On Sunday, April 5th, Philadelphia pop-punk legends The Wonder Years turned Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall into a space for celebration, unity, and camaraderie. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the band’s fifth record, No Closer to Heaven, the sold-out show solidified The Wonder Years as one of the most influential pop-punk bands of the modern era.
Opening the show was Portland, Maine-based indie band Weakened Friends. Tasked with the hardest job of the night – getting the crowd energized – the band connected with the crowd through their upbeat, guitar-driven sounds and playful energy. Lead singer Sonia Sturino, who is from Toronto, mentioned their parents being at the show and how good it feels to be back home, an anecdote which made the crowd erupt into applause. A highlight of their set was “Queen of Town,” a song off their latest album Feels Like Hell. The song is intense and surely made some audience members into fans. The band also performed a cover of “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, which was a fun addition to the set for those unfamiliar with the band’s music. They were the perfect, energetic first band for this show.
Up next was Chicago, Illinois’ very own pop-punk icons Knuckle Puck. Opening the set with “Want Me Around” off their 2017 album Shapeshifter, the band are clearly pros at getting crowds really moving. As soon as lead singer Joe Taylor told the crowd to move, a mosh pit opened and crowd surfers were launched into the air. When Taylor shouts, “Where’s your respect? / And didn’t your father teach you anything before he left?” during the hook of “No Good,” the crowd became a sea of angry finger pointing. It is these classic pop-punk songs that made the Danforth Music Hall feel like a living, breathing entity. Knuckle Puck’s setlist encompassed their entire discography, from their faster songs, to angrier ones, which lead to a perfect transition for The Wonder Years.
Before their set, The Wonder Years fan Asher Cookson spoke to Harmonize and told us that they travelled from Halifax just for the show, planning to sleep in the airport and fly home the next morning. It is this kind of dedication and fan loyalty that has followed The Wonder Years throughout their 20+ year career. They are a band that has remained steadfast in creating personal, raw music that has continued to resonate with pop-punk fans of all ages. So, it was no surprise when the lights went down and the band’s members walked on stage that there was a cathartic energy vibrating throughout the venue.
The show was split into two different sets; The first consisted of all the songs from No Closer to Heaven, with the second consisting of songs from the band’s other albums. The entire show was magical, but there was something special about the first set. Planning a tour around an album that was released over 10 years ago and being able to sell out shows feels like another major milestone for the band. Lead singer Dan Campbell (lovingly known as “Soupy” by fans) has arguably the best live vocals in the entire pop-punk scene, with his signature raspy voice soaring through the venue and giving fans goosebumps. No matter the song, Campbell was spinning around on stage and using the risers to connect with fans, even catching t-shirts fans made for him.
The first set opened with “No Closer to Heaven,” followed by “Brothers &.” However, the energy kicked into high gear when the band began performing “Cardinals,” a song that feels like the quintessential The Wonder Years song, featuring themes of American suburbia, working class struggles, loss, and mental health. Hearing a venue of 1,500 people singing “We’re no saviors if we can’t save our brothers” is a healing live music moment that will stick with audience members forever. “You in January,” one of the only love songs in the band’s discography, was one of the most fun songs to hear live. The song, which is about Campbell’s wife, felt like a welcomed tonal shift; not as intense as the other songs, but a song that audiences still crowd surfed and moshed to.
It would not be a The Wonder Years show without Campbell using his platform for good. Throughout the show, he mentioned many causes that are important to the band. Before performing “The Bluest Things on Earth,” Campbell mentioned that in collaboration with the non-profit This Must be the Place, there is free Narcan available at their merch table. Another highlight was when Campbell called out the type of “bootlicking motherfucker” before performing “Stained Glass Ceilings” that feels the need to ask when The Wonder Years got so political. As Campbell said, this 10-year-old song is about “the ways that capitalism weaponizes white supremacy and religion to attempt to divide and crush the working class.” Campbell was not afraid to speak his mind throughout the show, calling for a Free Palestine (even wearing a hat that says exactly that), speaking on protecting trans people, and making the band’s anti-ICE stance extremely clear. In a time where apoliticism feels the norm amongst literal PUNK bands, The Wonder Years’ unwavering solidarity is a breath of fresh air.
The band cleared the stage and came back after a quick intermission for their second set. Performing classics like “Passing Through a Screen Door” and newer favourites like “Wyatt’s Song (Your Name)” and “GODDAMNITALL,” the energy from the crowd was unfaltering. Crowd surfers did not stop for a moment. Of course, the band ended their set with their most popular song, “Came Out Swinging,” bringing out Sturino for the song. Where the first set was an almost religious/spiritual celebration, the second set was the perfect afterparty.
This show only further confirmed that The Wonder Years are a formative band. Without them, the modern era of pop-punk that originated in the early 2010s would not have had the moment it did a few years later. No Closer to Heaven is an album that followed monster releases like Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing and The Greatest Generation and highlighted Campbell’s struggle with feeling the pressure after these releases. It feels beautiful that 1,500 people would come together to show The Wonder Years that despite the noise, this album still means so much to people around the world. The show was more than just nostalgia slop; it was a love letter featuring colourful visuals, fierce lead and backing vocals, and lively stage presence to a major album.
The band has a handful of sold-out shows left on the tour, including some special ones in Philadelphia. You can check out their website for more information.