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REVIEW: Flogging Molly’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Tour Marches Into Marquee Theater (3-15-22)

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PHOENIX — Before Flogging Molly’s concert at The Marquee Theater – with support from Vandoliers and Russkaja – even began, there was a vibe in the crowd different from anything seen the last time concerts were a normal occurrence, and it led to what made this show so special. You see, back in those waning, naïve days of January and February of 2020 – before our lives were collectively turned upside down, leaving us wondering if any semblance of normalcy would return, let alone gathering en masse to enjoy live music once again – we could see live shows whenever we wanted. Though we may not have realized it then, we took live music for granted. 

No, the crowd on Tuesday night at the Marquee was buzzing with a noticeable sense of joy, community, and most of all, gratitude. Strangers happily chatted away with each other when the house lights were still on and an array of punk and classic rock was piped through the P.A. Conversations centered so much on “I was supposed to see… until…” and many specifically mentioned having tickets to see Flogging Molly in spring of 2020. No one was taking this moment for granted, because so much was survived to get to this point. 

Vandoliers

Vandoliers at Marquee Theater
Vandoliers
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Openers Vandoliers hail from Dallas, Texas and were described on the hype sticker on the vinyl pressing of their 2019 album Forever as sounding like a cross between Boston Irish punk legends Dropkick Murphys and Arizona’s own Calexico. With so many physical miles between Boston and Tucson and just as many musical style miles between the two as well, the description was intriguing. At the start of their set, the description immediately made sense. With a similar style of rhythm section, made up of bassist Mark Moncrieff and drummer Trey Alfaro, combined with guitar and aggressive vocals from Dustin Fleming, the Murphys-punk influence was evident. What made their sound so unique, though, was the addition of fiddler Travis Curry and multi-instrumentalist Cory Graves who combined to bring a southwest seasoning on top of the Irish punk brew. 

Vandoliers at Marquee Theater
Vandoliers
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Their seven-song set was fast and furious, punctuated with shout-along should-be classics like “Cigarettes in the Rain,” “Sixteen Years,” and “Troublemaker,” which should be the band’s anthem and the anthem for anyone who were told early on that they’d “be a problem” in life. They closed their set with a cover of Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers’ classic, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” recasting the early 90’s alternative sing-along smash as a rowdy West Texas bar band end-of-the–night, last-call rager. If there was a person in attendance not singing along throughout, they were not easily spotted amongst the packed crowd. 

Russkaja 

Russkaja at Marquee Theater
Russkaja
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Austria’s Russkaja, self-described as “Russian Turbo Polka Metal,” played second. With a foundation of traditional Russian music, they layer it with a confluence of styles, ranging from punk to ska to metal to, yes, polka, all rolled into a wholly unique sound. Founding member and vocalist Georgij Makazaria leads the charge alongside bassist Dimitrij Miller, guitarist Engel Mayr, violinist Lea-Sophie Fischer, Mayr, potete player Hans-Georg Gutternigg, and drummer Mario Stübler, with each member contributing their own particular stitch to their vast tapestry of sound.  Mayr’s guitar playing shifted effortlessly between ska and metal, not just across the entire set, but even within one song. 

Russkaja at Marquee Theater
Russkaja
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The highlight of their hard-charging set, though, was not even music, but a somber moment midway when Makazaria and Miller stood together and spoke to the crowd not as musicians but as citizens of two countries. Makazaria is Russian and Miller is Ukrainian and together they condemned the war and called for peace and love.

“The people of Russia and Ukraine have to fight against each other, and it is terrible. This is the politics that is destroying peace. We condemn this fucking war. We are against this war! Instead of battle stations, we bring some music equipment and make a festival. We will not give the world a chance to destroy our music!”

It was as powerful, if not more so, than any note played or any lyric sung, and it underscored a theme, intentional or not, that was playing throughout the evening: through disease and war and a score of so many other horrible things plaguing our world now and in the future, we are all very lucky to be together sharing a space and letting live music nourish our souls.

Flogging Molly

What was once an annual tradition, Flogging Molly’s St. Patrick’s Day Tour, like so many other tours, was put on hold, going on a two-year hiatus, save for a St. Patrick’s Day show done via Zoom for fans last year. While their concerts are always a must-see event, they performed with a renewed vigor. Opening the show with “Drunken Lullabies,” from their 2001 album of the same name, there was an extra punch to every note and every lyric. 

Dave King (Vocalist, Guitarist) & Spencer Swain (Banjoist), Flogging Molly
Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Hitting some old favorites early in the set, that theme noticed so early in the night amongst the crowd chatter re-emerged as frontman Dave King touched on the feelings so many of us had surviving the past two years, with the emotional struggles and low-low points before launching into “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” from 2000’s Swagger, which immediately took on a new feel. They followed it with their first new song of the night, written during those early scary and confusing days, called “These Times Have Got Me Drinking,” which given the crowd’s reaction to it, will easily stand beside so many of the band’s greatest. 

Matt Hensley (Accordionist), Flogging Molly
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Flogging Molly have always been a tight band, both on their albums and performing live, but each member was in top form throughout the night. King regularly shouted out members of the band between songs. With such an incredible group of musicians holding down each song, it allows King to be so many things throughout the show: singer, showman, dancer, and all-around master of ceremonies. A lesser band would not be able to afford such freedom to the frontman, but Bridget Regan (violin, tin whistle, and King’s wife of almost 15 years), Dennis Casey (guitar), Matt Hensley (accordion), Nathen Maxwell (bass), Spencer Swain (mandolin, banjo, and guitar), and Mike Alonso (drums) are all so accomplished that it gives King a wide lane in which to play. One minute, he’ll be bantering with fans, and the next, he’ll have his pant legs pulled up, as he dances around the stage, sometimes doing an impromptu jig and others doing a one-man chorus line. 

Dave King (Vocalist, Guitarist), Flogging Molly
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

This is what makes a Flogging Molly concert so special: it never feels overly-rehearsed but instead gives each show an impromptu feel, like each moment is special for that night’s audience exclusively. These moments accompanied a run through a great many classics, including a particularly rousing run through “If I Ever Leave this World Alive.” They left the stage after “Seven Deadly Sins” from 2004’s Within a Mile of Home that felt like it was a well-rehearsed rendition between the band and the entire crowd who sang along and mimicked each one of King’s movements. 

Dave King (Vocalist, Guitarist), Flogging Molly
| Photography:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Returning for an encore, they finished the set with “Tobacco Island,” also from Within a Mile of Home. That was not, however, how they closed the show. While it has become the norm for many bands to have a walk-out song (Vandoliers came out to The Vandals’ “Urban Struggle,” Russkaja played an anti-war message set to a dark, ominous beat as they walked out, and Flogging Molly themselves used The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” paired with the acapella intro to their own “The Wrong Company”), but very few bands have a walk-off song. While most shows end with a good night, band walk off, and the house lights coming on as music is piped over the P.A., Flogging Molly played “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s The Life of Brian

While not as well-known to the audience, save for this journalist and others within his particular age range, the lyrics, even to fresh ears, served to punctuate the night’s theme: “If life seems jolly rotten, there’s something you’ve forgotten, and that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.” As the song played out, the group stood together, joined by various members of Vandoliers and Russkaja in kick lines, as King handed out set lists to the younger fans (there were many older fans in attendance with their children), and playfully blew kisses to the audience before everyone at last left the stage with the song’s fading notes and those awkward feelings of 2020 despair dissipating. Nights like this remind us to never again take live music for granted, because it’s one of our true blessings, and that alone should hopefully keep us all on the bright side of life.

View Setlist


Photo Galleries

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

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Vandoliers
 | Russkaja
 | Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly, Russkaja, & Vandoliers – Marquee Theatre 3-15-22

    Flogging Molly Setlist 3-15-22

  • “Drunken Lullabies”
  • “The Hand of John L. Sullivan”
  • “Swagger”
  • “Selfish Man”
  • “The Worst Day Since Yesterday”
  • “These Times Have Got Me Drinking” (new song)
  • “Life in a Tenement Square”
  • “A Song of Liberty”
  • “Float”
  • “Black Friday Rule” (with extended guitar solo)
  • “Croppy Boy” (new song)
  • “Devil’s Dance Floor”
  • “Crushed (Hostile Nations)” / “We Will Rock You” (Dedicated to people of Ukraine)
  • “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”
  • “Salty Dog”
  • “What’s Left of the Flag”
  • “The Seven Deadly Sins”

    Encore:
  • “Tobacco Island”

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: Saints and Sinners Celebrated in the Mosh Ring of Fire with Flogging Molly & Social Distortion at Mesa Amphitheatre (9-29-19)

Mesa, AZ — Flogging Molly, closing their “Life is Good” tour, and Social Distortion, about to hit the studio again, put on a spectacular show of endurance and exuberance for an all ages crowd at the Mesa Amphitheatre. Together, they demonstrated that punk’s not dead, but alive and well, with new albums and more tours to come for future fans in attendance that were not even born yet.

Openers  — Le Butcherettes & The Devil Makes Three

The opening bands, Le Butcherettes and The Devil Makes Three, did a fantastic job at getting the crowd pumped and ready for the headliners. With spastic moves and strong vocals, Le Butcherettes surprised and impressed the audience with their style and polished delivery. Then, the bluegrass punk mix brought in by The Devil Makes Three brought in their excellent performance, gaining fans throughout the audience that came in early enough to be rewarded by their unusual, yet fantastic musical talents. 

Social Distortion

Social Distortion’s Mike Ness and his 40 years of rock and roll experience kept the crowd cheering and fired up during their energized performance. Early into their set, Ness thanked the openers one by one, encouraged the crowd to cheer for them, as he then also shared how the Mesa crowd was so far superior from all the other ones, especially the recent night in Las Vegas. There were nonstop mosh pits during Social Distortion’s performance, staying true to the punk tradition of chaos and high energy.  

Mike Ness (Lead Vocals), Social Distortion
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Halfway through the set, Ness made an announcement that their fans were ecstatic to hear by saying, “I have some great news! Social Distortion is going into the studio in January to record a new album.” Since their last album release was Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes back in 2011, the crowd went crazy. Social Distortion rewarded their fans’ loyalty with a new song called “Over You” from the not-yet-recorded new album. 

Brent Harding (Bass), Social Distortion
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Ness connected with the audience between every song, telling stories about his musical journey and pouring his all into each song. One of the stories that stood out the most was about an assignment he received while in high school back in September of 1980 where he was told to read about WWII. Ness, with a smile, commented that he spent that time writing a song, and shortly after he dropped out of high school because it was getting in the way of his rock and roll life. That song is called “1945”.

Social Distortion
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

As their set was nearing its end, they were joined by band members from The Devil Makes Three and Flogging Molly for the song “Sometimes I Do”. Social Distortion closed the last stop of their tour with an appropriate song for their 40th anniversary tour; “Story of My Life”. 

Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly hit the stage to end what, for them, has been long 3 years of constant touring.  Their well-deserved break will include a couple of weddings and international trips: Spencer Swain, who plays the mandolin, banjo, guitar, and vocals, is to be married within a week of the show’s end; Nathen Maxwell, who plays bass guitar and vocals, is also getting married within a week after the show; finally, band leader Dave King — their lead vocalist who plays the acoustic guitar, and bodhrán, and his wife Bridget Regan, who provides backing and lead vocals and plays the violin and tin whistle, were going on a trip to Ireland almost immediately after the show at 7:30 the next morning.

Flogging Molly
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

King and company rocked the stage and brought a performance to Mesa that was a prime example of fun, energy, and professionalism, demonstrating their 22 years of experience and true dedication to their fans. 

A memorable moment arose in the middle of their set as King wanted to give a special shout-out to a fan that flew all the way from Tokyo, Japan, just to see them play here. King greeted this young fan, Kazu, in what seemed to be fluent Japanese, causing an explosion of cheers and clapping from the audience. Flogging Molly played one of their most popular songs, “Tobacco Road”, for this traveling fan. 

Matt Hensley (Accordion), Flogging Molly
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

As Flogging Molly played the energetic, musically and lyrically powerful song “Crush,” King stopped mid-song and said, “On the last day of our tour, after 3 years without emptying our suitcases, let’s have some fun,” and started to sing “We Will Rock You” by Queen with the crowd chanting loudly, then seamlessly went back to the song “Crush”. 

King then introduced each one of the 7 Drunken Pirates, as the band members call themselves, one by one and thoroughly thanked the entire crew. He stated that after touring for years, this was the best crew they’ve ever had — “except for this asshole right there,” he jokingly said while pointing towards the backstage area without specifically singling anybody out. 

Spencer Swain (Guitar), Flogging Molly
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

“If I Ever Leave This World Alive” was their last song, powerfully and beautifully performed from the stage to a cheering crowd that didn’t want to see this show end. These fans had been gifted with phenomenal performances from two of the most recognizable punk bands of our time. 

Dave King (Lead Vocals), Flogging Molly
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

As their last song came to an end, the speakers began to play the theme song of Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, a British comedic classic, with their positive and uplifting message: “Always look on the bright side of life.” The stage began to fill back up with the members of Flogging Molly and The Devil Makes Three as they said goodbye to their fans, throwing guitar pics, drumsticks, playlists, and anything else they could find to give away while King waved away his fans, ready for their well-earned break.

Photo Galleries

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

View Separately: Flogging Molly | Social Distortion

Flogging Molly & Social Distortion – Mesa Amphitheatre 9-29-19

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

Additional Dates For Dropkick Murphys & Flogging Molly Co-Headlining Tour Announced, With Shows From September 17 – 29

Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly–two giants of American punk rock that share a working class ethos, an Irish heritage and Celtic folk influence–just wrapped the initial leg of their first-ever co-headlining tour, celebrating over 20 years of mayhem, and are preparing to return to the road in September for more shows together. The second leg of dates kicks off September 17 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and winds across the West, wrapping on September 29 in Mesa, Arizona.

The initial run of North American shows for Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly culminated with the groups’ June 23 concert combined with a Murphys Boxing event in Gilford, New Hampshire, with the main event featuring Murphys’ fighter Mark “Bazooka” DeLuca (21-0) and Walter “Two Guns” Wright (16-4).

Ken Casey, Dropkick Murphys’ vocalist / bassist / founder explains, “It’s been one hell of a party. Great to hang with our old friends Flogging Molly on and off the stage and it’s been great to see so many smiling faces in the audience each night. It’s something the two bands and the fans have wanted for a long time. We are so excited for the next leg of the tour out West!!!!!”

Dropkick Murphys - Photo Credit: Gregory Nolan
Dropkick Murphys
Photography:
Gregory Nolan

Flogging Molly’s Dave King vocalist / founder says, “What a tour this has been…It took many years, but worth the wait, not just for the bands, but the fans as well. If there’s an Irish punk rock heaven, then this is it! Touring with the Dropkick Murphys has been a highlight of our touring lives, what a great band, and a great bunch of lads, can’t wait to bring this celebration to the West Coast! So, get ready and grab your partner because we’re all just dancers on the ‘Devils Dance Floor’!”

Flogging Molly - Photo Credit: Richie Smyth
Flogging Molly
Photography:
Richie Smyth

Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys received widespread praise from fans and the media during this historic run of shows.

Brooklyn Vegan called the tour, “…one hell of a double bill of Celtic punk… [June 17, 2018].”

Elsewhere, Omaha World-Herald called the two bands “…collectively the pinnacle of a genre that mixes up punk rock and Irish folk, raging guitars and tin whistle, head-banging beats and bagpipes [June 11, 2018].”

Tickets for the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly co-headlining tour go on sale staring this Thursday, June 28 at www.dropkickmurphys.com and www.floggingmolly.com.

The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly co-headlining U.S. tour dates are as follows:

Date City Venue
Monday, September 17 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center *
Tuesday, September 18 Grand Prairie, AB Revolution Place *
Thursday, September 20 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum *
Friday, September 21 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater *
Saturday, September 22 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater *
Sunday, September 23 Bonner, MT KettleHouse Amphitheater *
Tuesday, September 25 Sacramento, CA Papa Murphy’s Park at Cal Expo +
Wednesday, September 26 Avila Beach, CA Avila Beach Resort +
Thursday, September 27 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium *
Friday, September 28 Irvine, CA Five Point Amphitheatre +
Saturday, September 29 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre +

* Dropkick Murphys close the show
+ Flogging Molly closes the show

For more info on Dropkick Murphys, visit:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  YouTube

 

For more info on Flogging Molly, visit:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  YouTube