B.A. Johnston
Canadian musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christian Johnston (born 1974/1975),[1][2] known professionally as B.A. Johnston, is a Canadian comedic musician and performance artist based in Hamilton, Ontario.
B.A. Johnston | |
|---|---|
Johnston playing outside Toronto's Bovine Sex Club on top of his van in 2024. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Christian |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Occupations | Musician, performance artist |
| Website | www |
Early life
Johnston was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario.[3] He attended Westdale Secondary School and earned a philosophy degree at Trent University.[2]
Career
He began touring around Canada in 2002, performing songs that are often comedic in nature and include pop cultural references to sports teams, junk food, and video games.[4][5] Accompanying himself on guitar and keyboard, he performed as the character B.A. (Bored Again) Johnston who lives at home with his mother.[6] By birth, his name is Christian Johnston, but in high school was given the nickname “Bored Again Christian". It stuck over the years and became his stage name.[7]
By 2006 Johnston had recorded four albums of original songs, completing a cross-country tour travelling exclusively by Greyhound bus before beginning to tour in an old station wagon or mini-van.[8] Johnston's 2010 album Thank You for Being a Friend appeared on the !Earshot National Top 50 Chart.[9] Since that time he has continued touring extensively across Canada year-round, mainly performing in clubs and bars.[10][11][12] In 2014, Noisey compared him to American singer, songwriter GG Allin.[13] His ninth album Shit Sucks was released in 2015 and was a long list nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.[5] Exclaim! magazine described it as "simplistic synth-pop and aggressive acoustic folk."[14][15]
In 2017 a collaboration between Johnston and Sawdust City Brewing Company resulted in the launch of Olde B.A. Johnston's Finest Malt Liquor.[6] That year his album Gremlins III, a mixture of folk and punk music, was released through Wyatt Records.[16] That year a feature article about Johnston in the Globe And Mail acknowledged his polarizing status in the Canadian music scene, noting that for some he is a "modern-age Stompin' Tom Connors."[17]
In 2019 he began producing and starring in a show called "B.A. Johnston's Ham Jam", where he visits various places in Hamilton and talks to personalities around the city.[2]
As of 2026, Johnston continues to tour across Canada, performing his show.[18]
Discography
Albums (CD, LP)
- Bury Me at Make Out Creek (2001)
- In Situation Bad (2003)
- Love Letters to the Girls in My High School Art Class (2003)
- My Heart Is a Blinking Nintendo (2005)
- Call Me When Old and Fat Is the New Young and Sexy (2006)
- Stairway to Hamilton (2008)
- I Was a Young Man Once (2009)
- Thank You for Being a Friend (2010)
- Hi Dudes! (2012)
- Mission Accomplished (2013)
- Shit Sucks (2015)
- Gremlins III (2017)
- The Skid Is Hot Tonight (2019)
- Werewolves of London, Ontario (2022)
- Argos Suck (2023)
- I Don't Know Who Needs to Hear This Right Now, But They Are Never Coming Back and You Will Die Alone (2026)
Singles, Splits, & EPs
- Songs About a Stewardess (2005)
- B.A. Johnston & The Moby Dicks (2011)
- B.A. Johnston featuring The Magnificent Sevens (2011)
- B.A. Johnston Supreme Quarantine 7” Split w/ The Burning Hell (2020)