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Dropkick Murphys Fans Shipped Up to the Pocono Mountains for Annual St. Paddy's Day Celebration
- Eric Sperrazza
- Mar 15
- 3 min read
Photos and Review by Eric Sperrazza
Since 2002, Dropkick Murphys have performed a series of shows leading up to and on Saint Patrick's Day. Once just a luxury of those that could get to Boston, Massachusetts, in the last few years, the band has expanded on dates and even locations as far down south as Florida while on the road to the coveted holiday. On Tuesday the band made their traditional Pennsylvania stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena in the resort town of Wilkes-Barre, special guests, Teenage Bottle Rocket and The Menzingers in tow.
Kicking off the night was Ramonescore punk band, Teenage Bottle Rocket. Still riding high from the 2021 Fat Wreck Chords LP release, Sick Sesh!, the band tore through a cavalcade of genuinely fun pop-punk songs like “Bigger Than Kiss” and “Freak Out!” They ended the set with their 2009 hit single, ‘Skate or Die.”
Pennsylvania’s own The Menzingers took to the stage next. Powering through a thirteen-song set list, they kicked off with the aptly named, “I Don’t Want to be an Asshole Anymore.” From there, they touched on classics like, “Obituaries” and “America (You’re Freaking Me Out!)” and even performed the rather appropriate, “Irish Goodbyes.” At about nine o’clock, the lights went down, and the Dropkick Murphys backdrop began to illuminate. Then, Ken Casey (vocals), Matt Kelly (drums), James Lynch (guitar), Tim Brennan (muliple instruments including accordion), Jeff DaRosa (multiple instruments including banjo), and Campbell Webster (bagpipes) would proceed to march onto the stage to the sounds of Sinead O’Connor’s “A Foggy Dew,” piped through the arena sound system. Noticeably absent for the third year in a row, however, was co-singer, Al Barr.
Ripping into their set with “Climbing a Chair to Bed” and “The Boys Are Back,” Casey would find himself doing delicate balancing acts on the general admission guard rail, dueting with the audience and building excitement. The momentum was seemingly lost during “Bastards on Parade” as Casey had to address violence in the mosh circle and being respectful of female fans. From that point forward, it seemed that the medic tent saw steady action throughout the rest of the show as the band pressed forward with “Barroom Hero” and the union rally anthem, “Which Side Are You On?” But, the true spirit of the Irish holiday came in to full bloom as Dropkick rounded out their night with the pub-worthy singalongs, “Going Out In Style” and Rose Tattoo.”
Unfortunately, the fabled 'I’m Shipping Up To Boston” encore was stopped as, yet again, Casey had to address someone injured on the floor.” He did, however, give us one more round to sing along to and finish with the salutation of the working class, “Workers' Song.”
Overall, this was a night filled with some special moments. And although Wilkes-Barre, and the Pocono Mountains as a whole, are riddled with tourist destinations, the area is absolutely a working class population, rooted in industrial jobs and manual labor. Dropkick Murphys and their pro-union voice have always had a home there for the better part of their career. For that, the band’s song choices would be perfect had it not been for the fact that it was the Saint Patrick’s Day tour. Missing were staples of the band’s holiday shows like, “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced,” “The Dirty Glass,” and “Fields of Athenry.” Further, it should be noted how missed Al Barr is. There was a dynamic between Barr and Casey on stage that added to their gang-chorus pub anthems…a palpable energy. The show is in no way bad with Ken Casey at the wheel alone, but it is different without the duo rabble-rousing the crowd and bringing you along on whiskey-riddled adventures.
My one pointed thought upon leaving was just how violent the general admission section was. Seeing Dropkick Murphys shows since the 1998 Vans Warped Tour, I have never seen the on-site medics more busy and certainly never had “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” stopped because of crowd injuries…ever.Whatever Wilkes-Barre was working through, I hope they got it all out and are okay!
Bad Religion will join Dropkick Murphys for the Summer of Discontent Tour, which will kick off on July 22nd in Spokane, Washington, and end on August 17th in Big Flats, New York. Tickets are available here.
Keep up with Dropkick Murphys at:
Check out The Menzingers at:
Get more Teenage Bottlerocket at:
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