Artword Artbar

Friday February 15, 2019, at 8 pm.
$15 advance, $20 door.
Call 905-543-8512 or
Book online  

The wonderful blues/gospel duo Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley are bringing us a very special show: “Morning Sun” – a celebration in song for Black History Month.
Chris and Diana’s most recent appearance at Artword Artbar was in October 2018 in the Steel City Jazz Festival with a show of vintage jazz and blues.
Chris and Diana’s website

Event, Music, Music-Blues, Music-roots, Special event

Event, Music, Special event

Monday October 29, 2018, 7:30 pm, $15.00, $10 students. Book online  
Special event at Artword Artbar!
Acclaimed jazz / hip-hop trumpet player Brownman Ali will lead an all-star quartet through his popular annual Halloween Thriller concert.
Brownman Ali – electric trumpet (Jay-z, Guru, Missy Elliot)
Nick Maclean – synthesizer (Snaggle, Robert Ball, Ori Dagan)
Sean Dennis – 6-string electric bass (Brownman Electryc Trio)
Jacob Aylward – drums (KC Roberts & The Live Revolution)
The much lauded Brownman Electryc Trio + 1 will perform the entire Michael Jackson Thriller recording, interpreted and re-worked in the Miles Davis-esque fashion this multiple National Jazz Award winning improviser has become known for.  In addition to the quartet performing Thriller top to bottom, other MJ classics will be featured through the night for this unique Halloween jazz party series.  Costumes and Thriller video dance moves encouraged.  http://www.thriller.brownman.com/

Event, Music, Music-Jazz, Music-pop-etc., Special event

Wednesday June 20, 2018, at 8 pm (by donation). An evening of Syrian and Latin American music, hosted by the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees. Special guest is Syrian oud player Moutaz. Also performing are singer Lil America from El Salvador via Cuba, and local band Babbage Industries. More details coming.
Event on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/129236804593724/

Event, Music, Music-World, Special event

Tuesday June 19, 2018, from 6 to 9 pm. All ages. Exchange for Change – a clothing swap fundraiser in support of Under The Willows, arts and garden program where children who experience adverse life circumstances may joyfully express themselves as creative individuals of value. www.underthewillows.org
What: Snazzy duds, rad tunes, yummy treats and chill zones for relaxing. All donated items are up for grabs for $2 each!
How: Bring your still-wearable but no longer-for-you clothes. to the swap itself. Or have them picked up for a fee of $5 with proceeds from pickup going to UTW, Email singfromthestart@gmail.com to arrange pickup.
Why: Because UTW is amazing. Because clothes left over will be donated to
Drama Dressup. Because your closet needs a refresh so why not do it
for a good cause. Because $2 is a ludicrously lovely price to pay for your
new favourite top/pants/dress/skirt/shoes/hat/mitts/tux. Because Artword is
a super fun place to hang out. Because YOLO and FOMO. Because you want to!

Event, Special event

Sunday June 10, from 4 to 7 pm. Our good friend Glenn Hardcastle died at St. Joseph’s Hospital on Saturday May 26, 2018 in his 79th year after a short illness. His partner Valerie Kay has asked us to host a celebration of Glenn’s life, with lots of music and memories and love. Some Artword favourites will perform a song or two: Charly Chiarelli, Tim Ninehouse, Paula Grove, Gordon Odegaard, and more.
Glenn was a frequent concert-goer and theatre enthusiast, at Artword Artbar and other arts hangouts. He was also an artist, musician and nature lover. Valerie has been a member of Artword Theatre Ensemble since 2008 in Hamilton, appearing in You Are What You Do, Rascals and Numskulls, James Street, and Scroogissimo. Glenn was Val’s devoted supporter at all of these. Glenn, we will miss your sparkling eyes and cheeky smile!

Event, Special event

Tuesday March 27, 2018, 7 to 10 pm. The Annual General Meeting of the Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Event, Hamilton Fringe Theatre Fest, News, Special event

Friday, March 16, 2018, 8 to 11pm,  (viernes, 16 de marzo 2018,  20:00 a 23:00), at Artword Artbar, an evening of poetry and music, for the Grito de Mujer International Festival. Hamilton Coordinator is Ama Luna, with collaborators from Friends of the Poet Tree. The theme for 2018 is Faros de esperanza / Beacons of hope.

Event, Literary, Spoken Word, Music-Latin, Music-World, Special event

Sunday March 4, 2018, at 7:30 pm. $15/$10. Artword Artbar is hosting a special concert:  Zula Presents a celebration of the music of Ken Aldcroft performed by Two Hours Early, Ten Minutes Late + Mars People. This concert is part of an 8-venue tour.
** Two Hours Early, Ten Minutes Late: saxophone and guitar duo music by Ken Aldcroft performed by Jason Robinson & Eric Hofbauer (USA)
** Mars People: music by & for Ken Aldcroft, performed by Emily Denison, Daniel Kruger & Joe Sorbara (Montréal/ Toronto)
March 2 to 11 2018 will see a vanload of adventurous musicians from both sides of the 49th parallel travel from Montréal through Southern Ontario in celebration of the late guitarist Ken Aldcroft, a long time leading figure in Canada’s creative music community. Read more…

Event, Music, Music-Jazz, Special event

Wednesday February 28, 2018, at 8 pm, doors open at 7 pm, free. Open to all. Join scientists from McMaster University’s Physics and Astronomy Department for an entertaining night filled with scientific discussion, trivia, and beer. At Science on Tap, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with researchers in various scientific fields as they present some of science’s most intriguing phenomena. There will be plenty of time to ask questions while the scientists are on stage, or afterwards over cold pints. Come try this educational twist on a night out at the pub. Host: Joey Rucska.

Event, Special event

Thursday February 22, 2018, from 7 to 9 pm, free (call 905-543-8512). Reading of a new script-in-progress by playwright, screenwriter and director Kevin Land. Readers are: Deanna  Stevens, Martha Christianson, Aimee Kesler Evans, Janet Kompare Fritz, Greg Flis, Carlos Jiminez, John Land, Dean Rooney, Julian Nicholson, Paul Rivers.
Attentive listeners with an interest in theatre are welcome to attend. Seating is limited, call 905-543-8512 to reserve.
“Static” is a film script about a musician who has never been able to forgive himself for his responsibility in the death of his wife and six month old baby while driving home late after a gig over 25 years ago. Having rejected music, alcohol, and human connectedness in the intervening years, Mitch, now retired as a letter carrier, rents a recording studio to put down nine songs he wrote in the ten years after the accident. There he works with a trans woman who is an intern sound engineer and in the process, the two form a bond out of the redemptive, communal, and restorative nature of music.

Event, Literary, Spoken Word, Special event, Theatre

Wednesday February 21, 2018. Artword Artbar will be closed to the public today. We are holding OPEN AUDITIONS for several upcoming theatre projects by Gallery on the Bay and Artword Theatre. Gallery on the Bay is seeking to fill two roles for men in 20s-30s age range. Artword Theatre doing Get Acquainted auditions for a variety of possible projects, for men and women, any age. To make an appointment for an audition, email: artword@artword.net.

Event, Special event, Theatre

Friday February 9, 2018, two shows: 6:30 pm (SOLD OUT)
9:30 pm $25 Adv, (Call 905-543-8512 or 905-912-9083)
$30 Door for 9:30 show only
A tribute concert to the late Willie P. Bennett, icon of Canadian folk-roots scene up to his untimely death in 2008. To celebrate Willie’s legacy, Willie’s guitar player and blues man extraordinaire, Rick Taylor, teamed up with Barry James Payne from String Bone and Rant Maggie Rant to create a show celebrating the legendary folk hero. As well as performing some Willie P Bennett songs themselves, they are bringing in Bennett’s first record producer, guitar virtuoso David Essig and Juno Award winning singer-songwriter Jenny Whiteley to top the list of artists, which also include Paul Langille, Michael J. Birthelmer, and Linda McRae (from Nashville, new addition to the line-up). Plus Lynne Hanson from Ottawa will join just prior to heading on a European Tour with Lynn Miles in The LYNNeS.
Born in Toronto, Willie P. Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, Read more…

Event, Music-folk, Music-roots, Special event

The Steel City Jazz Festival launches a series of free talks designed to widen the conversation about how musicians make great jazz.

Friday, October 27, 5 pm, at Artword Artbar. A clinic by drummer Aubrey Dayle of On Topic Trio. He’ll be covering what it takes to be the backbone of the rhythm section.

Saturday, October 28, at Artword Artbar, three afternoon talks.
*noon: Smordin Law Artist-in-Residence Colleen Allen, with a talk on improvisation.
*2:00 pm: Adrean Farrugia (pianist and Mohawk faculty member) speaks on Music and Mindfulness. Farrugia: “Mindfulness can create a liberated space within which we can discover our own true potential as artists, and possibly even as human beings.”
*4:00 pm: Dr. John Chong speaks about some medical problems common in performing artists. He describes the latest ways to treat or prevent repetitive strain injuries, motor control problems, anxiety, depression, neuropathic pain, nerve entrapments, and stress-related disorders.

Sunday, October 29, 2:00 pm, at Hamilton Central Library. A panel discussion on the history of jazz music in Hamilton, the current state of the scene and avenues for further development. The panel includes musicians and teachers Astrid Hepner and Mike Malone and jazz venue owner Ronald Weihs.

Event, Special event, Steel City Jazz Festival

Saturday September 9, 2017, events at Artword Artbar for Supercrawl weekend:
* 7 to 10 pm, pwyc /suggested $5-$10: Melodic Pixel Media hosts a Supercrawl Saturday Songwriter Showcase: with The Human Race, Brandon General, This Mad Desire.
* the human race: A special set as a one-man-band with live-loopers and as a duo with Pamela Gardner. The Human Race is the music of Adam F Carter; melodic, heartfelt, ironic and weird. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD5drKjfXYNHoxiDw0Ct_ZQ
* My Flying Machine: Brandon P. General‘s solo project. Sad songs from the basement. Resulting in a sound that is somewhere between Ryan Adams and M. Ward. https://myflyingmachine.bandcamp.com/
* This Mad Desire:   The brainchild of Mackenzie Kristjon, This Mad Desire recently released a delightful single and music video for ‘Operators Are Standing By’. Quirky and weird, highly entertaining. https://thismaddesire.bandcamp.com/

Event, Music, Special event

Monday July 10, 2017, at 7:30 pm, $15. SPECIAL SHOW! Call Artword Artbar 905-543-8512, or Book online

Matapa World Festival Series presents the WÖR band from Belgium, on a festival tour in Ontario.  The musicians: Fabio Di Meo, baritone & soprano saxophone; Bert Ruymbeek accordion; Jeroen Goegebuer violin; Pieterjan Van Kerckhoven bagpipes, musette, soprano saxophone; Jonas Scheys guitar. Back to the 1780’s! If it sounded good back then, why not today?
“Wör’s album is brilliant. It’s very exciting to hear a young band reinterpreting old manuscripts in a refreshing and new way” Sam Sweeney – BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician Of The Year 2015
With their finely textured arrangements WÖR injects new energy into 18th-century tunes from the Flanders region of Belgium. Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on tunes from the manuscripts of De Gruijtters (Antwerp, 1746), Van Belle (Van Belle, 1743), De Prins (Leuven, 1781) and many more.     “They’re all astonishing musicians, coaxing fantastic sounds out of their chosen instruments. But more than this, they craft intricate and fresh arrangements for each piece.” Stephen D. Winnick – Huffington Post

Event, Music, Music-Classical, Music-World, Special event

Saturday June 24, 2017, at 8 pm, $20.
Call 905-543-8512, or Book online

Robert Missen presents Romancing the Song, performed by singers Lorretta Bailey and James Gordon, with Michael Mulrooney on piano, in a tribute to the wealth of musical treasures from the Great American Songbook. Three of Canada’s foremost entertainers perform popular songs from musical theatre, films and Tin Pan Alley of the early to mid-20th century, including songs by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers and others. Lorretta Bailey, James Gordon and Michael Mulrooney have all had lengthy and distinguished careers in concerts and theatres across Canada.
Lorretta Bailey is one of Canada’s finest musical theatre performers came to prominence as Eponine in the Toronto production of Les Miserables. She went on to perform with all of the major regional theatre companies across Canada. She is a Founding Co-Artistic Director of the Lowville Festival, the “festival of all the arts for the artist in all of us”, which is held annually in and around the historic hamlet of Lowville in north Burlington.
James Gordon, a native of Guelph, was a founder and long-time member of Tamarack, the acclaimed Canadian folk group, Read more…

Event, Music, Special event

Friday May 19, 2017, at 8 pm. Tickets: Advanced $20 (call 905-543-8512); Seniors & Students $18; Matapa Members $18; Door $25.
Matapa World Music Series presents Tony Gouveia, an impressive voice of a new generation of fadistas (fado singers) in North America. Fado is the urban folk music of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. Tony Gouveia was born in Lisbon, and came to Canada at the age of 13. He never forgot his roots nor the fados that his father used to sing at family gatherings. His debut fado album, O Nosso Fado, a compilation of fado standards reveals his deep passion and authentic vocal expression. Critically acclaimed by the Portuguese-Canadian media, it won over many new fans to fado. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, it is difficult not to be moved by Tony’s performance which embodies the essence of the Portuguese soul. His new album, Fado Ardente, recorded in Portugal, offers a blend of new original material along with some fado standards.
https://www.matapa.org/world-music-series

Event, Music-World, Special event

Friday May 5, 2017 at 8 pm. Tickets Advanced $20 (call Artword 905-543-8512); Seniors & Students $15; Matapa Members $15; Door $25.
Matapa World Music Series presents Waleed Kush African Jazz Ensemble combining 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; Brian Dhari tenor saxophone; John Ebata keyboard, piano, accordion; Aaron Ferrera drums, percussion; Cory Sitek alto and soprano saxophone, flute.   https://www.matapa.org/world-music-series

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, producer and film maker, Waleed Abdulhamid was born in Sudan.  Read more…

Event, Music-World, Special event

Saturday April 15, 2017. Acoustic Moments Easter weekend special dinner & show. Call Artword Artbar 905-543-8512, or Book online
**Dinner + show, doors 7:00, dinner 7:30 pm, $20 (SOLD OUT).
**Show only, at 8:30 pm, some tickets at door only.
Mr. Jay hosts another fabulous Acoustic Moments show & dinner, with world-class reggae music by The Riddim Riders Unplugged. Core members Franklin Joseph and Mike Rajczak are joined by vocalist Lauren Mikayla and lead guitar Keon Crosswell.
Chef Learie Mc Nicolls will be cooking up some jerk chicken with rice and steam vegetables, Trinidad style, or a vegetarian stir fry option.

Event, Music, Music-World, Special event

Friday April 14, 2017, at 8 pm, $tba. Beg To Differ Trio present a special Good Friday concert. Tim Ninehouse on keyboards, vocals; Doug Sikma on guitar; Steve Foster on drums. 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, Music-Blues, Special event

Wednesday March 22, 2017, at 7:30. Hamilton’s Make Art Theatre presents an evening of three play-readings as part of The Future is Female Festival. The plays featured are:
** How to Date a Politically-Correct Feminist (Or, the Compassion Experiment) by Emma Harr
** Press  by Alice Stanley Jr.
** Low & Away by Demetra Kareman
Readers: Cadance Allen, Liz Buchanan, Sean Emberley, Carlos Jimenez, Kenneth Johnson, Tina Kocic, Amy Noelle Milligan, and Amber Wood

The Future is Female Festival is a festival of readings of short plays by women of all backgrounds on the subject “the future is female” and what that means to them. The festival is happening across North America throughout the month of March. It is an expression of the hope that the future will hold equality for all and a celebration of women in theatre. https://thefutureisfemalefestival.com/

Event, Special event, Theatre

Saturday March 11, 2017, at 8 pm, free. Grito de Mujer (Woman Scream) is a night of music and poetry that is part of the Woman Scream International Poetry Festival celebrated in March of each year. The night is dedicated to raising awareness about violence against women and girls. There will be poetry and music. The poets include: Amaluna, Constanza Duran, Angie C., Edith Chávez, Klyde Broox, Kelsey Knight, Violeta San Juan, Tania Pineda.
Musicians include: Lil America, Nancy Reyes, Rowena Chow, Marcelo Puente, Fito Molina.
For more info about the international festival: http://www.gritodemujer.com/

Event, Literary, Spoken Word, Music, Music-Latin, Special event