Going to a Flogging Molly show to write a review is kind of like winning the lottery on your birthday. Not only do you get to see one of the most fantastic live shows ever, but you also get to tell everyone else how amazing it was. Flogging Molly never fails to impress, this years Green 17 Tour is no exception. Arriving at the show an hour early, you could already see the crowds excitement clearly displayed on their faces. Though it may have been freezing cold and windy, everyone was glad to be standing in line none the less.
Shortly after the doors open and the first band on stage is Kansas City’s The Architects, who come out with enough energy to fill an entire night of music. The only bad thing I can say about their set is that it was not long enough for my liking. These guys can pump you up so fast that you become an instant fan even if you have never heard one of their songs before. The crowd was completely fired up by the end of their set.
After a brief break for the stage hands to do their magic, out came Frank Turner. The scrappy young lad from Winchester, England. This guy can make your heart soar and melt in equal turns. His melodic acoustic sound and punchy lyrics make you want to laugh and cry and sing along all at once. Again I would have liked a longer set, but with three bands playing there just isn’t enough time in the night for longer sets. His song “To Take You Home” was most assuredly the high point of his perfect set. If you ever get a chance to see Frank Turner live, please by all means do not hesitate.
Again the house lights come up and there is a brief interlude, and then came the moment everyone has been so anxiously waiting for. The lights go down, the intro music starts up, the crowd begins to scream and chant and foam at the mouth and dance. The excitement builds and crashes against the stage in wave after wave until finally Flogging Molly takes the stage like a sudden thunder storm in the middle of a sunny day. Fans scream, guitars hum, a violin whispers sweetly in our ears and a drunk Irish bastard screams into a microphone. And for just a little while in Philadelphia, everything is perfect in the world. With a jam packed set including such crowd favorites as “Drunken Lullabies,” “Whats left of the Flag,” “Tobacco Island,” and “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” as well as a sprinkling of tracks from their latest release Float, this was indeed a night for the history books. The only way this show could have been better is if it had been on Saint Patrick’s Day, and so to anyone in Tempe, Arizona for the finale of this tour, I have only this to say. You lucky bastards! Enjoy the show.
