Teenage Head Returns to Horseshoe Tavern Celebrating 50 Years of Canadian Punk Rock
- jaybroderick
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh
Toronto, Ontario - To paraphrase Teenage Head, it certainly was a nice night for a party, wasn’t it. Cheesy I know, but any good reviewer who doesn't use some variation of that line when covering Teenage Head just doesn’t get it!
First taking the stage at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto back in 1977, Teenage Head continued to celebrate 50 years of Canadian Punk Rock by once again returning to the scene of the crime.
Psycho Therapy
Getting the crowd warmed up, or more to the point, drenched in sweat, Thunder Bay’s very own Ramones tribute act Psycho Therapy stormed the stage with a set of Ramones Classics. With a fast and furious pace, Psycho Therapy ran through all the hits including “I Want To Be Sedated”, “Rock Away Beach”, “Psycho Therapy”, “Teenage Lobotomy” and "Beat on the Brat" and of course “Blitzkrieg Bop”. A lot of crowd interaction and sing-a-longs initiated by the band’s lead singer brought the frenzied crowd even closer to the chaos.
Psycho Therapy Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Teenage Head
As Teenage Head took to the stage, the audience was treated to another appearance by Psycho Therapy’s lead singer. This time though, rather than taking the mic, he decided to kick things off in true punk fashion with a crazy stage dive! And so the chaos began…
Having been part of the Teenage Head universe from the beginning, lead singer Dave DesRoches fronted the band in 1985 and has been back behind the mic touring since 2016. Honoring founding members Frankie Venom and Gord Lewis who have both passed, DesRoches along with founding member Steve (Mahon) Marshal on bass, Gene Champagne (also of the Killjoys) on drums and Trent Carr (also of the Headstones) on lead guitar, Teenage Head gave the audience a set full of Canadian teenage Punk attitude.
No one in the jammed packed Horseshoe was sitting as the band ripped through classics such as “Teenage Doll”, “Lucy Potato", "Something Else" and "Ain't Got Sense". DesRoches never stopped moving, dancing, hopping, clapping his way across the stage in his oversized suit jacket and dark sunglasses while Marshal was all smiles as he hammered his pink Fender bass.
Although most of the set was delivered without very much talking between songs, DesRoches was very happy to share a few details when it came to “Picture My Face”, a song, he explained, that was written while looking in the mirror as a message to all those who ever doubted the talent and drive during the fledgling years of the band. Strapping on the guitar, DesRoches said he was coaxed into playing the next song by the rest of the band who wanted to hear that one song from 1988 that made it onto MuchMusic. DesRoches obliged and did a fantastic job taking over lead guitar on “Everybody Needs Somebody”.
After spending most of the show with my belly shoved up against the stage, I decided to move back and get a sense of what the rest of the venue was experiencing. A task easier said than done,! The Horseshoe was shoulder to shoulder and jammed many layers deep. As I made my way back it was evident that the crowd were true fans as they grooved, shimmied, and yes shook, as Teenage Head continued to deliver hit after hit. Encouraging the crowd to join in as they belted out “Teenage” during the chorus of “Teenage Beer Drinkin’ Party” and to take the wheel of a “Brand New Cadillac”, there was no doubt that the band not only earned but still owned the title of Canada’s answer to the Ramones.
After giving the sweatsoaked audience a few minutes to catch their breath, the band took the stage once again finishing the night with a three song encore that ended, of course, with “Disgusteen”.
Set List
Teenage Doll
Top Down
Total Love
Lucy Potato
Something Else
Picture My Face
Everybody Needs Somebody
Something on My Mind
First Time
Take It
Let's Go to Hawaii
Ain't Got No Sense
Tearin' me Apart
Wild One
Teenage Beer Drinkin' Party
Brand New Cadillac
Some Kinda Fun
Let's Shake
Little Boxes
Infected
Disgusteen
There is something very special about seeing Teenage Head at the Horseshoe Tavern. With a venue so steeped in rock history and a band that really shows what Punk is all about, it really was a nice day for a party!
Teenage Head Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Teenage Head Online
Show Date: June 6, 2026
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