Flogging Molly’s Winter Tour came to The Signal Friday night with a raucous roar. Flogging Molly’s an Irish-American band that started in 1995 and has kept rocking with an impressively consistent line-up. Anti-Flag, a classic punk revival act from 1988 hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, was second on the bill, along with the comparably newer British folk group Skinny Lister.
Skinny Lister kicked off the night with a brief but strong set of folk-y jams. Their tunes were upbeat and their set blended sounds both new with traditional.
Anti-Flag took the stage next with an incredible full-throated punk set that launched the energy for the rest of the night to the next level. They launched into tracks new and old, including 1 Trillion Dollar$, American Attraction, a rousing medley of classic punk songs including “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”, “God Save the Queen”, and “Blitzkrieg Bop”, and audience favorite VICTORY OR DEATH (WE GAVE ‘EM HELL). The crowd was into it all, jumping, and moshing along to the energy of the music and the band’s calls to action. Anti-Flag’s always had a strong belief in what punk is and can be, and that was on full display in their music and their audience engagement. In between songs, they’d check on the audience’s safety to ensure a safe and epic night. They also made clear punk is about feeling for others, and that they choose “empathy over apathy, leaving everyone feeling well and with a mission to do better in the world.
Lastly Flogging Molly, the central attraction, took the stage. Flogging Molly’s had a long-standing career, and they showed off why they’re so beloved in a raucous set punctuated by humorous stage banter from front man and vocalist Dave King. Flogging Molly performed in support of their new album Anthem, which came out in late 2022, so they played a few tracks off the new album including a “Life Begins and Ends (but Never Fails)”, “The Croppy Boy ’98”, and “A Song of Liberty”, with a nod before the last song the struggle of the Ukrainians. They also played a selection of songs from their long career, including “Tobacco Island”, “Devil’s Dance Floor”, and “Float”, to the delight of the audience. Flogging Molly truly brought the house down to cap off a wonderful night of folk and punk!
