“Danger Is Our Middle Name”: Meet the Tijuana Danger Dogs

Listen to our exclusive interview with the rock band and learn about their moving story!

Jesse Wheeler and Michael Toyryla (“Johnny Danger”) met in 1999, performing at regular gigs and releasing multiple independent recordings with the various bands they formed together. The pair viewed music as a creative outlet, creating original music that did not fit into one box but rather offered hints at pop, electronic, and hard rock styles.

However, in 2010 Toyryla was nearly killed in a tragic accident. He was left paralyzed, and consequently his aspirations for music were forced aside. But he fought on through recovery, and soon he was able to reunite with Wheeler to form the Tijuana Danger Dogs: a studio project that was to release numerous singles and an EP between 2012 and 2014. The duo looked to expand their horizons in late 2014 and build a live act with Toyryla on vocals and guitar and Wheeler and guitar– highlighting both original songs and covers with a TDD spin. The Tijuana Danger Dogs not only expanded their brand but also their team, turning the band into a family affair by welcoming Caleb Wheeler on drums and Keagan Toyryla on bass and vocals. 

The Tijuana Danger Dogs have since released EP’s titled “Aurora Carnivora” (2017), “All My Friends: Vol. 1” (2018), “On Our Way” (2021) and “No Such Thing as Normal” (2021). In the beginning of 2022, the band signed a deal with New Vine Records and published their first EP with the label titled “People of The Swamp” in April. New music is expected to be released from the band soon, maintaining their fast creative pace. 

You can catch the band perform live on November 4th at 8:30pm in the Schine Center Underground at Syracuse University. WJPZ is partnering with the Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center to give away tickets for the event to four lucky winners. Check out our Instagram for more details!