DROPKICK MURPHYS and RANCID
From Boston To Berkeley Tour
Ford Amphitheater || Coney Island, NY || August 6, 2017
On Sunday August 6th, veteran punks Dropkick Murphys and Rancid rolled into town to play a sold-out Ford Amphitheater at the famous Coney Island. The two bands are currently on a co-headlining tour “From Boston To Berkeley” with guest support from Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers) and The Bouncing Souls.
Sunday’s weather was just awesome to have a show outside right on the boardwalk, right off the beach. Like the boardwalk outside, the inside of the Amphitheater was similarly packed. With the sun starting to set a bit and a full moon on the rise, it was just about time for Dropkick to take the stage. 
With an anxious crowd, 7:45 hit and Dropkick Murphys would take to the stage, opening with “The Lonesome Boatman” off their latest album, 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory. The traditional green lighting of the Celtic American Punks from Boston would light up the stage throughout the set, feeding the energy to the crowd. The band would go on playing other songs from the new album such as “Blood”, “Paying My Way”, and their closing song “Until Next Time”, along with other classics like “The Gangs All Here” and a cover of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out”, before playing their anthem “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”. The in-your-face energy of singer Al Barr would set the level of high for Rancid to come out and follow. 
The sun was down, the moon was full and Rancid takes the stage, as Tim Armstrong would start things off with “Radio” from their album, Let’s Go. The band would continue on with a set of songs that would have both Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen sharing the vocals for the night. With a set full of classics that would include “Roots Radical”, “Fall Back Down”, and their set closing hit “Ruby Soho”. The band would keep the energy going by also playing a few new songs off their latest album, Trouble Maker, including “Ghost of a Chance”, “Telegraph Avenue” and “Buddy”.
As an encore, the fans would be treated to both Dropkick Murphys and Rancid taking the stage together to play a set of covers. The songs would include, The Ramones’ “Cretin Hop,” Cock Sparrer’s “Take Em All,” Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” and Sham 69’s “If the Kids Are United.”
It was wonderful to see two great bands from a genre of music that is often overlooked playing a stage in front of a huge crowd of fans from all generations, getting the recognition that is well-deserved on an headlining tour – not at an over-sponsored corporate festival.
Dropkick Murphys
Rancid
