Dropkick Murphys Rally the Troops at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas

October 8, 2024 –The Dropkick Murphys are taking their campaign around the US this election season. We last saw Dropkick at PRB 2023 after their collaborations with the Woody Guthrie estate for their acoustic album This Machine Kills Fascist and their original release Okemah Rising, so we were happy to see the boys back so soon with an unexpected banger of an opener at Brooklyn Bowl this month.

The Scratch

Showing up early was well worth it for this tour. Pennywise wasn’t able to make the Vegas date, but The Scratch took care of that itch better than expected.

An Irish 3-Piece with the singer playing the beats on a cajón drum is already eye-catching, but the breakdowns these cats lay down can give a hardcore kid the stankiest doo-doo face he’s ever had. Jordo O’Leary plays an acoustic/electric hybrid and drops the absolutely nastiest breakdowns I’ve heard live.

Their opening “Pulling Teeth” started off like any other Irish band you would expect, stringy acoustics and strong accented folk style lyrics, when all the sudden the music turns frantic, Lango changes his folky style to a hard rap, and when the breakdown guitar hits you almost have to stop yourself from throwing a windmill kick.

Heavy hints of bands like Enter Shikari make them extremely palatable to anyone with a hardcore sense, but their Irish roots give them a solid in with the Dropkick crowd. I’d never associate these two acts if I heard them separately, but their grateful words for how Dropkick has taken them under their wing was awesome to hear. Can’t wait to see them again.

Dropkick Murphys

The classic intro of Sinead O’Connor singing “The Foggy Dew” while the band takes their places is still chill inducing no matter how many times you hear it, but that’s immediately taken over when Ken commands the chants of the familiar “Lonesome Boatman” that everyone follows with their fist in the the air.

“The Boys are Back” has become a modern classic in an otherwise legendary setlist, but that still leaves room for the boys to get rowdy during the pinnacle “Barroom Hero”. We got so rowdy Ken had to stop the song to break up a fight on the pit, but that’s quickly turned around for the crowd favorite “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced” that I couldn’t imagine anyone being mad while hearing.

The inevitable capper of Shipping Up To Boston was able to satisfy anyone that came for the night, and “Worker’s Song” afterwards is the tune that should stick with us all the way to the ballot box this November.

Catch the boys on the rest of their tour dates this fall, and be sure to show up early for The Scratch if you know what’s good for you.

For more info/tour/merch, head on over to Dropkick Murphys official website.