Montclair, NJ – 17 Feb 2024
Committing “Murder at the Bingo Hall” and singing “Drunken Lullabies” and just living and loving the moments
A typical Saturday night in the upper-middle class college town of Montclair, New Jersey means plenty of alcohol and the drunken philosophical thoughts they bring but tonight, all of that was amplified as Flogging Molly and Amigo The Devil came through the Wellmont Theater.
Openers Gen and the Degenerates kicked things off with a roundhouse of dancy punk that was impossible to keep from shaking a tail feather too. Traveling from across the pond on the precipice of a new record, Anti-Fun Propaganda the quintet made no bones about not being widely known, they also made no bones about the fact that it doesn't affect them. I can tell you one thing… Those new records are going to fly on future dates because these kids are infectious. This band is ready to blow the fuck up, and I am here for it. Musicianship, energy, piss and vinegar were all on 10 tonight as the Liverpudlians ripped through a 25 minute set without pause.
Amigo The Devil were up next and commandeered the stage with their spaghetti-western inspired folk. Songs of murder, cults and Texacos never tasted so good thanks to the locomotive pacing and tasty tunes.
Preparing to release their own record, Yours Until The War Is Over on 23 Feb, ATD pulled off the difficult blending of hilarity with Murder By Death and a dash of silent film era villainous melodrama. The gallows humor of tales of diving into manatee carcasses and recollections of a cocaine and Adderall fueled bingo night kept the crowd spirits high without losing the theme set.
If you've never been privy to a room full of people singing along to a murder committed or vision of a robbery committed, you are missing out. It's quite the scene, and Amigo The Devil exceed the singalongs with wild eyes and technical mastery. The beyond talented grouping of musicians kept the audience enthralled thanks to Tarantino-esque storytelling and perfection on their respective instruments.
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, and tonight… Tonight the band was better than ever. I didn't need to spend $13 for a plastic cup of Guinness, or of the band's new Nitro Irish Stout; Shamrock Rebellion. The band's performance was intoxicating enough for me 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,” Dave 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 “Another Bag of Bricks,” “Whistles and Wind,” “The Guns Of Jericho” and “Float.” To close out the proper set, the band tore through another duo of favorites: “Rebels Of The Sacred Heart,” “Devils Dance Floor” they could've closed it out right there with a well-sated crowd.. but first Flogging Molly had plans to finish off the evening in a feverish flurry of killer cuts: “Crush,” “These Times Have Got Me Drinking,” “Salty Dog” and ended the set proper with “What's Left Of The Flag.” They managed to close out with a perfectly curated encore of “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” and “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, nobody was giving it less than 185%, and that includes the crowd who were enveloped in the performances for the entirety. Everything seemed natural and authentic as the bands each connected with the crowd to improve upon every moment of the performance.
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/