Boston punk legends Dropkick Murphys stepped out into the October heat this past Saturday night and put on a show for the ages. Ken Casey (lead vocals) stalked the stage like a caged animal let loose; fresh out of a walking boot from an Achilles tendon injury, he definitely made the most of his new-found freedom to play and sing in his distinctive growl to every square inch of the stage and to the crowd. Leaning out over the barricade for sing-along’s to share the mic with fans nearly every other song, Casey proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that every person in Mesa Amphitheater knew damn near every word to every song, and he wasn’t afraid to get into the mix with them. Casey wasn’t the only one to get in on the fun of playing to the crowd, either. Multi-instrumentalist Tim Brennan plays one of the most aggressive and punk accordion’s ever to grace an Arizona stage, and often was front and center playing into the crowd alongside Jeff DaRosa on banjo and guitars. Rounding out the stage were Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, and vocals), James Lynch (guitars and vocals), and Kevin Rheaul (bass and vocals). With a discography that spans over 28 years, it was impressive watching the band pull out tracks from across the entirety of their history. It’s difficult to say what were stand out tracks based on crowd participation, because there was no lull in the crowd’s roar or singing along at any point of the show. From “Rose Tattoo” (2012’s Signed and Sealed in Blood) and “Shipping Up To Boston” (2004’s The Warriors Code), to “Flannigans Ball” (2007’s The Meanest of Times), “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced” (2003’s Blackout) all the way back to “Barroom Hero” (1998’s Do or Die), it was a veritable greatest hits for a solid 90 minute set. Casey was blatantly having a ball, with a giant grin on his face the entire time, and everyone else on stage was jubilant and rowdy from start to finish. You can catch Dropkick Murphys currently on tour now and throughout the fall, and are bringing along Pennywise and The Scratch (from Dublin, Ireland) for the ride.
