Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming
The Astro in La Vista was rocking Thursday (10.5) with two of the biggest punk bands on the scene, Dropkick Murphys and The Interrupters!
Fall is finally here. Pumpkin spice lattes, scary movies, and of course sweater weather! I was so stoked to finally be at a show where I wouldn't be sweating and instead needed to grab a hoodie before heading out.
When I arrived at The Astro a good sized crowd had already formed and the rail was full of fans ready to rock out. The first act on the bill was roots rocker Jesse Ahern. With just a guitar and some good old fashioned boot stomping Jesse strummed his way into the crowd's hearts with songs of working class struggles and fighting for a place in this world. He got a lot of love from the folks in the front as they raised their phones for some pics and videos. He checked in with some younger kids down in front and made sure he wasn't cursing too much. It was a sweet moment. Jesse has a new album that dropped a few weeks ago titled Roots Rock Rebel. It's available now wherever you stream music so check it out!
Next up were the L.A. ska-masters The Interrupters! I was looking forward to seeing these guys as soon as the show was announced. I had the chance to catch them a few years ago when they opened for 311 and it was a blast. As soon as they hit the stage the energy went to 11 in a hurry.
The band opened with "Take Back The Power", the opening track from their 2014 self-titled release. It's so catchy I couldn't help sing along a little bit. Lead singer Aimee Allen saw me singing and stepped down onto a platform in front of the stage. As she got super close I thought she might hold out the mic but she shook my hand instead. Probably the better move, haha!
Aimee and her "brothers" were on fire right out of the gate! You'll notice I put brothers in quotes. The Interrupters are Aimee Allen on vocals, Kevin Bivona on guitar, and Kevin's younger twin brothers Jesse and Justin on drums and bass. To top it all off Kevin and Aimee are married! So Jesse and Justin are brothers-in-law. When these guys play their song "Family" they speak the truth.
For the next 45 minutes The Interrupters had the crowd skanking their butts off with hits like "Raised By Wolves", "In The Mirror", and "She Got Arrested". The highlight for me was their cover of Billie Eilish's "Bad Buy". Instead of synths for the catchy chorus The Interrupters had a horn section. It was pure ska bliss. Of course they had to end the set with their biggest hit "She's Kerosene" and the crowd went wild. After that set the Dropkicks had their work cut out for them. The Interrupters tore the house down!
As the house lights dimmed a giant LED backdrop lit up with Dropkick Murphys lettering. The sound of bag pipes filled the air as the crowd stirred.
The boys from Boston hit the stage with force setting off an Irish-tinged punk rock bomb! The crowd pushed forward as lead singer Ken Casey held out the mic for everyone to sing along. To the left of me a giant circle pit opened up and everyone rallied to the sounds of banjos and bagpipes. Was I at a rock show or on a massive pirate ship? Hard to say.
As the band launched into the song "Middle Finger" the crowd flipped the bird which is apparently a custom for this show. A little girl on her dad's shoulder next to me was reluctant but he said "You have to flip the bird, the band wants it, they crave it!" After she flipped the bird she never stopped! Ken pointed her out and laughed. He said "Our future is bright with the likes of this little girl and all these punk rockers". It was a really sweet moment.
After the next couple songs Ken called out the V.I.P. section to the right, "I want to see a circle pit in that V.I.P section. If you guys don't do it I'm going to give you a hard time". The very next song I look over and the V.I.P is circle pitting! It was awesome to see everyone getting in on the raucous action.
For almost two hours Dropkick Murphys rocked our faces. After going for over 27 years they're still out here killing it! I had an incredible time and was so honored to be able to capture this band. Dropkicks have plenty of new music to keep you busy. Check out their latest releases Okemah Rising and This Machine Still Kills Fascists, both available now wherever you stream music.
Huge thanks to Dropkick Murphys management for photo access and to The Astro for bringing these great shows! Check out the galleries below.
Thanks so much for reading. Help support our efforts by following on social media. It only takes a second and is completely free! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram@storiesfromthecrowd.
Keep the dream alive. The Stories cash app is: $Storiesfromthecrowd. Anything helps!
The Interrupters Gallery
Dropkick Murphys Gallery
