The Rooftop at Pier 17- 30 Jun 2022
The setting can make the scene
If you were to tell me I’d be at an outdoor venue with a diverse lineup that included an international reggae/dub act, a psychobilly outfit, a posi ska-punk quartet and celtic punk veterans, I’d ask when Kevin Lyman recreated the Warped Tour. Turns out Flogging Molly and The Interrupters, left to their own devices, created something even more amazing.
An outdoor show on the Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan, set an immaculate scene for the ultimate escape from the monochromatic doldrums of the last few years in various stages of pandemic lockdowns. A perfectly curated selection of artists guaranteed the sunshine and panorama would still play second fiddle to the performances.
First up tonight was London’s dub, dance hall, reggae, ska jam-algamation The Skints. The quartet created the perfect summery vibe for the beautiful daytime performance against the picturesque beauty of fluffy clouds and blue skies behind them.
Over the course of the 30 minute set, vocalist Marcia Richards showed off an impressive array of musicianship, alternating between keys, sax, flute, melodica, rhythm guitar and sampler while also running lead on vox. While the band bopped and bounced between the cuts on the setlist, guitarist Josh Waters Rudge served up fantastic one liners like “I can’t believe so many people are unemployed” about the crowd gathered despite a 530pm start time on a Thursday night. Every perfect moment of their sunshiney sounds were amplified by the weather creating an absolutely beautiful soundtrack to a summer evening.
The second act of the evening was Tiger Army. The long running LA psychobilly trio were a shockingly perfect fit on the bill. There has certainly been a shift in the band’s sound since the first time I heard them at the turn of the millenia. The trio are less psycho, less billy and more Orbison-esque crooning.
From the moment Nick 13, Mike Fasano, and Djodje Stijepovic walked onto the stage, the crowd began to grow and you could see the immediate connections form between band and crowd as new fans were created. The band performed surgically, cutting through the crowd with precision, creating new fans with every song. Nick 13 appeared to smile from start to finish, while Stijepovic slapped the shit out of his upright bass while he wandered all over the stage with his bass in tow.
Breaking into the doo-wop inspired “Dark and Lonely Night,” under the backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge harkened back to the cinematic memories of the 50s doo-wop gangsters, while crowd favorite “Cupid Victim” picked back up the pace creating a whirlwind of limbs within the crowd. Set closer “Never Die” was anthemic and solid. In the numerous opportunities I’ve had, Tiger Army have never put on a disappointing performance, and tonight was no different.
When Tiger Army cleared the stage and the stage crew was preparing for The Interrupters to begin their set, The Skints’ Richards was seen on stage sneaking shots of the skyline and beauty of Pier 17. It’s not too often that we fans get to be present for the bands’ enjoyment of the cities they visit, but thanks to Pier 17’s unique setting, we did
As the sunset on Manhattan, The Interrupters took to the stage for their co-headlining set. Over the course of their hour-long set, The Interrupters shared a sincere smile and nod of appreciation with every member of the audience and with each other. This isn’t a band that’s just thrilled to be on stage or to have people singing along; this is a band that loves to be together on thay stage with the crowd and each other. It shows in every aspect of their performance. The band bounced around their discography, kicking things off with the barn burner anthems of empowerment and community “Take Back The Power,” “Title Holder” and “Judge Not” all the while. wrapping the crowd around their collective fingers.
Many voices would have been drowned out by the sing alongs emanating from the pit, but Aimee Interrupter isn’t a voice that can be silenced. Leading the fans with overpowering vocal prowess, it seemed as though Aimee’s voice was bouncing across all five boroughs and inviting all who could hear it into the Interrupter brotherhood. Aimee, along with brother Kevin (guitar) and Justin (bass) Bivona, scurried and shimmied across every inch of the stage, making sure the fans on stage left and right got just as much love as those in the center.
For me, the personal high note came as the band promised to play the best song off the Epitaph catalog and briefly playing a quick medley of “Keep Em Separated,” (The Offspring) “Linoleum” (NoFX) and “Ruby Soho” (Rancid) before busting out a show-stealing cover of Bad Religion‘s “Sorrow.”
Start to finish, the band brought it with everything they had and were unrelenting in their intention to win the entire crowd over. I’d say it worked because when the band closed out with hits “Family” and “She’s Kerosene” the floor of the Rooftop we stood upon was shaking and convulsing with the force of the crowd’s bopping and bouncing. It was a performance brimming with joy and fun and mutual appreciation between the band and their fans.
Finally taking the stage to close out the evening was Flogging Molly. Every time I’ve seen the celt-punk legends it has been an exceptionally great time, but something tonight seemed special. Maybe it was the beautiful setting, maybe it was frontman Dave King returning to the stage after a few days layoff to COVID or maybe it was just an extra special performance, but the band was better than ever.
I didn’t need to spend $13 for a plastic cup of Guinness, the band’s performance was intoxicating and I was drunk off the performance immediately. Whether it’s your first time or fiftieth, Flogging Molly makes it impossible not to clap your hands and sing along to every word.
Opening with “Drunken Lullabies,” King and crew performed with a tighter synchronicity than any band of 7 has any right to. There were no missteps, no chords missed, the band fired on all cylinders.
The energy never subsided as the band somehow managed to play a setlist that seemed like the one I’d have curated if given the opportunity. All of my favorites were played, including “These Times Have Got Me Drinking,” “Float,” “Tobacco Island” and “Devil’s Dance Floor.”
Despite a curfew preventing the band from playing past 10pm, they managed to close out with the perfect trio “If I Ever Leave This World Alive,” “Raise What’s Left of the Flag For Me” and “The Seven Deadly Sins.”
It would be easy to rave about the songs and how into them the crowd’s got, but the most important part, from every act this evening, was the genuine soul in each song from each performer. Everything seemed natural and authentic as the bands each connected with the crowd to improve upon every moment of the performance..
For everyone who attended the show, the setting, the bands, the setlists and the energy were given an evening of pure perfection.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
