Young Culture’s first and last headline tour attracted a crowd unlike any other. In a bittersweet, high-energy show, this night was a celebration of their achievements and the family they have formed in their nine years in the scene. On November 15, Hard Luck Bar was packed in preparation for one of the final Young Culture shows. I spoke to a few fans about their experiences with Young Culture, some even saying they were attending shows multiple times a month last year in Toronto, and the band reminds the crowd of the art they created here. It becomes clear this isn’t just another tour stop for them, but a farewell to their second home and family.
Local bands Nakedburn and Wakelee took to the stage to set the tone early. Led by frontman Matt Guarrasi, Nakedburn brought post-hardcore to Hard Luck, bringing energy that gives hope for the new generation of underground emo in Toronto. Brooklyn’s Indie-Rock band Wakelee’s set stood out for their incredible guitar work and the excitement of unexpected trombone lines cutting through their mix. Inspired by artists such as Death Cab for Cutie and A Great Big Pile of Leaves, they gave the bar a taste of the classic emo revival sound, putting the crowd in the perfect mood for the final opener. Bike Routes, with their rich, controlled vocals, delivered an acoustic-driven sound that blended Midwest emo with new-generation indie pop. These three opening acts were a perfect culmination of the sound of Young Culture, a perfect blend of indie and pop-punk with a tinge of fourth-wave emo.
NAKED BURN
WAKE LEE
BIKE ROUTES
When Young Culture finally emerged, I could feel the energy in the room shift as they welcomed Toronto to their “second-to-last Young Culture show” and thanked the city for being their second home. As the familiar sounds of “Better off as Friends” began, the crowd went wild, singing every lyric, starting pits every opportunity they could. Young Culture kept this energy up for five songs, giving the crowd a break before “21 Days” to remind Toronto that this song, off their 2019 EP, was recorded in the heart of this city. After the non-stop, high-energy first five songs, Young Culture allowed the crowd to take a few moments to breathe, stripping it back with “Graduate” and “Broken Paper Planes” off their new (and final), most vulnerable EP, “All Weapons Formed Against Me Have Prospered.”
Between songs, the bands on stage banter blurred the line between fans and family as they shouted out their friends and family in the audience, celebrated Gabe Pietrafesa’s (guitarist) birthday as his girlfriend brought him out a bottle of champagne, and the bassist, Mackenzie Clarke, celebrated her mother’s birthday. At one point, they pause, and the room goes quiet as they remind us all, “You’re important, you matter, and you deserve to be here,” for a moment, giving the crowd a chance to bask in the community and love fostered by the band.
Young Culture encapsulated the pop-punk experience. With their beautiful guitar tones and heavy hitting drums, they were able to make the bar feel like a concert hall. As the night progressed, the crowd’s energy only intensified, peaking during “Good Karma” and “Whiskey” with a frenzy that shook the floor of the bar. “It’s a holiday in Toronto, baby, let’s fucking go,” Alex Magnan (vocals) cried out as they launched into their song “Holiday in Vegas.” The floor was a reminder of the heart of pop-punk; the pits opened and closed with every chorus. “Kinda Over It” kept the momentum up with fans screaming so loud that Alex’s vocals were nearly drowned out; a moment these fans will never forget.
Young Culture leaned into the emotional reality that this might be the last time many of these fans would see them in this city. They reflected on how many people in the room had been there a long time and even knew the band personally, joking about the irony of the band called Young Culture growing up right in front of their audience. They insisted that they came to Hard Luck to party, but there was no hiding the bittersweet goodbye hanging in the air.
As they closed with “Drift,” the band invited the crowd to give everything they had left, and they obliged. Hard Luck Bar has a notorious “no crowdsurfing or stagediving” rule that risks immediate ejection from the venue. Still, multiple fans took to the air anyway, surfing up to the band and going all out for the last time they’ll be seeing this band. Security was seen running up and warning surfers, but that didn’t stop the crowd as five more people went up to celebrate the life of the band that grew with them. As the last surfer went up, Alex went down, finishing off the show in the crowd, surrounded by those who had grown up with them.
Keep up with Young Culture (post mortem):
Crave Music Magazine 
