Dropkick Murphys, The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern Electrify Johnstown’s 1st Summit Arena

By Nate Follmer

After releasing a pair of acoustic albums, the Dropkick Murphys brought their full electric show to the 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown, PA. It wasn’t just the guitars that were electric. It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve seen the Dropkick Murphys, and since that show this group hasn’t lost a single watt of electricity. Fair warning – I’m really playing off this electricity thing.

Jesse Ahern kicked off the night with a raw and soulful performance. His acoustic guitar, harmonica and raspy vocals were all that was needed to grab the attention of the crowd. The audience was singing along and bobbing their heads to the rhythm of Jesse’s root rock anthems. Jesse’s musical style is a unique mixture of americana, folk and rockabilly that, among other things, tells stories about the struggles of the working class. I was reminded of Social Distortion throughout Jesse’s performance – Mike Ness meets Bob Dylan if you will. His latest album “Roots Rock Rebel” was featured heavily in his set with songs like “Bankrobber”, “Back Against The Wall”, “The Older I Get” and “Highway of Life”. I enjoyed the stripped down, raw performance that Jesse brought to the evening.

Next up, The Interrupters stormed onto the stage with their unique ska-punk sound. If you’ve never heard the Interrupters before, think Rancid with less grit and more upbeat spunk.

Aimee Interrupter’s charismatic presence and powerful vocals drove the crowd into a singing and dancing frenzy. The band’s website describes Aimee’s stage presence better than I ever could, “the kinetic energy of Hi-Bounce balls in human form”. Songs like “Take Back the Power”, “Raised by Wolves” and “She’s Kerosene” had the crowd singing along the entire set. The Interrupters also played “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish. Who knew that a Billie Eilish song could sound so good in ska form?

With the electricity levels at their peak, the Dropkick Murphys took the stage, and the arena erupted. The Celtic punk icons delivered a performance that was nothing short of legendary. As I said before, it was almost 20 years ago that I saw the Dropkick Murphys on the main stage at The Warped Tour (RIP). Even though they’ve gone through a few line up changes since then, their set transported me back to my youth and filled me with nostalgia and the energy that can only be brought on by a good old fashioned punk rock show.

The setlist was a perfect mix of old favorites and new hits, showcasing the band’s evolution while staying true to their roots. The set opened up with songs like “Worker’s Song”, “The Boys Are Back” and “Blood”. Fans young and old were singing along note for note. A young fan was even handed… or thrown… the mic and finished a song for lead singer Ken Casey.

Casey told the crowd he was battling an illness and lost his voice earlier in the day, but he did a great job of hiding it. Between the crowds singing and the huge sound of the band I probably wouldn’t have even noticed. Keeping up with the electric show (I promise this is the last time I’ll bring up electricity) The Dropkick Murphys played back to back AC/DC songs “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”.

The production quality was incredible and definitely included elements I wasn’t expecting. The set dress was giving me “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” album art vibes with the skulls and candles. They also included pro union and UAW posters in true working class fashion. What really stood out to me was the elaborate lighting and massive backdrop screen that cycled through visuals and various on stage camera angles. It added another layer to an already amazing show. The night came to a close with “Barroom Hero” and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” rounding out the set.