Flogging Molly

Posted by Dave Gerhard on Apr 25, 2010 in Live Reviews |

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Flogging Molly

With special guests

Big D and the Kids Table

By David Gerhard

A good man once told me “The worst thing you could ever say about a show is that it was amazing, it was just like the cds”. He then when on to tell me that a each individual concert should be a stand alone experience in time, never to be recreated, only remembered. Flogging Molly holds to this like its a necessity. Dave King has an ability to connect with the fans and make each show seem like its the first time you’ve seen them, every time. From the stage at the Minnesota Irish Festival to the dance floor at First Avenue, Flogging Molly knows to put on a show you’ll never forget. To make the evening that much more memorable, a ska band formed 14 year ago named Big D and the Kids Table were scheduled to open for this leg of the tour.

Coming straight from a show at The University of Minnesota in Morris, where they supported Flogging Molly, the night before. never actually listening to them before I don’t know what to expect. They announced them selves with a swinging beat and the energy to make any thing seem interesting. They had it all down to the suspenders and top hat, even the “Doo Wop” singers with the jumpsuits and voices as wild and their dancing. Ska and punk are a genre that basically have no rules except fave fun doing what ever you want and even that wasn’t enough for them. the set out and made their own subgenre called “stroll”. I was about to witness “stroll”ing was all about. the first few songs rolled by and all that was missing was the big solo’s and the apple mute. By the time the song called My Girlfriends on Drugs, I and many others were hooked. The crowd was in to it and moving around so much that they never saw the perfectly switch of guitars because not one note was missed or noticed. With the wide variety of instrumentals and lyrics to attract any emotion, they have the experience to set any mood. Big D and the Kids Table was one band i never would have imagined to see opening but even being so different it just felt like it was right.

The Irish man in black took the stage along with the gang. Wasting no time with pleasantries, they got down to business. I knew that Flogging Molly Had a fallowing like no other, but After the first song, Paddy’s Lament, I finally knew how devoted that following was. The crowd sang along to every word, i soon would find out that this would go on the whole show. Flogging Molly is a very humble band that like to dedicate and explain their songs so the fans get a deeper meaning of the song. Oddly, Dave King took the time to announce that the next song would be dedicated to himself and went on to say how much he hated playing this song. the crowd began to go in to a collective hysteria as the band led in to Selfish Man.After bringing the to cloud nine, Dave king finally announced why his wife Bridget Regan was unable to play and the crowd became silent. A moment of silence and prayer was taken for the hospitalization of his mother in law. Then he dedicated the next song to her which was appropriately called worst day. Again, the crowd sang every word and to no one could stand still. Now was time for Bob Schmidt’s banjo intro to Drunken Lullabies which i still think was to short of an intro solo. Afterwords there was time taken to plug the latest album named Float, Collectively, they took the to thank Jameson Irish Whiskey and Guinness for the liquid inspiration. Then they played float. While the crowd was eating out of their hands, they took the time to take us on a history lesson with Tabacco Island. They then dedicated World Alive to a local old friend named Tom Fitzderald, who recently passed away. The show could have ended with the memories of the Lightning Storm and Whats Left of the Flag but there was just some thing missing. Dave King played in the encore with Wrong Company. The rest of the guys joined in for Every Dog Has His Day. Then all at once the crowd and the band left the ground at the first note of Seven Deadly Sins. Even with every body making most of the end of the night, not one lyric was missed be crowd nor band. I can’t wait to see the enthusiasm this band can inspire at the 2010 Irish Fest if they are booked again. If they hit that stage again I expect to see you there.