BA Johnston

Potty Humour and Fisticuffs: Weekend Show Review Part 2

Continued from Part 1 found HERE.

One of rock and roll’s greatest traits is its primal tiger swagger, a spiky pompadour greased with sweat, black leather, rebellion and pee.

Tellingly, get too close to the animal and it will take a swipe at you.

B.A. Johnston’s show at Amigos on Saturday, October 22, was pretty much the equivalent of a zoo equipped with a shooter bar.

Concurrently, it all ended with a fistfight.

Although, I’m told that’s just normal for a B.A. show. In Saskatoon.

Cat Dad

Local garage rock throwbacks Cat Dad clawed and hissed their way through a set of retro burners that managed to impress a great many in the crowd. It’s always humbling and a point of pride to see up-and-coming Saskatoon bands kick it with such fervour. Please keep doing what you are doing.

The Moby Dicks

Next up was Lethbridge natives The Moby Dicks, whose members also moonlight in another excellent band called The Ketamines. The three-piece somehow manage to harness the awesome power of Archie comic books and turn it into a gritty, guitar fueled drama where everyone still smiles but you might see Veronica’s nipple every now and then. Also in tow on the merch table was bassist Paul Lawton’s rad label Mammoth Cave Records, an imprint that has been threatening to release some Saskatoon talent in the near future.

BA Johnston

Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, B.A. Johnston took the stage shortly after to a massive crowd response – an audience that at this point resembled a literal oaken barrel of monkeys steeped in whisky with a handful of amphetamines thrown in for kicks. B.A.’s music is hard to take without the context of a shirtless, mustachioed man hanging from the rafters. Live, however, it becomes a one-man spectacle.

For his encore, B.A. gathered the crowd and jammed them into Amigos’ men’s washroom for a fistful of smelly, unplugged songs that were ravenously devoured by those boys and girls who were brave enough to venture inside.

Although, I’m told that’s just normal for a B.A. show. In Saskatoon.

At one point it became so packed and raucous that I doubted I could have anymore fun in the can – it helped to ignore the fact that I was pretty much sitting in the urinal at this point.

At this point the lights were thrown on and stragglers quaffed last call libations. And for those who made it outside in time were treated to the obligatory post-show rock-fuelled fistfight.

Although, I’m told that’s just normal for a B.A. show. In Saskatoon.