B.A. Johnston — 'Hamilton's grandmother' — lovingly celebrates the city in new season of YouTube show

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 42 minutes ago

Rome wasn't built successful a time and neither was the caller play of B.A. Johnston's Ham Jam a "love letter" to Hamilton, "the top metropolis successful the world... greater than Rome."

That's however Hamilton instrumentalist B.A. Johnston describes the 2nd play of his show, which launched connected YouTube Thursday. 

It's been six years since the archetypal season, which included episodes connected sub sandwiches, arcades and waterfalls. The caller play tackles topics including the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, gentrification and classical eating spots.

Featuring candid interviews and scenes astir the city, the drama documentary is reminiscent of the Rick Mercer Report — if Rick Mercer truly hated the Toronto Argonauts.

Johnston is known for his funny, folksy songs astir falling successful emotion astatine Jackson Square Mall, moving a crappy job, moving into an ex astatine Swiss Chalet and going to a Tiger-Cats game with Jesus Christ. 

Like his music, the amusement balances sincerity with tongue-in-cheek humour. "You've got to locomotion a good line," Johnston told CBC Hamilton, comparing his attack to teasing a household member. "I tin marque amusive of Hamilton due to the fact that I emotion it."

"Hamilton gets shown successful a definite light, but it doesn't get shown successful this light," helium said. "It's a loving light, but besides judgmental and critical. It's similar I'm Hamilton's grandmother."

Johnston interviewed former Ticats kicker Paul Osbaldiston

That method is connected afloat show successful a two-part Ticats occurrence successful which Johnston attends a crippled and talks to fans astir loving Hamilton's lone large sports team, adjacent erstwhile it lets you down. 

In that episode, helium talks to Ticat legend Paul Osbaldiston. Johnston recounted walking retired of a crippled successful the 1998 Eastern Conference finals aft the Ticats mislaid the lead, past moving backmost arsenic helium heard cheers. Osbaldiston had kicked a 54-yard tract extremity for the win. 

Osbaldiston appeared affectional arsenic helium said helium wished helium could play conscionable 1 much game.

"It was a saccharine moment," Johnston said, adding it was unusual to beryllium interviewing 1 of his heroes. 

Hamilton euphony promoter Lou Molinaro told CBC Hamilton helium besides had an affectional acquisition connected the show. 

He said he's been Johnston's instrumentality for "many years," describing the creator arsenic the "punk stone mentation of Stompin' Tom Connors."

Johnston is 1 of his favourite Canadian performers, Molinaro said, due to the fact that helium makes creation that's amusing but does superior topics justice. 

For an occurrence astir gentrification and however Hamilton has changed, Johnston took Molinaro to the edifice that utilized to beryllium Miolinaro's euphony venue This Ain't Hollywood connected James Street N. 

It closed successful 2020 and going backmost near Molinaro with a lump successful his throat, helium said, adding sometimes helium feels blameworthy astir moving connected erstwhile helium did. 

At 1 point, the brace locked eyes and Molinaro could spot Johnston was bittersweet too, helium said, adding it was astir apt the astir sincere infinitesimal they've had unneurotic and helium was "honoured" to instrumentality portion successful the series.

Ham Jam was directed by Douglas Nayler Jr. of Quiet Ghost Inc. In a message, helium told CBC Hamilton Johnston's quality to equilibrium airy and acheronian elements is simply a large portion of wherefore Nayler wanted to enactment with him. "I truly emotion erstwhile we tin marque that crook and truly onshore it, due to the fact that I deliberation it tin truly disarm the spectator and link emotionally. You're laughing, you're laughing, past each of a abrupt it's similar 'Oh damn, I'm really feeling something.'" 

The premise of 1 of the caller episodes is Johnston pitching a nutrient amusement successful which helium and his relative effort to circuit aggregate classical Hamilton nutrient spots successful 24 hours, including Hutch's and Grandad's Donuts.

As the occurrence continues, Johnston starts to alteration into nutrient TV property Guy Fieri. Things get psychedelic arsenic the spectator is transported into Johnston's subconscious, wherever helium fights a wrestler.

Johnston said helium didn't negociate to devour each the nutrient successful 24 hours, but said helium ate much than helium thinks Guy Fieri would have. 

While getting assemblage slammed by a wrestler wounded much than helium expected, Johnston said it was bully to showcase section spots that mightiness not get their flowers erstwhile radical sermon Hamilton's edifice scene. 

That's a large portion of Johnston's euphony too, which highlights places passim the province. 

Johnston moving connected 'miserable' caller record

"Just due to the fact that something's lone large successful 1 tiny spot doesn't mean it doesn't person value," helium said. "You conscionable request that 1 idiosyncratic who recognizes the determination of the Tim Hortons successful North Bay to marque the opus worthwhile."

Johnston volition beryllium doing backyard shows this summertime and said he'll beryllium releasing a caller medium soon. 

"It's a immense bummer. I consciousness atrocious for radical listening to it," helium said. "It's going to beryllium called I Don't Know Who Needs to Hear This Right Now, But They're Never Coming Back and You're Going to Die Alone. And each the songs are conscionable miserable."

Bell provided backing for Ham Jam and its cablegram subscribers tin ticker episodes on-demand connected Fibe TV1.