B.A. Johnston got to rock the Owl Acoustic lounge on a Friday night, June 2.
He usually plays on a Tuesday with a couple hot opening acts. It was the same this night.
I missed the Decadent Phase’s opening set, but caught an intense, riff driven set of stoner rock and desert rock by the Rainbow Patrol who had trimmed down to a trio for this show . As usual bassist Jacqueline Kennelly put on an energetic show. Guitarist Richard Charlton traded lead vocalists with drummer Travis Arnoldussen.
A slower song, the spooky ‘Toodleoo,” had a Tool feel.
They ended on a more Queens of the Stone Age feel.
I missed the first part of B.A. Johnston’s set, but even though it is basically the same old schtick, same jokes and same crowd favourites, a B.A. Johnston show is always a guaranteed good time. I missed him a few month ago when he was here on a Tuesday, but made a point of catching him this time.
I never tire of watching B.A. Johnston standing on a chair, stripping off layers of identical sweatshirts, jumping into the audience, tangling everyone up in his microphone cord, feeding them their own beer, rolling on the floor, standing on tables and wandering behind the bar to feed bartender Braeden a bottle in between bashing away at an old Discman, keyboard and battered guitar.
His ‘new song’ “Deep Fryer in my Bedroom” is always a popular sing-along for the alcohol fuelled audience. An actual new song about whipped[ cream in a box was a highlight.
The clown prince of Hamilton has been a busy man. He just released his second CD in less than two years. So he played a few from the Werewolves of London,Ontario,” and the brand new on “ Argos Suck,” including the title track.
He wound down with newer crowd favourite “ We’re All Going to Jail (Except Pete, he’s Going to Die) about going to a Van Halen concert under the influence, before leading the crowd into the guys bathroom, to sing along while he stood on the singing “ I Want to Drink In A Bar Filled with Aliens).
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
