Why Flogging Molly is awesome.

[mandolin]

Okay, since the people who grabbed the set lists after the show still haven't posted them anywhere I can find, I'm just going to try to work from my bad memory. Yay.

Saturday night, jennies, debrika and I went to see Flogging Molly at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore. Their new album, Float came out on Tuesday - which, like the band, is awesome.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There's a reason we had to buy tickets online a month in advance and the show was sold out. We actually planned most things out well, although our initial plan to catch the pre-show signing at the Sound Garden was foiled by our timing. (I couldn't find my copy of Drunken Lullabies anyway.) Got to Ram's Head a little after six and hung out in line for about an hour. Fortunately, the line was mostly inside the building - I was only wearing my penguin "slide!" t-shirt under a green hoodie - otherwise we'd have been freezing. I also managed to get in the earplugs I'd brought after a bit of trial and error; the left one almost didn't go in. Mock me all you want, but I didn't want to wind up on the back bleachers with a headache again.

We staked out a spot right by the front railing, left of center. I'd been warned what to expect, of course. Not so the nine-year-old kid and his dad who were right up front too, as we discovered later. First opening act, The Mighty Stef, came on around 8:30 - they weren't bad, but I made a water run while I still could get to the bar and back while they played. Meanwhile, the drunk blonde beside us decided we were her new best friends, which was pretty amusing. (Hey, I'll take Drunk Girl Syndrome over Drunk Horny Guy Syndrome any day.) The second opening act, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, was really good and definitely got things moving. The washboard player (yep, she played a washboard, with special gloves and all) immediately attracted shouts of "More washboard!" from the audience. Thank you, SNL. We were pretty well warmed up by the time Flogging Molly came on a little after 10.

Here's where things got hairy. Now I was warned about this and had already dropped my weight into my legs into a tai chi stance and had a hand on the railing in preparation. But not everybody was prepared for when the band came on and the whole crowd just pressed up like a tidal wave against that railing. This was because of the mosh pit behind us; the bouncers were spotting at the railing to make sure people made it over in one piece. One idiot who looked like he was going to pass out elbowed his way up front - then proceeded to look sick and bitch to somebody on his cellphone about the crush of bodies. Why he didn't just get out of the crowd, go upstairs and get a spot on the railing is beyond me.

I was fine with it, but - I was prepared and also keeping one eye out for people getting passed over. The kid's father was practically shielding his son with his body and they were stuck up front and center. Luckily, the band and the bouncers noticed, and not only did they help the kid get over the railing, they let son and father watch the concert from off to the side of the stage.

Do I remember exactly what they played in what order? Hahahaha, no. They did play "Salty Dog," "Rebels of the Sacred Heart," "Devil's Dance Floor," "Swagger," "Tobacco Island" (Dave: "Here's a song about Oliver Cromwell!"), "Drunken Lullabies," and "Selfish Man." The songs off the new album were "Requiem for a Dying Song," "Float," "(No More) Paddy's Lament," and "The Lightning Storm." They appeared to wrap it up with "What's Left of the Flag."

Then Dave King came out and cracked a joke about needing to get a drink around here before launching into "Black Friday Rule" - most of it he did on his own. Then the rest of the band finished the show off with "Seven Deadly Sins" and I held on to the railing for dear life.

We hung out after the concert for a bit, since the band members came out to sign things and talk to people. I had nothing to sign, but Deb got her picture taken with the bass player, and I had enough cash on me to pick up a tour T-shirt. (Yes, Mom. I know. Another T-shirt.) Unfortunately, I discovered the green hoodie had come loose from around my waist and had gotten trampled. It's going to take a few washes. But considering that was the only casualty of the night (I didn't even lose an earring and the earplugs didn't come out), I did pretty good.

Didn't get out of Baltimore til maybe after 1 am, and then commenced a hunt for someplace with food that was open. Ended up settling for the Royal Farms store near my place and heating Hot Pockets in my kitchen.

I have NEVER SLEPT IN AS LATE IN MY LIFE as I did the next day. But it was so, so worth it.

Comments

[jennies.livejournal.com]

If my brain had been working, it might have occurred to me to warn father & son about the deathcrush of bodies that occurs at Flogging Molly concerts. (I mean, I only mentioned it to you & Deb, what, once every 15 minutes? Could it possibly have dawned on me that there might be OTHER first-timers in the place?)

Still haven't gotten my copy of Float yet. Perhaps it will be the dangly tidbit offered to the creativity demons if we manage to finish this week's comic in time....and possibly get next week's sketch started... @_@;

Ah well. Good luck on the midterm!


BTW: One of the pre-trip Egypt souveniers Mommies presented me with Saturday (this is how things work in my family: time-traveling gnomes send her vintage baubles before the trip just in case my destination suddenly stops selling local bits & bobs) was a blue stone scarab. I laaaaaaaaaaugh.... :D

[weirdweb.livejournal.com]

I should have thought of that too - I think it briefly occurred to me that "hey, what's a kid doing up here if there's going to be a crowd-wide bodyslam against the rail?" and then I went on the water run and totally forgot about it. *facepalm*

Thanks, I think I'll be okay - but I don't want to give myself a migraine trying to get through it.

Oh, as for the scarab: HAHAHAHAHA that is awesome.

Although if it disappears overnight and you start hearing voices, you'll know where it went. *ducks*