Dropkick Murphys and Bouncing Souls at Allentown Fairgrounds — 9/1/22
A couple of months ago, my daughter Casey and her husband Nick sent me a Fathers Day gift I was guaranteed to use — Ticketmaster gift certificate for the concert of my choice.
Very thoughtful, and right in my sweet spot, given my insatiable appetite for live music. About 30 seconds after the gift arrived, I combed Ticketmaster for upcoming shows that I didn’t already have tickets for. Whaddya know, Dropkick Murphys are playing the Allentown Fairgrounds on Sept 1. And, as bonus, Bouncing Souls are the warm-up act. So, I scarfed up a couple of tickets and a parking pass. Off to Allentown Fairgrounds, a first time for me.
It’s about a two -hour drive, but no other decent way to get there. My wife Christine thinks I’m crazy “but dedicated”.
I get there, and there’s a legit fair going on — Ferris wheel, kiddie rides, games, corn dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes and all kinds of other crap. Americana!
I was momentarily transported to the scene in “This Is Spinal Tap” where the band’s manager books them a gig opening for the puppet show at some county fair.
But no, the venue is a real outdoor stage, with a real floor, and a real sound system. One of the ushers tells me that tomorrow night is a country and western show, and that the fair wraps up with a Demolition Derby on the site where the mosh pit is gonna form tonight.
Fun fact: St. Luke’s Childrens Hospital, visible from where I’m standing, is where my brother Mark began his career as a pediatric cardiologist here in Allentown. We would have celebrated his 60th birthday last week if he were still with us. This Guinness is for you, Dr. Mark.
It’s a classic Dropkick Murphys crowd. LOTS of plaid, green, and kilts for both men and women, but mostly for men. And almost everybody was drinking Guinness, of course. There was one guy in a Santa Claus outfit, but I’m not sure why.
Bouncing Souls led off the night as the crowd started to gather at 7pm, right on time. They opened with “True Believers”, their best song, and rattled off about a dozen of their best-known tracks. They were a bit laid-back, and I don’t think the sound system did justice to their music, but I was standing front and center in Row 2, so I didn’t care, and I enjoyed their set anyway. And I think the Bouncing Souks were the only other people there in Allentown from New Jersey.
Here’s a sampler of Bouncing Souls tunes worth a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37tpfVBopMR84RMG85KTLi?si=pIBRZf2jQLCGQHB3WkKnkQ
The Dropkick Murphys were the main event, and the sound system, crowd, and beautiful evening came alive together to frame yet another terrific show by the band. I’ve seen them 8–10 times before, mostly in Asbury Park. Some of the Allentown faithful claimed 25 or 30 shows on their belts, which if my math is right is an average of two shows a year for each of the 15 that the Murphys have been around. Somebody’s been dry-cleaning an awful lot of kilts.
Dropkick Murphys are terrific musicians and showmen. They never fail to get the crowd riled up with their classics (Shipping Up To Boston, Johnny We Hardly Knew Ya, Rose Tattoo, and The State of Massachusetts, for example), and they always sneak in a couple of new songs from the latest album they’re shilling. They also throw in an AC/DC cover (TNT), and even a version of Roger’s & Hammerstein’s You’ll Never Walk Alone. They’re entertaining, funny, and even throw in some political rants in support of cops and the working man. Almost patriotic!
Here’s a playlist of Dropkick Murphys best work, as far as I’m concerned: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rGymeZrqgHMuqQBudrz4a?si=Twi95ueLQ-SXm5hCxImuBA
And here’s a link to a couple of brief videos from the evening, which was totally worth the trip: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAMByqOpjd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=