Dropkick Murphys sold out the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida on March 6, 2025. The place was packed, from the pit to the sidebars, to the VIP upstairs seating, and everywhere in between. You could hardly walk around the place as joyous fans made their way back and forth from the bars and merch table throughout the night. The Menzingers and Teenage Bottelerocket were also on hand to warm up the crowd, but this crowd had arrived early and were ready to go from the jump.
Teenage Bottlerocket opened the show and made a great impression on the fans. They blasted through a dozen high-energy punk rock songs. With the House of Blues already filling up before they started playing, they had a willing party crowd in the palm of their hands. They did not waste the opportunity, to get everyone in the right frame of mind for an epic evening.
Teenage Bottlerocket:
Ray Carlisle: Vocals, Guitar
Kody Templeman: Guitar, Vocals
Miguel Chen: Bass
Darren Chewka: Drums, Backing Vocals
Teenage Bottlerocket Setlist:
1. Necrocomicon
2. Don’t Wanna Go
3. Bigger Than Kiss
4. Freak Out!
5. Stupid Games
6. Pacemaker
7. Blood Bath at Burger King
8. Crashing
9. Bottlerocket
10. They Call Me Steve
11. Headbanger
12. Skate or Die
The Menzingers were up next. There hard-scrabble Scranton, Pennsylvania punk rock was the perfect transition to the headliner. They presented a baker’s dozen of aggressive songs, which went over very well. The crowd in the pit was in constant motion, raising the temperature of the entire venue. The band clearly enjoyed the give and take with the receptive audience.
The Menzingers:
Greg Barnett: Vocals, Guitar
Tom May: Vocals, Guitar
Eric Keen: Bass
Joe Godino: Drums
The Menzingers Setlist:
1. I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore
2. Try
3. Good Things
4. House on Fire
5. Hope Is a Dangerous Little Thing
6. There’s No Place in This World for Me
7. Burn After Writing
8. America (You’re Freaking Me Out)
9. The Obituaries
10. Thick as Thieves
11. Irish Goodbyes
12. Lookers
13. After the Party
Finally, the moment of truth came, as Dropkick Murphys emerged, prepared to play a specially curated full headliner set over 90 minutes of shared energy. DKM, as they are known, has so many great songs in their catalog and a lengthy list of covers. They like to mix things up every night, so you never quite know which tunes you will hear, but you know that you are going to have a great time. Lead vocalist Ken Casey even noted to the fans that they had neglected to play “Going Out In Style” on their past two visits to Orlando, so they broke that out to thunderous cheers. They cranked out 22 amazing songs, most of which were screamed along to by almost every person present.
Dropkick Murphys are more than just a band. They have created an extended family that reaches across all boundaries. Just about every fan was dressed in either green, DKM merch or Boston outfits, including a couple dressed in the Dunkings outfits, recently made famous in the Dunkin Donuts commercials. They loved to sing along, and Casey spent a lot of time getting right up into the crowd and letting them take the mic. These shows are just plain fun, and even if you don’t know all of the songs, you are bound to have a fantastic experience.
The band continues to be a powerful force for good. They have always been supporters of workers, service professionals and those who need the most help, which is evident in their music and their charitable endeavors. Their Claddagh Fund charity was on hand, with special merchandise available, as well as a chance to win a special signed guitar.
Dropkick Murphys:
Ken Casey: Lead Vocals
Matt Kelly: Drums
James Lynch: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tim Brennan: Lead Guitar, Accordion, Backing Vocals
Jeff DaRosa: Banjo, Mandolin, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kevin Rheault: Bass
Campbell Webster: Bagpipes, Tin Whistle, Violin
Dropkick Murphys Setlist:
1.Captain Kellys’ Kitchen
2. The Boys Are Back
3. Prisoner’s Song
4. The Warrior’s Code
5. (F)lannigan’s Ball
6. Bastards On Parade
7. The Bonny (Gerry Cinnamon cover)
8. Which Side Are You On? (The Almanac Singers cover)
9. Barroom Hero
10. The Hardest Mile
11. Queen Of Suffolk County
12. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
13. Walk Away
14. Rippin Up The Boundary Line
15. Going Out In Style
16. Hang ‘Em High
17. It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) (AC/DC cover)
18. The State Of Massachusetts
19. Rose Tattoo
20. The Irish Rover (Joseph M. Crofts cover)
Encore:
21. I’m Shipping Up To Boston
22. Worker’s Song
Follow Dropkick Murphys Online:
Follow The Menzingers Online:
Follow Teenage Bottlerocket Online:
Johnnie Crow is a lifelong music lover. He has photographed artists from every genre at concerts, festivals and cruises all across North America.
