Words and Photos: DJ
A little over a week before St Patricks Day we get surprised with Boston’s King of Celtic Punk Rock the Dropkick Murphys as they continue their trek down south and land at Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, AL. Not to be outdone by Flogging Molly a few weeks ago, the spirit of the Irish is revived once more in the flesh by the excellent live vibe environment that the guys bring on stage. Coupled with frontman Ken Casey’s constant interaction with the crowd, they always put on a heck of a show and one that has lived up to expectations on this tour.
The boys have been overseas for some time and as soon as they got back they continue their tour here in the states. With them, they bring Jesse Ahern, a Boston solo artist with his grit Acoustic offerings, and The Rumjacks, a Celtic Punk band from Sydney, Australia.
Ahern has toured with Dropkicks before and his opening slot is interesting as the fans get a more toned-done guise of blue-collar lyrics and things that deal with social issues and the harsh reality of trying to make it. A song for an everyday Joe, really enjoyed his set and Jesse was very appreciative of the fans there that night and a chance to be on the road sharing his music with the world. “Lonely Miles” and “Highway of Life” we’re very well done and the tunes describe Ahern in a nutshell. Go check him out and support local bands and all the artists trying to make a living doing this.
Next up are The Rumjacks hailing from Australia. Was not too familiar with their back catalog, but until recently when I discovered “Hestia”, their latest offering that came out in 2021. The guys aren’t new in the scene this was their 5th studio album. With it came new singer Mike Rivkees on vocals. Now they have been traveling the world with the Dropkicks and have gotten raved reviews from media across the globe. And is easy to see why.
They put on a lively show with Rivkees with his tin whistle and energy exploded on stage and they never looked back. Loved the barrage of classic instruments like the mandolin, bouzouki, and banjo that Adam Kenny was using. Their sound is traditional Celtic Punk, but they bring it to life, with a very cool performance and the perfect opener for The Murphys. I really can’t say anything bad about their set, tons of energy, very engaging with the crowd, and now I will dig in their back catalog and find out what I have missed.
After a short prep time, Dropkick Murphys took the stage, and instantly the crowd gets moving, led by the antics of frontman Ken Casey maddening jumps on top of pedestals right by the front row and barricade are always a sight to behold. His up-close and personal interactions with the fans are always fantastic. Never has the sound of bagpipes sounded so good, and when you bring out such Murphys classics like “The State of Massachusetts”, “The Boys are Back” and “Cadillac, Cadillac” to open the first half of the set, all is well. The hits keep coming on a long setlist that features other staples of the Murphys via “Two 6’s Upside Down” and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”.
You get a sense of blue-collar-inspired lyrics and the way of life that has made their music popular over the years. Every person can relate to it, and most importantly everybody has a right to shout some of these songs live and just release some steam. Even on a Tuesday night, the venue was pretty packed, a testament to the performers at hand and the respect they have for a band that has seemingly been around forever and some who remain as relevant today as they have at any other point in their long-running career. Check out the tour if still can.
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