Punk band Dropkick Murphys to play at 1st Summit Arena

Kelly Urban, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Oct. 26—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — This concert will bring a boisterous mix of punk, Irish folk and working-class rock 'n' roll to an area venue.

Dropkick Murphys, with special guests The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial, 326 Napoleon St., downtown Johnstown.

"They are a real high-energy band with a little bit of punk rock and a little bit of alternative rock, all fused with a lot of Irish traditional drinking song kind of energy," said Chad Mearns, marketing and box office manager at 1st Summit Arena.

"They have quite a following, and a lot of people are really excited about this show."

He said there's also a buzz for The Interrupters.

"They're a bit more of a traditional punk-rock experience," Mearns said.

"This is a show where you have two legitimate artists coming in. It's a chance for people here in town to see some acts they really haven't had a chance to see that are quite like this in some time."

Dropkick Murphys formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1996.

The band is plugging back in after a pair of acoustic albums — 2022's critically acclaimed "This Machine Still Kills Fascists" and the newly released "Okemah Rising" — interpreting the work of Woody Guthrie for a new generation.

The albums exposed the band to new audiences through airplay on stations such as SiriusXM's Outlaw Country; coverage in outlets such as Rolling Stone Country, Paste, CNN, Americana Highways and SPIN; and through Dropkick Murphys' first-ever acoustic, reserved-seating theater tour in 2022.

Dropkick Murphys have created the kind of music that's meant to be chanted at last call, in packed arenas and during the fourth quarter, third period or ninth inning of a comeback rally.

Their celebrated discography includes four consecutive Billboard Top 10 album debuts — "Turn Up That Dial," "11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory," "Signed and Sealed in Blood" and "Going Out In Style" — along with gold-selling "The Warrior's Code," featuring the near-double platinum classic single "I'm Shipping Up To Boston."

"They were featured in the movie 'The Departed' and it was a breakthrough moment having their music in that movie," Mearns said.

"I've heard their songs in TV commercials and at sporting events. People have heard them even if they don't know they've heard them, so they're an exciting band to have out there."

The Interrupters have released four studio albums, with 2022's "In the Wild" regarded by Alternative Press as having the best songs the band has ever written.

Roots rocker Jesse Ahern released his debut album "Pray" in September.

Mearns said the arena has seen success with country, hip-hop, classic rock and alternative metal, but this concert will be out of the range of all of that.

"It will be appealing to anybody who likes rock 'n' roll, and I think you're going to find something you can get into with this show," he said.

"Interest has been good, and we're looking to have a pretty big crowd and an excited crowd. It's going to be a great atmosphere kicking off Halloween weekend."

Tickets range from $52.50, $62.50 and $72.50.

Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial box office.

For more information, call 814-536-5156 or visit www.1stsummitarena.com.