Critical Zero

After a little over a year since we last saw Teen Mortgage, they were finally coming back to Toronto and playing at an iconic local venue - the Hardluck Bar. If you’ve been following us since the very beginning (yes, the very beginning) you may have noticed that the Hardluck was the first place we ever took photos and did coverage on, and the reason why Critical Zero started - it holds a very special place in our hearts. When we heard that Teen Mortgage was going to be performing there we knew we were not going to miss it.

We made our way to the venue and caught a little bit of the support act for this tour, Upchuck. They were awesome! The crowd was moshing and going crazy. It was a sold-out show and Toronto showed up early and ready to party. Among the crowd were many familiar faces and friends who were all excited for the show.

Teen Mortgage hit the stage and the crowd immediately went bonkers. People were moshing, jumping up and down, and singing along to every lyric. The band has their sound perfected, as they powered through a non-stop action-packed 45-minute set of all their hits including our favourites “Ride,” “S.W.A.S.” (which we caught on video), “Oligarchy,” and “Tuning In” among the many.

Being in the mosh-pit for this show was like running a marathon in the Olympics, we did not take any breaks and the energy never slowed down. We made friends in the pit that we sang along with, and the vibes were on point. Sonically, Teen Mortgage has the formula laid down and perfected. The songs are catchy, powerful, meaningful, and explosive. The sound is dynamic and full, which is something very hard to achieve as a 2-piece.

We were able to pick up a signed copy of their self-titled compilation released under our friends at King Pizza Records, and the next time we see them we will be picking up their debut album “Devil Ultrasonic Dream” released under Roadrunner Records.

The band has a wild schedule up ahead with a Europe tour with Weezer, and a summer tour with Descendents. You 100% have to catch them on tour, they’re touring all over North America and Europe, so you have no excuse not to check them out! Thank you to the bands, Hardluck Bar staff, and to everyone who made this night possible.