Liner Notes

From the Exhibits & Interpretation team.

Guests at the opening of "Punching In: The Work of Hamilton Music" in the Tourism Hamilton Visitor's Experience Centre. City of Hamilton.

As part of my research for the Punching In: the Work of Hamilton Music exhibition I spent some time reviewing Jackie Washington’s archives at McMaster University - in addition to Jackie’s incredible music knowledge I was struck by the sheer volume of notes, letters and cards thanking Jackie for always playing a fan’s favourite song, for never forgetting their birthday and being so kind when they met at a local festival. I was in awe of boxes and boxes of historical records attesting to not only Jackie’s talent, but his kindness and his deep care for his community. 

I’ve discovered through my work on this show that this combination of talent, kindness and care is everywhere in Hamilton’s music scene – especially among the more than 50 individuals and organizations in the City the exhibits team worked with to create the exhibition, on display at the Visitor Experience Centre at 28 James Street throughout 2026. The exhibition is free to visit.

One section of the exhibit features concert posters and contributions by CFMU, McMaster Universtiy's radio station. City of Hamilton.

The genesis for this show came out of a desire to celebrate the local music scene against the backdrop of the JUNO Awards coming to town in March 2026. The exhibits team set out to understand and celebrate all of the work and sweat equity that goes into making and sharing music and have come away with a deep appreciation for the community members who work in the industry, showing up and doing the work every day to build the kind of music community that supports a local industry. The exhibition features input from music teachers and mentors, producers and recording studios, records shops and radio stations, promoters, tour managers, venue owners and of course, musicians themselves, providing a look inside the local music scene from the people who make it happen.

The show is almost entirely drawn from the collections of community members who lent instruments, recording equipment, tickets, programs, records and even one of the Arkells many JUNOS to help tell the story of Hamilton music. Some of the exhibition story highlights include:

Among the treasures in the McMaster University Archives, we found an invitation to the launch party for Jackie Washington’s Blues and Sentimental, which was produced by the legendary Daniel Lanois. In addition to Washington, the library holds collections from local music notables Tom Wilson and Boris Brott.

The Hamilton-based Brott Music Festival is the country’s largest orchestral music festival. The festival is named for famed conductor Boris Brott who once conducted a Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra performance from a factory floor at Dofasco (a photo of which is featured in the exhibition) and lent his acoustic expertise to the design of the FirstOntaro Concert Hall.

Guests at the opening of "Punching In: The Work of Hamilton Music" in the Tourism Hamilton Visitor's Experience Centre. City of Hamilton.

One of the pieces of memorabilia on display at the exhibition is a guitar signed by Bill Dillon (on loan from Main Stage Rehearsal Studios). While his name may not be familiar, his music is - Dillon worked with Daniel Lanois at Grant Avenue Studios and played guitar on recordings for Robbie Robertson, Sarah McLaughlan, Peter Gabriel, Iggy Pop and Joni Mitchell, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s JUNOS.

Westdale High School boasts an impressive list of musical alumni. Members of Teenage Head and Forgotten Rebels were students here. Teenage Head even played their first gig in the school cafeteria in 1975.  Other notable Westdale musicians include members of The Shakers and Simply Saucer, as well as Harrison Kennedy and Diana Panton who both became JUNO award winners.

Every September, Supercrawl transforms James Street in downtown Hamilton into a huge festival of art and music. The event has featured such local musical greats as the Arkells, Terra Lightfoot, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Rita Chiarelli, Luckystickz and Harrison Kennedy.

A topic as rich and varied as Hamilton music could not possibly be contained in one exhibition. Punching In is not designed to be a comprehensive survey of the topic, but rather what we hope is a space to connect, share memories and use as a jumping off point to explore and support local music. We’ll be expanding on the exhibit over the next year with pop-ups, events and even the new Gritty History podcast!