Flogging Molly @ Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY
Sunday, February 28, 2010
By: Backstageaxxess.com Correspondent Thom Jennings
The lights went down shortly after 9:00 pm this past Sunday and loud eerie organ music filled the arena as the seven-piece band Flogging Molly hit the stage at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York. It was part of Flogging Molly's extensive Green 17 tour. The band appeared in front of a backdrop of a pirate ship lit up with fluorescent colors. They opened with Paddys Lament from their latest studio release, 'Float.' Immediately, the band put the near capacity crowd of 7,000 into a state of frenzy, pumping fists in the air and slamming into each other.
The two-hour plus set continued with Likes of You Again from the bands first album, the first of many songs that the crowd enthusiastically shouted out the chorus. The set included over twenty songs from all of the bands studio albums and gave each member of the band an opportunity to shine.
Flogging Molly front man and founder, Dave King, joked with the crowd all night and when he was not singing and playing guitar, he enthusiastically danced to the music. The rhythm section of George Schwindt and Nathen Maxwell held the complex arrangements together with a fast driving beat. Maxwells bass playing was showcased on the intro to Man With No Country.
For a seven-piece band with eclectic instruments, Flogging Molly sounded amazingly tight and polished without sacrificing the tremendous intensity of their music. The diverse selection of songs included in your face punk rock songs like Rebels of the Sacred Heart, and slower melodic numbers like the title cut from Float.
Accordion player Matt Hensley and fiddle player Bridget Regan add the Celtic flavor to Flogging Molly songs, along with the amazingly versatile Bob Schmidt, who seems to change instruments after every song. Rochester native Dennis Casey pleased the hometown crowd with guitar heroics on a variety of Les Pauls and Telecasters.
When King introduced Dennis Casey, the crowd offered a thunderous roar for their hometown guitarist who was once employed at the legendary House of Guitars in Rochester. After years of packing the much smaller Water Street Music Hall, last year selling out two consecutive nights, Flogging Molly showed the large crowd how they earned their reputation as a great live band.
Flogging Molly closed their set with a show-stopping version of Whats Left of the Flag, and returned a few minutes later to perform three encores including the live staple, Black Friday Rule which opens with just King on an acoustic guitar and then the entire band finishes off the song.
Opening for Flogging Molly were The Architects from Kansas City and English punk singer/songwriter Frank Turner. The Architects delivered an energetic set of punk rock filled with screaming vocals, which truly energized the crowd. Turner's set was more melodic. Both acts received a great reception from the fans at The Main Street Armory.
Set List:
Paddys Lament
Likes of You Again
Swagger
Requiem for a Dying Song
Every Dog Has its Day
The Worst Day Since Yesterday
Drunken Lullabies
Wont Make a Fool Out of Me
Man With No Country
The Wanderlust
Us of Lesser Gods
Factory Girls
Float
Punch Drunk Grinning Soul
Tobacco Island
Rebels of the Sacred Heart
Devils Dance Floor
If I Ever Leave This World Alive
Salty Dog
Lightening Storm
Whats Left of the Flag
Encores:
Wrong Company
Black Friday Rule
Seven Deadly Sins
We would like to thank Jon Pebsworth of SideOneDummy for allowing us to cover the show. We also would like to thank Tom Casserino for his gracious hospitality. For more information on Tom's site V 10 Music and Sports, you can go to: http://v10musicsports.com/v10ms/event-planning/
