Hammer City Records
228 James St N Basement @ Rear Off Robert St L8R 2L3 Hamilton, ON, Canada

Bad news! After 10 years on James St. North, Hammer City Records is getting the boot. NO, we did not miss rent or succumb to Covid... The incoming landlords just doesn’t want a record store/community space in their lucrative basement. We're a little too "old Hamilton" for 'em. But we're not dead and it's not over! We aren’t finished having in stores or showing local art or releasing vinyl from local bands.... ... In lieu of flowers, buy records, books, shirts! Let’s give this place a proper send off. We're here till Nov 30 and many things will be marked down for our Fuck New Hamilton Sale. Help us raise 1st and last month's rent while we find a new space... We're also asking our fellow dispossessed culture workers to come share a new space with us. We are here to serve our community and it ain't over yet. We will be open Fri 5 to 8, Sat 12 to 5 and Sun 12 to 4. Keep Hamilton Trashy

Kelsey’s been a mainstay at the shop for 10 years. Covid broke his regular visits and he was sorely missed. It was great to see him yesterday on closing day. He shared a few memories "Convincing" Craig to let SC play outside the shop in the alley nearly a decade ago All alley shows, top mentions include born wrong, dude pissed Paige standing on his car. ... Too many good shows to mention Punk City/hamilton punk history walking tour My surprise 25th birthday party Pre and post beers to a billion excellent shows and other events in the hood All the wacky art shows. Some top mentions: Alexander Heir and Nathan gluing fucked up Xerox images across an entire wall Printing and selling outrageous t shirts during super crawl that half the city hated Cala's chalk All Matt Ellis guitar solos

Thanks you!!!! We will be back in a new location.

Rufus wrote about Hammer City Records here: https://ordinary-times.com//sunday-morning-hammer-city-re/

Fuckin Paige!!!! That loveable pus filled hemroid. We love him to bits. We miss him and at the last minute he sends me some memories that brought me to tears. Spent way too much of my life with this guy screening shirts, drinking beer and trying to make him watch the best blood filled wrestling we could find and that’s a great set of memories. There seems to be a lot of Paige in the Schiz catalogue so check out born wrong and liquid asserts. And as always Inspiration Krumi...ns. Hammer city moments SPF30 New Years beach party for makes me sick fest lots of silly string and a really good time. Montour and I in a psychedelic haze seeing an alley cat walking by carrying a half eaten apple core and a milk bag with a single drop of milk in it. Screen printing with Craig, Dave, my band mates, or anyone who wanted to learn / try... while watching ECW and eating euro pizza RIP. The time total dicks threw hot dogs everywhere, we found a crusty one a month later, kept it as a gross keep sake, and a dude’s dog came in and ate it when we weren’t looking RIP. Having a place where all my friends could showcase their contribution to punk and get excited about being involved in the scene. A massive thanks to the shop - everyone involved collectively - for the memories. Craig is a true ambassador for punk in his everyday life and through the label and the facilitation of such an awesome space. I will forever speak about Craig the same way Craig speaks of Imants. Hammer City Forever.

Montour doesn’t give a fuck or a shit but wanted to share these words. See there is a sensitive side to this guy!!!! Thanks for all you have done for the shop. I remember moving back to Hamilton and one of the 1st places I started stopping by and a regular Saturday afternoon visit downtown was Hammercity. I would run into old friends I haven't seen since I left. So I made it a point to go by more and more.... Then I started to get to know alot of the younger people (yes I'm old) and younger bands. Meet some great people down in that basement and discovered some great music too. Hammercity was not just a record store its was and still will be a community where if you have an idea for a band or an idea for an art show if will be welcomed and supported. When they get there new home I will be there. Where else would I be. Highlights Art Crawls A room full of friends and great conversations about music and life . Always running into Mikey Born wrong in the alley .. legendary one of my favorite live shows Hammercity throwing my nephew Colin his 10th birthday party at the shop on a Saturday afternoon. It's made his day. Him with a bunch of my amazing friends. All the amazing people I've met and call my friends now. I truly love and appreciate each and everyone of you . Thanks Leah for all the hard work you put into this shop. Thanks Craig you have become a great friend Let's crush some beers

Last day in the shop. Come in and get your shirts, art and records so we don’t break our backs with the move tomorrow. Adam’s been hanging around the shop from the early days. We would post new releases and Adam would be there later that day. Then we learned he was driving in from Georgetown. Adam’s been in a bunch of bands you have likely seen. At what cost, sick of Shit. Damn his newest project Life Imprisonment played an intimate Covid livestream from our basement. Adam ...shared a few memories his excitement is contagious. And yes our new home will be better than our last. Moving forward my friends. Be more than a witness; you are the scene. I have an insane list of memories from that place and friends haha I remember when you first opened up and I would see posts on Facebook and blast over to pick up stuff and then moving here and stopping in at the shop first with the moving truck full of my shit outside. All the alley shows and shows in the shop. Having both my bands play in the shop and sos played the alley. Getting hit the the face with a hotdog when Scott threw them haha Watching Scott jump into the neighbors car during a alley set. Watching wrestling videos and hammer down pbrs with jbay and everyone getting hooked on the knives from maves Having Pat make people play their demos when they dropped them off I'm a sponge and was finally able to find a place that taught me what I wanted and needed to know I've learned so much sitting there listening to Chris Houston, Micky Desadist, dick Manitoba and so many other at came through the punk scene over the years Holy shit !! Modern Indian buffet snow days !!!!!!! Those were epic and we would end up back at then shop and hammered as fuck by the time we would be leaving work hahaha I also loved that acoustic punk show that happened The best hot pepper pizza parties from Euros pizza that was a few years ago DJing the alley during super crawl was cool Bringing touring bands in before shows or after shows that felt like you were in a private club haha Or id did for me at least haha it's felt amazing being a part of something I dreamed of as a kid Nothing bets a skaturday haha sitting around a Kller diy shop listening to some Blue beat, Skinhead Reggae, ska & soul, spirit of 69, ect while eating some local food and making shirts for local bands Holy shit!!! And trying to hold down my sandwich as Pat would say or do something that would make me laugh so hard I'd spit out my food or piss myself Confidently waking out with a handful of of albums i just bought blindly due to staff suggestions and being more then happy when listen later to them later (years later) Trying to sneak a poop in before coming down to a shop full of friends chilling And hoping the fuck there is some toilet paper the shop anniversaries