Justin Nuoffer
DROPKICK MURPHYS
w/ Teenage Bottlerocket + The Menzingers
3/1/25 – THE SYLVEE – MADISON, WI
©JUSTIN NUOFFER/NUOFFERMEDIA.COM
The capital city of the Badger state was as calm as possible, but South Livingston Street was packed with traffic and fans throughout the day. The Sylvee was playing host to everyone’s favorite Celtic punk band, Dropkick Murphys. The venue’s exterior is covered in glass, and the light rays reflect off it. On the marquee “Dropkick Murphys Tonight” glowed against its dark backdrop. As people started arriving, the attitudes were fun and festive. A sold-out show meant a throng of people lined up around the corner and heading up East Washington Ave. Cars passing by honked and people waved.
Security moves quickly and sends you into the main room and down a small set of stairs onto the general admission floor. Wrapped around it are areas to stand with an ADA section on the side nearest the stage. At the back of the room, a long bar stands packed with patrons slamming their beverages of choice. In the corner by the door, the merchandise area sits nestled into a cut-out in the wall. The second level has two rows of seating that wrap around the floor below. Behind those seats are two more levels of standing-room spots. Looking up to the top level, six suites line the third deck. The venue was buzzing and spaces to stand were few and far between.
The Wyoming-based punk rockers Teenage Bottlerocket opened the evening. Before the show, frontman Ray Carlisle made his way to the security barrier to meet with fans and hand out guitar picks to everyone in the front rows. The positive vibes carried over to the stage. Their setlist consisted of fourteen songs, mostly from their earlier albums. With nine albums under their belts, they had plenty to choose from.
Teenage Bottlerocket flew across the stage and jumped around to some of their more popular tracks like “My Name Is Steve”, “Don’t Want To Go”, and “Skate or Die”. Their bounce and enthusiasm were contagious.
Check out our Teenage Bottlerocket Concert Photos Below:
Continuing on the good feels left by Teenage Bottlerocket, The Menzingers took the stage to a roaring applause and wasted no time ripping into and through “I Don’t Want To Be An Asshole Anymore”. Gregory Barnett and Tom May split vocal duties and both lay down those sweet riffs that bounce between punk and rock.
With thirteen songs off of four albums filling up their setlist, The Menzingers packed as many songs as they could fit within their time frame. Tom May was unrelenting up front. On his left, bassist Eric Keen bounced around with him nearly jump for jump. The pit on the floor looked like a wave of arms flowing freely and the front row on the barricade had heads bobbing up and down.
The Mezingers, who are no strangers to filling up The Sylvee on their own, had the crowd eating from their palms. A brief singalong to the intro to “Burn After Reading” and “Thick As Thieves” may have been highlights. The slow build of “Burn After Reading” had the voices bouncing off the walls and “Thick As Thieves” was a soothing melody that had the standing areas moving and swaying. This fan base has routinely shown up for the band and brought their singing voices without a doubt, and by closing with “After The Party,” it was official, The Menzingers are beloved in Madison.
Check out our The Menzingers Concert Photos Below:
The Dropkick Murphys are no strangers to The Sylvee either and once again the Wisconsin faithful showed up by completely selling out the entire venue. Every level was packed with fans with barely any room to move. Every demographic possible came out to represent. Whatever genre you want to call them: Celtic punk, punk, or who cares? They know how to bring pure excitement and do it the only way they know how, and that is well and with smiles on their faces.
Wearing their pride on their sleeves, the band opens with “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen”, “The Boys Are Back”, and “Prisoner’s Song”. Frontman Ken Casey roamed the entire stage length, delivering words of wisdom and well-known lyrics. Often he jumped out front onto a small island to get up close and personal with the fans.
Casey’s up-tempo energy is matched by that of the rest of the band. James Lynch, Tim Brennan, and James DaRosa are the multi-instrumental gurus who keep the band ticking. They collectively are one unit who exchange their instruments at every turn to get those very distinctive sounds and notes that the fans have become accustomed to. Whether it is a bouzouki, banjo, mandolin, or accordion, the trio crushed it with vigor and fiery emotion. On the far end, Kevin Rheault forcefully strummed his bass strings and provided additional vocals on top of the guitarists. The mic stands lined the front of the stage and each had a dedicated light attached to them overhead.
With this being the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Celebration Tour for 2025, the Irish and New England pride filled the air. There were plenty of fans dressed in kilts, plaid, and various sports jerseys from the Boston area. Their heritage and home are well represented even in flyover country.
The show itself had several very fun moments mixed in as well. Casey brought up on stage a 10-year-old boy named Matt. He then proceeded to sing his praises and called him the “Coolest kid ever” because his birthday was on St. Paddy’s Day. Matt had a smile on his face that was ear to ear. That moment fit the spirit of Dropkick Murphys’ youthful energy and something bigger than oneself. It was about the whole. The underclass and workers’ fighting attitude.
The heart of the band’s setlist consisted of fan favorites and covers. A staple of every Dropkick setlist, “The State of Massachusetts” had the room singing at the top of their lungs and, oddly, a constant stream of young patrons started crowd surfing in force. Security had their hands full catching them. Casey encouraged them by dishing out handshakes and high-fives on their way over the top.
Deeper into the night one of the best covers ever went down. AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top” had fists pumping and lights flashing with every “Hey”. The entirety of the song was performed and the venue’s attitude was toughened instantly.
The final four songs of the evening, though, were the heart of the band, starting with “Rose Tattoo,” a fan favorite about the loss of Ken Casey’s father. The mandolin strums and flute notes are infectious. Being paired with the lyrical content, the title of the song truly matches its loose meaning of beauty in the Irish culture. The shanty-like tune had folks in the pit holding each other arm by arm and swaying as the stage lights dimmed.
Chants of “Let’s Go Murphys’” rang out repeatedly over the encore break. Coming out of the darkness, the statement shanty about sending fascists a message was well received within the politically fueled city. The leisurely pace and anthemic chorus encouraged fan participation. Then it was on to their largest and most popular upbeat punch-them-in-the-mouth banger, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”. The song became their identity over the years, and the main public battle with political figures in the state of Wisconsin over its usage made them a quite familiar name with their distaste of those whose politics and beliefs they openly do not agree with. However, the song, country-wide, is well known. A generation has grown up with its popularity in video games and movies. The heart-pumping energy electrified the atmosphere.
As if the room could’ve gotten any louder, it was amplified and powered home with “Workers Song”. The endorphin rush over the last fifteen minutes of the show was something to remember. Those “Let’s Go Murphys’” chants once again filled the air as the band walked off stage for the last time. The lights in the venue turned on and the flood of people headed towards the merchandise stand. Hard to argue with how good the vibe was and how the Dropkick Murphys kept the energy up while managing to engage with every single corner and person in attendance.
Bands emulate them, but there is only one Dropkick Murphys and that is what keeps people coming back. They are a band of working people, and performing within walking distance of the state of Wisconsin’s capital building helps drive the point home every time they come to town. They are unapologetic in their beliefs and extremely giving with their performance. It is hard to remove that notion from one’s mind.
Exiting The Sylvee, the cold, brisk Winter air hits one’s face forcefully. Despite that, the busy sidewalk was packed with people taking their photos in front of the marquee, or hailing cabs and Ubers. Their demeanors were joyful and playful, proving there wasn’t a better way to have spent a Saturday night in Madtown.
Check out our Dropkick Murphys Concert Photos Below:
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