Like the black and white ransom note style letters that spell out This Ain’t Hollywood, the wild and tame performances that have graced the music venue over the years are just as starkly juxtaposed.
Whether you’re born and raised in the Hammer or you experience the city as more than a university town, This Ain’t Hollywood has often served as an introduction to Hamilton’s music scene.
From metal performances on Mondays to last Friday night’s tribute performances to Johnny Cash, the old pub turned rock ‘n’ roll palace has hosted all kinds of acts since co-owner Lou Molinaro alongside Glen “The Hamilton Kid” Faulman and his wife Jodie Faulman bought the James Street North establishment in 2009.
Thousands of hip hop, jazz, classic rock, punk, country, folk and blues performances have taken place on the ten-year-old stage. The venue became a hot spot for Juno after parties, performances for the Canadian Country Music Association’s Country Music Week and drag events.
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While music pulsates through the 125-year-old walls of the building every other night, This Ain’t Hollywood is just as alive during the daylight.
Thursday’s are crafty happy hour sponsored by Collective Arts and Monday’s are for bingo and games. The space was also used by Over The Bridge co-founder Ace Piva to host a naloxone training and overdose prevention awareness event last November.
Now that the building is up for sale for just under $2.15 million, long-time concert goers, friends of the venue and Hamilton-based musicians are wondering about the fate of the venue and the direction the city’s music scene is heading. While the owners are testing the waters for a potential sale, Molinaro insists that the shows must go on.
The venue is making no cancellations to its upcoming booked shows and is still booking performances well into the new year. As the ambiguity around when the venue will be sold looms over everyone’s heads, the This Ain’t Hollywood team is planning to make every moment count before the lights go out.
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While there is still hope that the future buyer would continue to add to the legacy the rock ‘n’ roll palace will leave behind, here’s to remembering the moments that made This Ain’t Hollywood the icon it is in the north end.
[spacer height="20px"]The Other Side of Country
On Sept. 7, 2018 the CCMA hosted a show at This Ain’t Hollywood for the coveted Country Week. House band Dead Flowers had everyone’s feet stomping to the beat of the Rolling Stone’s country songs. Guests included Hamilton’s own Terra Lightfoot as well as Canadian country music singer-songwriters Madeline Merlo, JJ Shiplett, Wayne Petti, Damhnait Doyle and Wes Mack.
[spacer height="20px"]Every B.A. Johnston Performance
Every one of B.A. Johnston’s performances at This Ain’t Hollywood might be just as iconic in the Hamilton music scene as the venue itself. He is one of the most consistent performers, coming back show after show since the venue first opened. Johnston’s comedy music is difficult to explain but there’s a whole lot of laughs and tough love for Hamilton in his lyrics.
[spacer height="20px"]Strummer Night
The Annual Steel City Rockers Tribute to Joe Strummer has made This Ain’t Hollywood the event’s home for the past couple of years. After Faulman had a chance encounter with the Clash’s lead vocalist he decided to pursue music and form The Sam Lawrence 5. Molinaro was starting his own record label at the time and decided to record with the new band. Over a decade later The Sam Lawrence 5 is still performing tributes to Strummer and this year’s performance included renditions by The Let Downs, Sons of Dad, Hoodwinks and much more.
[spacer height="20px"]Sold-out shows
Hamilton’s up and coming indie rockers, the Bandicoots, have held several of their hometown shows at This Ain’t Hollywood. Their sold out EP release party on June 3, 2016 was opened by The Crowleys & Jaunt, two other Hamilton bands on the rise.
Rock band Teenage Head got their start in Hamilton in the early 1980s and they’re still selling out shows. Pop band Un-Teens opened for Teenage Head’s show on Dec. 3, 2016 and both bands gave one of the loudest performances to shake This Ain’t Hollywood’s walls.
[spacer height="20px"]Arkells’ official music video for “Coffee”
In 2013, arguably Hamilton’s biggest musical success story filmed the official music video for their single “Coffee” off of the Michigan Left album at the venue. In between clips of arcade-game style animations the band is seen performing in front of sthe recognizable This Ain’t Hollywood banner. The Arkells held a surprise performance at the venue that same year and performed “Coffee” alongside other tracks off their album.
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In attending events on gentrification, Angela Orasch realized that the conversations on this issue were happening in several discrete places. The McMaster University political science PhD candidate decided to plan an event to bring the different groups together in hopes of creating a network to mitigate the negative effects of gentrification.
The result was the Gathering on Art, Gentrification and Economic Development, funded by The Socrates Project and McMaster University’s Office of Community Engagement. The free public forum, open to all interested individuals, took place from Nov. 9 to Nov. 10 at The Spice Factory.
On Nov. 8, a door by donation kick-off party occurred at This Ain’t Hollywood, featuring performances by Lal, Lee Reed and Cheko Salaam. All proceeds went to the Tenant Turn-Up fundraising tour, a mini-tour connecting the housing struggles of Stoney Creek Towers in Hamilton, Parkdale in Toronto and Herongate in Ottawa.
The two-day forum consisted of a mixture of performances, panels and workshops, allowing individuals to both speak to their personal experiences and share strategies to work against the pitfalls of gentrification.
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“We wanted to have varied programming… so [people] could learn differently through different means and be engaged in the process…. I think it was just a way to avoid the standard almost academic style of conference… it just didn't feel right for the collaborative spirit of what we wanted GAGED to be,” Orasch explained.
The programming was designed to bring multiple perspectives into the same space so individuals could ask questions to and learn from one another. There were contributions by frontline workers, individuals discussing LGBTQ2S+ concerns regarding gentrification, the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, COBRA and the Hamilton Tenants Solidarity Network, among others.
The participants discussed a wide range of topics, such as the role of art in the economic development of Hamilton, what gentrification means for Hamilton’s Indigenous community, the role of McMaster University in the gentrification process, the service industry and gentrification and the perspective of new Hamiltonians.
“I think ideally if we can build bridges and capacity between groups to start challenging some of the negative stuff that's happening… that would be a great takeaway. [By] connecting and networking with various groups… there might be some room for… mutual interest and mutual goals,” Orasch said.
The goal of GAGED was to produce a report of actionable items and best practices models that will be made available to the public and distributed to City Hall, McMaster University, arts organizations and community groups.
However, this forum is only the first step in what Orasch would like to do about tackling gentrification. As with any multi-faceted and unfolding issue, it is impossible for the negative effects of gentrification to be alleviated overnight.
Orasch would like to see GAGED continue into the future, becoming a hub to connect different affected individuals and groups. She would like to see a team associated with GAGED that can continue organizing events, lobbying and creating publications and policy briefs to tackle this ongoing issue in a sustained way. Looking further into the future, Orasch would like to see the work of GAGED extend to other cities.
“I guess one thing is that it's not just gentrification… but it's a broader economic system that's unfair, inherently unfair, and gentrification is just… one way in which the economic system unfolds in cities. But maybe because it's a cohesive concept it's a good one to latch on to it and create an activism around,” Orasch said.
GAGED could become a model for other cities seeking to confront gentrification. It could also evolve into an inter-municipal forum, uniting the strategies, ideas and expertise of groups affected by gentrification in different cities. GAGED is part of the first step in creating an increasingly cohesive strategy.
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By Lukas Spencer
This Ain’t Hollywood (TAH), Hamilton’s home to rock ‘n roll and life-long angst, vibrated wildly last Saturday night on the corner of James North and Murray St. Raw musicality and aggressive power radiated from one man—B.A. Johnston.
Although not an official part of Supercrawl, TAH housed a “Supercrawl Cash Grab” showcasing a variety of Hamilton-bred acts at a price of $10 a head. The line up: the Crowleys (at the intersection of David Bowie and Pink Floyd), the ferocious and meaty Beef Boys, Flesh Rag—a trio of rock-demon summoners—and the Pucumber Sasssquatch Family Band.
The night ended with B.A. Johnston—the Steel City’s pride and joy.
Johnston kicked off his set with arcade music, sparklers and blasphemy. “Why was Jesus not born in Oakville?” asked the multi-sweatered Johnston. “He couldn’t find a virgin or three wise men.” Groans and giggles could be heard for miles around.
Johnston made sure that every throat was rinsed with alcohol. At one point, he ran behind the bar—microphone still in hand—to snatch a bottle of Jack Daniels, poured a generous amount into the bartender’s mouth, and emptied the bottle by walking aimlessly throughout the crowd and serving several audience members shots.
B.A. Johnston is short for Bryan Adams Johnston, with no relation to the Canadian singer song writer of course.
He is a devoted fan and student of ‘80s, ‘90s and millennium pop culture, and his March 2017 album does not retreat from that front. He described his attempt to keep the name of his newest album, “Gremlins 3,” in tact while music streaming sites could not decide whether they could legally allow that title in their catalogues. He ultimately changed the name online to “Grmlnz, Vol. 3: Donairs After Midnight” to avoid litigation.
For those of us who frequent McDonalds, that “temple of mediocrity” Tim Hortons and shawarma huts (who doesn’t, really?), tunes from his new album like “Drivethru Beef” and “I Need Donair Sauce” will speak directly to your budgeted foody soul.
B.A. and I exchanged thoughts on our mutual love for alley beers — those inelegant yet vital beverages one chugs outside a bar to avoid expensive draught prices.
In collaboration with Sawdust City Brewing Co. located in Gravenhurst Ontario, B.A. provides penniless students and forty-somethings still living in their mother’s basement with an affordable high-alcohol-level beverage, called “Olde B.A. Johnston’s Finest Malt Liquor”.
B.A.’s brew will soon be available at your local LCBO.
Despite the notoriety Johnston garnered from the Globe and Mail and Vice who compared him to Stompin’ Tom Connors and GG Allin remains humble.
“[The interviews and articles] are all the same. They all feel great. I’m just happy someone’s talking about my dumb show.”
Johnston, having never performed at Mac, looked palpably disappointed when the topic arose. He said he would love to play at Mac but they never call—the phone never rings.”
The city of Hamilton ought to be proud to have B.A. Johnston as one of its musical ambassadors. You can catch B.A. in Hamilton on December 23rd at This Ain’t Hollywood for a “Christmas-time, food-drive deal-y.”
The evening of Sunday Feb. 17 a homecoming of sorts took place in downtown Hamilton. 227 people eagerly flooded into This Ain’t Hollywood to see Arkells play their first hometown show in over a year. The show was a secret one only announced on Friday morning, and proceeds benefited Boys and Girls Clubs of Hamilton. It was sweaty, loud and passionate show - everything the band has come to be known for.
The show was dubbed “a celebration of downtown Hamilton,” and as such, tickets were only available in hard-copy from downtown icons Dr. Disc and Cheapies Records. As if there was any doubt in the show’s buzz, it sold out in less than 15 minutes. Thanks to a break in classes, a spur-of-the-moment decision and a dash across Main to catch a bus, I managed to get my hands on two of them.
New Hands, young natives of - you guessed it - Hamilton, were chosen to warm up the crowd just after 10 p.m. Their new-wave indie-rock goodness got plenty of heads bobbing and rightfully garnered some new fans. Midway through their set, vocalist Spence Newell asked, “So who’s excited to see Charlemagne?”, eliciting a few cheers and laughs from fans who knew Arkells’ former moniker back from their McMaster days.
The headliners were introduced by the amiable venue owner Lou Mollinaro, with a short story about booking Charlemagne when they were just a fledgling quintet. Mike, Max, Nick, Tim and Anthony followed to take the stage to overwhelming cheers. Here was a band who, just four days prior, had opened for Canadian heavyweights The Tragically Hip at a sold out ACC, playing to 13,000 people. After the show frontman Max Kerman told me what the change in audience was like: “tonight was much more fun. And more sweaty, too.”
They got right to it: launching into “Tragic Flaw,” a song that has been around since their Deadlines EP, followed by the infectiously-cheerful “Michigan Left” and 19 other songs that spanned almost their entire catalogue. The band’s raw, energetic, soulful sound was proudly and loudly exhibited.
Picking highlights for a show that cemented itself as the best you’ve ever been to is difficult, but my standouts are: “Abigail” (and its necessary ode to the Jackson Square food court), “Oh, the Boss is Coming!”, “Ticats Are Hummin’”, “Where You Goin’” and a cover of the Clash’s “Rock the Casbah”. Max constantly exhibited his impressive stage presence, talked about the HSR and sung a verse of “Whistleblower” with me.
The show’s encore saw New Hands and some venue staff on stage for two covers; the crowd-pleasing, dance-inducing “Book Club”, where the audience contested Max for the loudest singing of its retrospective lyrics and Hamilton name-drop; and lastly a send-off with John Lennon, an ode to nights at McMaster and living in Westdale, among other things.
The audience danced through the entire set. The sober people sang, the drunk people sang, and genuine smiles flashed across the faces of the five as they played their hearts out.
It all started not so long ago. Arkells met through a collective love of music and an ambitious dream to make it their jobs. They got kicked out of the basement of Woodstock for jamming too loudly. They lived in student houses. They took courses, wrote papers and did and didn’t go to class. They named themselves after the Westdale street where a couple of them lived and rehearsed. They devoted endless hours to their craft and weathered the early struggles it brought. A change of keyboardist didn’t slow their momentum. Today it seems they’ve figured out what works: talking to fans after shows, sending out signed postcards at Christmas, interacting through social media, releasing surprise recordings and collaborations.
Arkells have had quite an evolution since the 2006 McMaster Campus Music Explosion. Guitarist Mike DeAngelis explained his initial hopes for the band: “I didn’t have big expectations at first. Back then I just wanted to open for another band at the Casbah, that’s it. When Max called me and told me we got a spot doing that, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I couldn’t do it.”
Even with their seemingly-endless tour schedule which has brought them across continents and a fan base that has quickly multiplied, Arkells are always quick to acknowledge their humble roots and be grateful for where they’ve risen to. They have proudly taken on the role of Hamilton’s rock ambassadors while hitting new stages and crafting new material. Even though each is originally from another city, the band was born in Hamilton, and they’ll undoubtedly continue to tell that to the world. Their tenacity and ambition has garnered them their deserving success, past, present and future. If you weren’t aware of it yet, the future of this band is definitely something to watch.
Lucas Canzona
Politics and music go way back.
In the 1980s Public Enemy challenged the assumption that music should be a form of entertainment and, as writer Mark Fisher points out, instead saw music as a way to define a new revolutionary history. Even earlier the legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie gave a voice to the Great Depression as he travelled across America carrying a guitar that famously displayed the words “This Machine Kills Fascists.”
Though music’s grand promise of leading revolutions has faded, it seems that now more than ever we need artists to shake up our assumptions about how we see the world. That’s what the music of A Tribe Called Red is all about – subversion. But also dancing.
Based in Ottawa, A Tribe Called Red are a native-Canadian group that combine traditional pow wow and electronic dance music. “It started as a party called electric pow wow,” said DJ NDN, one of group’s three members. “We played for the crowd, which was First Nations students, and people went crazy for one track that sampled pow wow music so we thought we should try more of it.” People in clubs were so ecstatic that they cheered after the songs. Their first show to a mostly non-native Canadian crowd in Montreal even had people chanting the group’s name before they went onstage.
It seems like A Tribe Called Red have become really popular really quickly, but the members of the group have actually been at it for a long time. “I used to be in punk bands,” said DJ NDN. “I played drums with Canadian punk rock legends the Ripcordz and we got to open for the Misfits.”
“I was probably in 12 bands growing up and just killed the high school battle of the bands scene,” said DJ Shub.
“You gotta remember that he’s way older,” added NDN, “so he was the DJ in the metal bands when the Limp Bizkit thing was really hot.” Shub’s rap-rock (remember that?) abomination was called Flush Bucket. Flush Bucket. “It was the best battle of the bands ever,” said Shub.
“I found out really early on that I wasn’t going to play an instrument,” said DJ Bear Witness. “I got pushed into DJ’ing by my friends.”
A Tribe Called Red didn’t start out with any sort of political aspirations but quickly found that it was pretty much impossible to not be involved in politics. The group recently released a song called “The Road” in support of the Idle No More movement, and their music and live show often features clips of hilariously racist representations of native people.
“A really good example is a video made by Bear of Super Cat, a Jamaican dude, singing about Indians from all directions and a clip from a 1960s British variety show,’” said NDN. “You had these British white people dressed as what they thought Indians were supposed to be and a Jamaican singing about Indians – everyone’s showing you what they think Indians are but nothing’s native about it. Until we took it and decolonized it.”
The story of native-Canadians is so often something told by people who are anything but native. The “indigenizing,” as NDN calls it, of Native representations is about trying to make our understanding not limited to what we already know. “We see it as a very good way to subversively pass these messages on,” said NDN. “It’s better than if we sat down and said ‘this is racist’ because it gives people a chance think about it on their own.”
It’s about time we all tried to figure out the complicated thing that is the relationship between native and non-native Canadians.
Nolan Matthews,
Senior ANDY Editor
