On a beautiful late summer evening September 21st Flogging Molly led an energetic 4 band line up of mosh inducing bands at Vina Robles Amphitheatre. The music started early while a warm afternoon breeze kept temperatures at the venue pleasant. Opening the show was The Skints, a young English reggae punk band with boundless energy. Much like the headliners Flogging Molly, The Skints tour relentlessly, honing their exquisite musical skills on the road. Singer Marcia Richards displayed remarkable skills on a wide array of instruments including keyboards, alto saxophone, melodica, flute and guitar. The band encouraged an early mosh pit, which unlike most venues is not banned at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre during concerts offering a general admission pit.
After a short break, the Los Angeles psychobilly band Tiger Army stepped up the energy and the tempo in the crowd. The power trio led by singer and guitarist Nick 13 launched a fast paced well received set of mosh inducing tunes. The floor area largely became a dance floor by the end of the ear-splitting set.
The co-headliners, The Interrupters took the stage as the late summer sun began to set painting the surrounding mountains in pastel colors. Although the band has been together for over a decade they still appear as fresh new faces in the music world. The band, reminiscent of an early No Doubt played a dance infused set of explosive ska inspired rhythms. The Los Angeles band included songs from most of their catalog including “She Got Arrested” from Say It Out Loud and ending the set with “She’s Kerosene” from Fight The Good Fight. The band also included a ska infused version of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.”
As the summer night air cooled and stars filled the sky Flogging Molly exploded onstage in a cacophony of light and sound. The Celtic punkers opened their set with one of their biggest hits, “Drunken Lullabies.” The floor area was instantly transformed into a giant mosh pit which would continue to grow during the entire performance. Mercurial lead singer and guitarist Dave King, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, danced about the stage like a drunken teenager in an Irish pub. Meanwhile the seven-member group played maniacal punk infused beats with pure Celtic roots. The set composed of drinking songs with themes of hope, loss, and love. King engaged with the audience frequently, paying homage to the growing mosh pit early on. Later in the set he paused for a political moment, calling out Putin and asking the crowd to give the Russian leader the finger and most obliged. Then the band launched into “A Song of Liberty.” The 4 band mosh inducing marathon ended just before 11pm nearly 6 hours after it started.
