The Wonder Years No Closer to Heaven Tour Stops in Toronto at Danforth Music Hall
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
Photos and Review by Zachary Coleman
There aren’t many bands that have had a career like The Wonder Years. The band started out in Philadelphia in 2005 and has put out seven studio albums. One of those albums was No Closer to Heaven, and it was released over ten years ago on September 4, 2025. Now, The Wonder Years have embarked on their tenth anniversary tour in celebration of the album. Not only that, but The Wonder Years also announced this would be their final tour for the foreseeable future, outside of playing already scheduled one-off shows and festival dates. The tour started earlier this year in the UK and is continuing currently throughout North America. The tour will conclude with six nights in the band's hometown of Philadelphia
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Now, the tour has landed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at The Danforth Music Hall. The night is supported by two stellar acts. The first to come onstage was up and coming band Weakened Friends. Weakened Friends are an indie rock band that formed in 2015 in Portland, Oregon, and they recently released their latest studio album, Feels Like Hell, on October 10, 2025. The album has been described as a reclamation for the singer's voice and power. Power is what I would describe their opening performance. The band had something to prove, and their raw performance left a mark on the crowd that I’m sure stuck with them and gave Weakened Friends well-deserved new fans.
The next band on the roster needs no introduction. The Chicago pop punk heroes, Knuckle Puck, are back in Toronto, and everyone in the crowd knew who they were. I would say that gave Knuckle Puck an advantage and opportunity on this tour. Knuckle Puck decided to play some deep cuts on their opening ten-song set, including Shapeshifter’s “Plastic Brains” and 20/20’s “Green Eyes (Polarized).” The band also played crowd favorites, including “No Good” and “But Why Would You Care?” Knuckle Puck came out on stage and didn’t stop until their set time was over. By the end of their set, the crowd was more than warmed up; they were already working out and were ready to continue for The Wonder Year’s memorable set.
The Wonder Years opened their set with the No Closer To Heaven acoustic title track and then went into the introduction song to the album “Brothers &.” The band went through the entire emotion-filled album, including playing the B-side “Slow Dancing With San Andreas.” The album is a concept record that details the process of losing a loved one. To go along with the album concept and raise awareness for those attending shows, the band provided free Naloxone at their merch table, along with information about the product. The band wants everyone to be able to care for their community and have the right tools to do so. The Wonder Years ended their set with their smash hit “Came Out Swinging” and brought out opening vocalist Sonia Sturino of Weakened Friends to close out their set with them.
Even though No Closer to Heaven is about loss, the night felt more hopeful than that. Maybe it’s because everyone in that room was in a better place ten years later than they were ten years ago, and maybe that’s partly because of the impact The Wonder Years and music in general has made on their lives.
