass) performs Hamilton, Durand, Pub & Parlour, the story of the founding of Hamilton, with music and readings from early 19th to 20th centuries. Fun, enlightening programme on the city’s early days: settlement, growth, war, court system, pub songs, churches, development. Readings are from Public Library archives. Runs 45 minutes. www.capellaintima.com
Founded by tenor Bud Roach (of Hammer Baroque) in 2008, Capella Intima has carved out a niche for itself in the Toronto/Hamilton early music scene by presenting the vocal chamber music of the 17th century in exciting concerts of rarely-heard gems. With motets and cantatas for up to four voices interspersed with readings from composers, performers and critics of the period, audiences are given context to music

Event, Literary, Spoken Word, Music, Music-Classical, Special event, Storytelling

Friday March 15, 2019, at 9:00 pm, $10. Tiny Bill Cody Sees the Devil. (This is a late show after the 7:30 performance of Langston Hughes vs Joe McCarthy.) Call 905-543-8512.
Tor Lukasik-Foss (aka Tiny Bill Cody) has been delivering off-kilter original songs in this city for two decades, and has recently cut his teeth as a storyteller with the Hamilton Seven. Join him as he presents Tiny Bill Cody Sees the Devil, an interconnected song and story cycle on hesitation, regret, social anxiety, and Satan!

Event, Music, Storytelling

Thursday March 14, 2019, at 9:00 pm, $10 or by donation. (This is a late show after the 7:30 performance of Langston Hughes vs Joe McCarthy.) Call 905-543-8512.
COMBO TICKET $20 with Langston Hughes vs... at 7:30, call or Book online  

The Purple, White and Green: the story of the Scottish Suffragettes. Written to mark the 1918-2018 centenary of (some) women’s right to vote in the UK, this powerful piece of storytelling is both timely and compelling. Storytellers Nicola Wright and Lea Taylor (from Edinburgh, Scotland) present with verve and vigour this mix of historical facts and prose, where deeds and words come together.

Nicola Wright and Lea Taylor performing The Purple, White and Green: the story of the Scottish Suffragettes.

Photo left: performers Lea Taylor and Nicola Wright marching down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, 2018.

Their performance has enthralled audiences and even played at the Scottish Parliament before MSP’s and children.
They will also be performing this show at the Toronto Storytelling Festival on or near International Women’s Day.

Event, Storytelling, Theatre

Friday Dec. 1, 2017 at 8 pm, tip jar. Mark McNeil with Tales from Hamilton. Celebrated singer-songwriter and longtime Spectator reporter Mark McNeil will give you the inside scoop about the city we love. After 35 years of chronicling Hamilton, Mark knows where the bodies are buried and how to write a great song about them. Come hear about Jacko the Killer Monkey, Evelyn Dick, Rocco Perri, Einstein’s Brain, and many other twisted tales from the “biggest small town on the planet.” Joining him will be harmonica virtuoso Les Smith and tuba wizard Jay Burr. Les, who is also an incredible songwriter and heads the Hamilton Regional Songwriters Group, will do an opening set.

Event, Music-singer/songwriter, Storytelling

Friday June 2, 2017, at 9 pm, $10. The ever-unpredictably wonderful Tiny Bill Cody is back with a solo show:  “tiny bill cody sees the devil“, in which tiny bill cody recounts his incredible true story of seeing the devil, thinking about it too much, and then writing lots of songs. It’s the three ‘s’s: storytelling, songwriting, satan.

Event, Music-singer/songwriter, Storytelling