Now this is my kind of line-up! Although it’s odd to have SOIA not headline their shows, with the DROPKICK MURPHYs cleaning the night up, it didn’t seem to matter. One of the cool things about both of these bands is that they draw an older crowd, which works well with the massive infusion of youth. TIGER ARMY was the only band on the bill that I hadn’t seen recently, and being that this was only their second trip to the east coast, I was highly stoked on the prospects of their set. With a nearly sold-out 9:30 club on a Tuesday night, this show had all the elements in place for being “”freaking cool.”"

TIGER ARMY are a unique item in the punk rock scene. Based in the east bay, but showing only minor tinges of an east bay sound, these rambunctious guys meld a hearty dose of rockabilly and psychobilly with their straight up punk. The end result is quite cool and like nothing you’ve probably heard before. Nick 13′s transcendant vocals command TIGER ARMY’s sound, and he totally goes off on stage, as does their stand-up bassist. There were many more people into their set than I would have expected, and that must have felt great for the band to travel 3000 miles and see people having a great time. With their song “”Nocturnal”" on the Give ‘Em The Boot II disc, most of the crowd finally recognized who these guys were when they attacked that tune. Whenever the opening band has no trouble in starting some fierce pit action in a place as big as the 9:30 Club, you know good times lie ahead. TIGER ARMY’s new disc, “”The Power of Moonlight,”" is darn cool and incredibly catchy, check it out.

When I saw SICK OF IT ALL earlier this year, it was like a religious experience. I had waited so long and with so much patience to see these guys headline and it all that time in waiting had paid off. It was a night I’ll never forget. With that in mind, I was more than excited to see the mighty SOIA rip shit up again. In fact, while hanging outside the club before the show started, I was working on my Pete Koller guitar stomp moves. Words can’t express how much energy these guys have on stage. Unfortunately for the band, this just was not their night. A storm of technical problems delayed their set for nearly 15 minutes, and oh yeah, Lou fell off the stage while singing. Ouch. SOIA were visibly upset with their performance, but as known perfectionists, this was to be expected. The crowd, and myself however were grateful for whatever we could get. Such classics as “”Step Down,”" “”Injustice System,”" “”Built to Last,”" (is there a better anthem?!?) “”Us vs. Them,”" and “”GI Joe Headstomp,”" complimented such new ones as “”Disco Sux Fuck Everything,”" and my personal favorite, “”Hello Pricks.”" Ultimately, their 45 minute set slot was slashed to about 30 minutes, and even with the abrupt ending, it was well worth the time watching. With FAT now doing a live series, please join me in asking FAT doing one for SOIA. Although it will be hard for the live exercises of SOIA to come across on disc, I just have that hunch that it would rule anyhow.

“”Let’s go DROPKICK! Let’s go DROPKICK!”" I don’t know who started that chant before these guys come out and start their set, but I don’t think it’s stopped yet. With the recent tragedies in this country, a band like the DROPKICK MURPHYS can provide a strong dose of attitude revitalization. With their pro-American ideals and unadultered support for freedom, their spirit is highly appropriate for the times. Ken Casey spoke a few times during their set and dedicated to both those who had lost their lives and to those who are currently overseas protecting our interests. The pleasure in this is that the DKM are not preachy and they are not hung up on a faceless ideology – they live their words and sentiments, and yeah back it up with some stellar music as well. Playing as a six, sometimes seven piece band, they pack a wallop of a sound. I’m more sold on their more street-punk stuff than the celtic-influenced tunes from “”Sing Loud, Sing Proud,”" but their overall set ensemble is hard to match. I’ve seen many fanbases come and go in the past 7 years, but few are as strong as those who came to support these guys. It’s probably close to the level of RANCID, and in some areas of this country, possibly larger. Word for word, the crowd was with them this night, and it was a beautiful site, especially on “”Curse of a Fallen Soul,”" and the epic, “”Barroom Hero.”" I could have done without the “”Spicey McHaggis Jig,”" but oh well. Still, no track rocks harder than their early tune, “”Boys on the Docks.”" When they put “”classic punk compilations”" together in 20 years, that song should be a pre-requisite.

Tours that feature three awesome bands are a rare breed, by no means should one hesitate in wanting to check this one out.