Between fans screaming the words “Oi, oi, oi” with fists in the air and the faint scent of beer, the audience and three-band lineup brought moisture to the Union Event Center on a dusty evening in Salt Lake City.
On Aug. 2, the Dropkick Murphys made a stop on their “Summer of Discontent” North American tour at the Union. Co-headliner Bad Religion announced the band by saying, “Our friend, and yours, the Dropkick Murphys!” With old dudes crowd surfing, gray-haired punk enthusiasts and small children running around the venue, the Saturday night show was one of love and unity. Even Batman was there.
“The biggest pit of the whole tour”
The band opened the show with “Who’ll Stand With Us?” immediately opening the space for the crowd to cheer, surf and shove each other around. As crowd surfers made their way down the sea of fans and the bagpipes began to grow louder, the air built to a taste of sweat. However, the audience didn’t seem to care, as they grew louder with each call and response.
Each instrumentalist got the spotlight, and they played through as many songs as they could, at times not even stopping for a break. With 13 studio albums among other releases, they weren’t short of energy or selection to keep the crowd going. The set included songs “Bar Room Hero,” “Finnegan’s Wake” and “Cadence To Arms” from their first release “Do Or Die.” With each song came fists in the air and bobbing of heads throughout the crowd, some jumping higher than other members’ hair spikes. It was an instant rush watching the fans shouting for workers’ and human rights, along with the band, who have been vocal about the presidential administration’s “class war.” In a recent show on tour, the band dedicated “First Class Loser” to Donald Trump during their stop in Long Beach, California, as a video montage of Trump and Epstein played through.
“You were out there in the crowd”
Halfway through the set, frontman Ken Casey announced, “This has only been a warm-up. Are you ready for the real thing?” riling the crowd up even more.
Band member Tim Brennan mentioned that Dropkick Murphys shows tend to attract certain crowds that interfere with their initial intent. Near the end of the set, a fight broke out in the crowd between audience members, which was followed by a comment by Casey, “Everybody gets along at the Dropkick Murphys show … take it outside.” This mention added to the band’s presence as a voice for peace and unity. This was also followed by a direction to take other audience members in your arms and sway to the music as the band played through “Bury the Bones.”
Between the heavy breathing and damp hair, the room embraced each other and sang along with the band, despite the song’s recent release just a month ago.
During a break between songs, Casey called out American billionaires and President Donald Trump. “It’s not about politics, it’s about class war,” Casey said. He continued, critiquing the president’s use of his private jet and signing away the American people’s Social Security.
Dropkick Murphys closed out the evening with an encore of “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” leaving the room as fans cheered, “Let’s Go, Murphys.”
The Claddagh Fund, which is the band’s charity fund, is taking donations and tabling with merchandise and a chance to win a signed guitar at all shows. The fund supports veterans, children and substance recovery. You can find out more about it here. Dropkick Murphys will be on their North American tour until Aug. 17, with their final show in Big Flats, New York. Find out more about the band here.
