PHOTOS: Dropkick Murphys at Stubb’s Austin

DROPKICK MURPHYS
Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, Austin, TX
February 27, 2019

Photography by Michael Mullenix

Celtic Punk was on draught Wednesday night (2/27) when Boston Rockers, the Dropkick Murphys arrived at Stubb’s BBQ. The lights came up on the amphitheater as the band rang out on The Boys Are Back, a rallying anthem to set the night off right. From there the punk rock icons thrashed about to relatively newer hits such as the State Of Massachusetts, Don’t Tear Us Apart, and Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya. The noticeable change in the band’s set-up on stage was the inclusion of extended platforms that let both singers come face to face with their rowdy crowd. Ken Casey (who has now relinquished his duties as the band’s performing bassist) and Al Barr could jump on the barricades and chose to spend a large portion of their set singing directly to the audience. A point was made early in the evening that Barr had been the band’s vocalist for 21 years at this point and the band played a collection of old favorites from Barr’s debut on The Gang’s All Here. From the setlist, a lot of older hits were missing, and while some of this to be expected, following a year where the Red Sox won the World Series it was a bit disheartening that Tessie didn’t make it into the rotation. Dropkick played for an hour and a half and closed out the night with an encore collection of Rose Tattoo, Shipping Up To Boston, and a cover of AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds.

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Michael Mullenix

Growing up around the world, Michael developed a taste and appreciation for all styles of music. While studying film making at Boston University, he dove headfirst into a mosh-pit and never came out. It was in Boston that he combined his love of film and photography with his drive and passion for being a chronicler of the underground music scene. After graduation he headed to Los Angeles and for over a decade has worked with some of the top musicians and actors in the entertainment industry. Lured to Austin by the cultural explosion in the music and film scenes taking place there, he relocated two years ago and describes Austin as a cultural Shang Ri La!