On April 24th, Joyce Manor brought their I Used to Go to This Bar Tour – in support of the album of the same name – to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall. The show featured an exciting setlist and tons of crowd surfers to create a loud, rowdy night in Toronto.
Opening the show was Baltimore’s Combat. Despite the venue still filling in, the band encouraged the audience to dance along to their catchy punk tunes. “Worst First” was a highlight of the set, as the song gained momentum and led to the audience happily clapping along to the song. Combat is the kind of band that audiences fall in love with almost immediately when they see them open. They know how to engage with the crowd, even playing “Stay Golden” after a fan shouted the song title. It feels like they are on the verge of something really special in their journey as a band.
Next up was garage punk duo Teen Mortgage from Washington D.C.. The band’s fast and loud music got the audience crowd surfing and moshing. The audience loved the chaos the band brought, creating circle pits during their set and headbanging to songs.
Militarie Gun was the last band to take stage before Joyce Manor’s set. The LA punk rock band, known for their catchy ad-libs and nostalgic sound, opened their set with “Fill Me With Paint” from their critically acclaimed 2025 album God Save The Gun. Songs like “Throw Me Away” had the crowd finger pointing to lyrics like, “I’ll change if you promise just to stay the same.” Lead singer Ian Shelton, who has been open about his journey and experiences with sobriety, dedicated “God Owes Me Money” to anyone who had to grow up around addiction. Hearing the crowd shout, “Things you’ll never remember / I’ll never get to forget / Things you’ll never remember / I lived through again and again and again” will forever be a special concert memory for fans at this show. From their cover of The Strokes’ “You Only Live Once” to Shelton’s intense vocals and endless entertaining ad-libs – with fans at the show counting the frontman shouting “OOH OOH!” at least thirteen times – Militarie Gun’s set was the kind to be expected from the band; vulnerable, powerful, and eccentric.
Songs like “Kick,” “Do It Faster,” and “B A D I D E A” are the eccentric songs one has to experience live. The set ended with the latter, as Shelton made sure the audience knew how to sing along to the portion of the song where he spells out the song’s title, even joining the crowd at barricade for this. Audience members could be heard shouting, “B-A-D! I-D-E-A!” even after the band’s set. These infectious, “earworm” parts of their songs make Militarie Gun one of the most exciting live bands right now.
Last up was Joyce Manor, with lead singer Barry Johnson rocking a shirt that read, “I Love Toronto.” The California rockers opened their set with “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives” off I Used to Go to This Bar. The song was the perfect opening, as fans immediately began crowd surfing and moshing, screaming along to “Train coming down the track / And it almost gave me a heart attack.” It was just a taste of what the band had in store.
The original March 26th date for this show was postponed due to a tear on Johnson’s vocal cord which needed to heal. On Friday, Johnson’s vocals sounded straight off a record. The melodic, raw vocals he is known for translated perfectly to the stage at the crowded Danforth Music Hall. It was especially fun seeing him interact with fans by leaving his mic stand and walking to the edge of the stage, encouraging fans to sing.
From songs off Never Hungover Again to Cody, the setlist spanned Joyce Manor’s almost twenty-year career. It is no surprise that their signature songs like “Constant Headache” and “Catalina Fight Club” were highlights of the night. The room shook with excitement during both, only confirming how important these songs are to the pop-punk community. However, even songs from their new album received similar reactions. “Well, Don’t It Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before?” saw guitarist Chase Knobbe playing the harmonica, as the crowd erupted into cheers. No matter what kind of Joyce Manor the crowd was getting – whether it be the self-titled Joyce Manor, or the country inspired Joyce Manor – the energy was always up.
For the encore, the band took requests from the audience. In a lighthearted moment between the band and their fans, they began playing “Famous Friend,” before Johnson said, “I don’t even know the words. I’m sorry.” The band ended their set with “Five Beer Plan,” as the song intensified to match the flashing lights on stage. Despite this being the end of a sweaty, long night, the band and crowd gave it their all.
Joyce Manor is known for their short songs with big impact and energy. Despite only playing for about an hour, their set was 24 songs long. Every lyric was thrown directly back at the band by the crowd, proving that Joyce Manor is continuing California’s essential punk legacy.
You can check out the rest of Joyce Manor’s tour dates here.