20 questions with Christopher Clause

By Heather Judson

This month I had the opportunity to fire some questions at Christopher Clause, local singer/songwriter and man of God, native Hamiltonian. Clause is a pastor at the James Street Baptist Church. A self-taught guitarist, he passed the audition at McMaster University and graduated, summa cum laude, with an Honours Bachelor of Music [...]

John Balogh – Bringing music to the city

By Kathy Bainas
“It was Hamilton,” John Balogh reflected on his introduction to working with live entertainment. Now CEO of Big Time Productions, Balogh began his career as a stand up comic opening for musician friends whose bands often performed in their homes. “The camaraderie was at the seed point then. [Musicians] would rent a house [...]

Q&A: Emma Rush, Guitar Hamilton

Let us introduce you to Guitar Hamilton. This new initiative is a non-profit organization promoting and fostering the classical guitar in Hamilton. Locally born Artistic Director Emma Rush completed her MA in Germany, and it was Europe’s lively classical guitar scene that inspired her to form Guitar Hamilton in 2009.

Terra Lightfoot

It looks like 2010 will be a busy year for rootsy singer-songwriter, Terra Lightfoot. A constant fixture of the local music and arts community – her February looks like this: an opening slot for Basia Bulat, a supporting role in The Dinner Belles’ old fashioned country debauchery on Valentine’s Day, occasional guitar teaching gigs in [...]

Ben Veneer brings his brand of folk to Hamilton

Ben Veneer will be showcasing his music this Friday, February 12 at Freeway Coffeehouse, 333 King Street East.

No rest for The Rest

By Melissa Wade
What do you do when your rock band is booked to play to a bar full of dance fans?
That’s what Hamilton band, The Rest, came up against when they shared their first New York bill with DJs and dance acts this past June. “Within three songs, [the dance crowd] started to [...]

Pop goes the Philharmonic

By Amy Kenny
Jamie Sommerville was never drawn to the French Horn. He only learned to play because it was the last instrument left to choose from in his high school music class.
Today, he is the principal hornist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Juno for [...]

Arkells – Downtown, Dine Alone, and a new Disc

By Amy Kenny
All roads lead to Jackson Square. Just ask The Arkells.
“It’s kind of an amazing place,” says keyboardist Dan Griffin. “Jackson is the centre of the city and, for better or worse, [The Arkells] have a lot to do with that area. Whenever we end up down there, there’s always a story to tell.” [...]

Teenage Head Timeline

By Liz Worth
In October, the passing of Teenage Head’s Frankie Venom was felt across Canada. Venom has become a legend as a punk icon and proponent of teenage beer drinkin’ parties everywhere, and with over three decades of gigs under their belt, the loss of Venom will undoubtedly leave a permanent void.
There isn’t [...]

Matthew de Zoete – Looking up from the bottom of the world

By Amy Kenny
The first time I saw Matthew de Zoete live, the place was empty. I should mention that the venue was my living room, and the “show” was a last-minute rehearsal between de Zoete and his pedal steel player (AKA my roommate). De Zoete wanted to go over a few songs before a late [...]