Canadian legends Propagandhi are continuing to bring anti-fascist anthems to the masses with their new album At Peace, and current Canadian tour, nearly four decades after their initial formation.
On Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, the band played its first of two shows at The Concert Hall (a.k.a. the old masonic temple) at 888 Yonge Street in Toronto, ON. The second show on Saturday, Sept. 13 was actually the first one booked, but sold out so fast that they added the Friday show later, to the good fortune of many fans (myself included).
I was really excited to see this show, as the last time I’d seen them live was back in 2006 at the Fun Haus in Toronto, in support of their new-at-the-time album, Potemkin City Limits. I was in university in the city at that time, so getting out to concerts was a bit easier, whereas now I have to drive 2-3 hours to make it downtown; but I really have no one to blame but myself for my hiatus from attending their shows, as they have played in Toronto in recent years, and there have definitely been opportunities I could have taken to catch them. I think part of it, for me, was just remembering how some of the crowd were such assholes at that show at the Fun Haus back 19 years ago now, seemingly because one of the opening acts wasn’t what they wanted or expected. I just remember leaving thinking, I love the band, but maybe not the fans. That was a bit of a theme with some other Toronto shows I attended for a while there, that I think left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. So admittedly I was a bit leery (just a little) to attend this one alone; but I’ve been to lots of shows alone, and it had been way too long of a gap since I’d last seen them, so I was overall really excited to make it out.
Being that I did have a bit of a long drive to get there, and a few things to do at home Friday before leaving, I debated going down late and not worrying about catching the opening acts, but I’m glad that I nixed this idea and ended up getting there just in time to catch a few songs of the first opener, Brutal Youth.
I wound up walking right up to the front and finding a spot at the barrier, despite there being an already decently sized crowd gathered. Brutal Youth were fast and lively, and just seemed like a lot of fun. I’m not sure if I’ve heard of or seen them before – something about them was very familiar, but I can honestly say, watching them this time was the first time I’ve ever seen a lead singer attempt a cartwheel on stage, mid-performance, if that tells you anything about the energy level he brought. All in all, they were a lot of fun, and put on a hyperactive show for those early enough to take it in. I was kinda bummed I didn’t catch more of their set – but happy I didn’t miss it entirely.
Next up was local Toronto band, The OBGMs. I had never heard of them before, and had no idea what to expect from them, but they very quickly turned myself – and probably many others – into a fan that night. At one point they asked someone from the crowd for the name of an ex they hated, and then had everyone yell “Fuck Josh” before launching into a song about having an ex that sucks. They also had the crowd sing a quick Happy Birthday to drummer Colanthony Humphrey, and bassist Joe Brosnan, who had both had birthdays within the past couple days. They noted that earlier in the year, guitarist Simon Outhit had said if he could name one band he wanted their band to share a stage with, it would be Propagandhi, and here it was happening. You could tell they were excited to be there, but also just a really good, talented act. They brought a real intensity to the stage, from the pace of their songs, to the power of their vocals, and the physicality of their performance. They did a great job at getting the crowd hyped, and the mosh pit warmed up for the main event, with lead singer Densil McFarlane immersing himself in the crowd on several occasions to really get people moving. I’ll definitely be following them and looking for more opportunities to catch them live.
By this point I already got the sense that the crowd was much better than what I’d encountered back in ’06, and more in line with how I thought punk crowds should be. So when they wrapped up, I did consider asking people around me to hold down my spot, so I could try to run to the washroom, and not be interrupted by the need to pee while Propagandhi performed, but I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth risking losing my place against the barrier, with a perfect, unobstructed view of the stage. (The hardest part of going to shows alone is not having someone to save your spot when you gotta run to the washroom!!) But the second Propagandhi singer/guitarist Chris Hannah stepped out while setting up for their performance, all thoughts of going to the bathroom went away. I was locked in and so pumped to be there.
Pretty early on, singer/bassist Todd Kowalski warned the audience that they weren’t going to be playing very many old songs, as it’s not fun to play the same things over and over again, but they did play an old favourite I was hoping for, which is unfortunately all too apt for the times at hand, being “The Only Good Fascist is a Very Dead Fascist”. Other old favourites that they incorporated into their set included “And We Thought Nation States Were a Bad Idea,” and “Back to the Motor League,” which I think everybody was pretty pumped about. They also played lots from their new album, of course, including “Cat Guy” (which I was really stoked for), the title track “At Peace,” and “Stargazing,” which seems to me to be the most relatable song about the end of a long term relationship that I’ve found to suit my experience of having one that imploded many moons ago.
I have been a fan of Propagandhi for most of my life, with their albums “How to Clean Everything,” “Less Talk, More Rock” and “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes” being mainstays of my high school and university days. They’re a hugely influential band to so many people, and I don’t think I’d contemplated their effect on my life for many years now, until seeing them again this day. I was initially drawn to them in part because of the catchiness of their first albums, but even more so because of the content of their lyrics. I think Hannah’s lyrics in many ways aligned so well with my line of thinking and viewing what I knew of the world, even back then, and in other ways was very formative in how I came to understand certain other aspects of the world I was living in. It’s admittedly hard to separate the two, looking back.
I may have mentioned this in previous posts about punk rock and politics, but I was just in my first few weeks of tenth grade on September 11, 2001, when the whole 9/11 thing happened, and that day definitely opened my eyes to bigger things going on in the world than I had ever been exposed to before that point. The main thing I wondered was, “what could possibly make people living on the other side of the planet so angry,” as to carry out the events that unfolded in the states that day? I’d already gotten into punk rock a bit, with songs like “Time Bomb” by Rancid and “Soda” by Gob pulling me in, more for just the energy of the music than any real meaning behind it, but this day set me on a search for understanding that intertwined with the types of things more serious bands were singing about, and really sealed the deal for me that the ideas and ideals the people in these bands were speaking/singing about were important and more insightful than a lot of things I was learning about in high school at the time.
I also really appreciated Hannah’s take on sexism as demonstrated in songs like “Fuck Machine” and “Refusing to be a Man” which, as a young teen tomboy getting unwanted attention for having developed breasts before most of my classmates, made me feel seen and understood in a way a lot of the people I went to school with didn’t. Before that time I’d always seen myself as an equal amongst peers in school, but when puberty hit, there was this weird division and expected submission that seemed to amplify as I got older – which was basically being called out in these songs. I also became a vegetarian in high school, probably around 2002, which I can’t say was solely due to the band’s influence, but I would say was definitely helped along as a result of it, despite my parents’ protests.
So yeah, these guys are a pretty big deal to me, and I was really hyped to see them again after so long. And while I had been braced a bit for some assholes to be in the crowd, that didn’t end up being the case at all, at least not in my experience. There was even a girl kind of just behind me in the crowd who occasionally bumped into me and at one point wanted to put her phone on the barrier, but was so exceedingly apologetic for doing so, despite the fact that it didn’t bother me a bit, that I made sure to smile at her and tell her it was all good. (I also couldn’t help but wonder if she had, in the back of her mind, the same concerns I’d had about the crowd, based on previous encounters.)
After the set Hannah immediately jumped down and started fist bumping and taking photos with anyone and everyone who came up to the barrier at the front of the stage. He started at the far side from me and made his way along, stopping for a quick pic and fist bump with me as well, of course. I thanked him for a great set, and would have absolutely loved to chat more, but there were so many people around wanting the same, and I did have a three-hour drive home and a puppy dog waiting to be let out when I got back, so I pretty swiftly made my way out of there after our quick little interaction. Honestly though, I think he’s an absolute gem of a human, and, not to go too off topic, but probably the reason I’ve remained single for so long is, after the end of my relationship that I relate to that song, “Stargazing,” I decided not to compromise myself or my ideals ever again to fit into a relationship, or situation, that wasn’t right for me – and the standard I look for very much comes from what Hannah and the band have set, through the lyrics of their songs, as the standard of human I look for now in a partner.
Sadly with recent resurgences of ethnocentrism, sexism, and transphobia (and maybe especially because I do live in a small town) it seems like the trend is in the opposite direction from what I’d hoped for the world during my high school and university days. But that’s why I think, at times like this more than ever, the punk scene, and bands like Propagandhi continuing to come together, put out music, and put on shows, are so important. Where else can you confidently feel that you are gathered in a space, full of people who not only accept others for their differences, but will also actually stand up and say or do something when injustices and ugly things are happening in this world, all around us? And who else is going to influence the next generations against the hate and idiocy spewing out online and all over the world? Especially with the lunacy happening to the south of us right now, and the atrocities going on all over the world, with the apparent rise of fascist patriarchal supporters, when they should be receding, sometimes the only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind is knowing I can still find like-minded individuals through bands like Propagandhi and the political punk scene in general. So this show was more than just a show for me, but a small reset for my soul; a reminder that, although it may feel draining and isolating at times to fight the good fight (like when I’m arguing in the bar after ball hockey with a whole bunch of guys I just played with, about why the conservatives would have been the worst potential outcome to win the recent federal election) I’m actually not alone in this fight.
So I’m grateful to the band for stopping in Toronto, and adding a second show, and also the fans for being such a stand up crowd. I already can’t wait for the next chance to catch these guys in action. (I seriously considered driving to Ottawa for their show there next Friday, but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it happen, sadly.) Until then I’ll just keep putting their albums on every time I need a little encouragement to keep fighting the good fight.
Lisa goes to shows 