One of Canada’s most legendary punk bands is coming to Sault Ste. Marie this weekend in an effort to raise some big bucks for mental health and addictions services in town.
Teenage Head, the group notoriously associated with the infamous “Toronto Punk Rock Riot” at Ontario Place in 1980, will be the headliners for a benefit concert taking place at The Machine Shop this Saturday.
Martin’s Trailers & Accessories owner Ed Lofstrom is partnering with Canadian Mental Health Association Algoma to host the Hamilton-based rockers, who are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
A documentary on the band called Picture My Face came out in 2020 that detailed the mental health struggles the group has endured over the years, with a particular focus on their long-time guitarist Gord Lewis. He battled through a crippling depression after the band’s popular frontman Frankie Venom lost his battle to throat cancer in 2008.
In a tragic turn of events, Lewis was later killed by his son Jonathan in 2022. Jonathan was found to be not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
Today’s version of the group includes original members Dave Rave (Desroches) and Steve Mahon, as well as Gene Champagne and Trent Carr.
An avid fan of theirs since the late 1970s, Lofstrom finally got to see Teenage Head live in London, Ont. last year. He was the first in line at their merch table and was prepared to ask the group if they’d be willing to pay the Sault a visit.
“I ended up speaking to Steve, the bass player, and he was the most down to earth person I’ve ever spoken to,” he said. “I asked him if they’d play in the Sault. When I sent them pictures of the Machine Shop later, they were more than happy to play at that venue.”
“I had seen the documentary and what they were dealing with regarding mental health, so I contacted CMHA and asked them if they’d be up for the donation and stuff like that, and they were on board,” he added. “I contacted the band again and asked them if that was okay and it was.”
According to Lofstrom, the members of Teenage Head are so excited to perform in the Sault that they’ve actually placed this Saturday’s benefit concert at number ten in the top ten of their most important events of their career — and they haven’t even performed yet.
“To me, that was my pat on the back,” he said. “The band thinks what we’re doing is important.”
Having witnessed several of his own family members and close friends suffer through mental health-related illnesses, Lofstrom noted this concert is personal for him.
“Watching that documentary, it kind of hit home,” he admitted. “It’s not just me, everybody is dealing with this stuff. Even while I was raising money and getting all the sponsorship stuff, Chris Simon took his life. The more I’m into it, the more I’m realizing the importance of it.”
Teenage Head will be performing at The Machine Shop on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. Special guest band Mustang Sally is opening.
General admission tickets are $49.26 plus tax and can be purchased by clicking here.
Lofstrom and his fundraising colleague Krissy Robidoux are approaching the halfway mark of their $50,000 goal for mental health and addictions services in the Sault.
The organizing committee will be accepting donations at the door, and readers are invited to call Martin’s Trailers at 705-942-4666 to donate as well.
Readers can enter for a chance to win four free tickets by submitting the answer to the following trivia question to [email protected]: In the documentary Picture My Face, what is the fourth item on the binder list for the school bands?