Hamilton based slacker poet B.A Johnston may have to give up his slacker cred if he keeps up with his
prodigious musical output.
He just released a CD “ Hi Dudes” last year and is already working on a new album as well as a re released 10th anniversary edition of “My Heart is a Blinking Nintendo.” Plus he is working on new music. for another new album her hopes to record and release next year.
“It’s about 90 per cent written. But I’m running out of fast food restaurants to write about,” joked Johnston from Nanaimo, while praying his van will make it back across the country for the rest of his tour.
He writes a lot of humourous songs life, love, convenience stores about McDonald‘s Coupon Day, Pita Pit, Tim Hortons and food— lots of songs about food.
He will be playing the e Owl Acoustic Lounge with Fist City, June 11.
“ I’ve got some new sweaters, some new songs, but it will be the same old show at the same old place with the same opening band and the same old jokes,” Johnston summarized.
“ I never thought I’d still be doing this 10 years later. I thought I’d have a nice office job somewhere by now,” he said adding this is a lot more fun.
He will be bringing back his B.A. Johnson backdrop, which is a relatively new addition to the show.
“ I made it for a live DVD in 2006 and stored it in a friend’s basement and forgot about it. He asked me when I was going to come and get it, so I thought I might as well use it,” he said.
He wrote most of the new songs right before this tour.
“ We had a pretty bad winter in Hamilton. there was a lot of snow, so I stayed inside a lot playing a lot on Nintendo Donkey Kong 3,” he observed.
He also wrote his first “serious ” song about Neil Hope, the actor who played the character Wheels on the Degrassi High television shows.
“ He died in a Hamilton rooming house and nobody knew about it. There were a lot of parallels in his life and Wheels’ life,” Johnston said adding that inspired him.
“ Even his family didn’t find out about it for three years,” he said adding he hasn’t played a lot of the new songs live yet.
B.A. Johnston and Fist City play the Owl Acoustic Lounge on June 11. There is no cover for the show.
