Concert Reports

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid are hitting the road together for the first time since 2017, for the co-headlining Boston To Berkeley II Tour with special guests The Bronx. The U.S. trek--which was originally scheduled for May of 2020--runs from August 10 – October 16 and made a stop at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre on October 13.

All Photos: Ray Soto / Central Coast Rocks

RancidRancid.com              DropKickMurphys.com

VinaRoblesAmphitheatre.com

Rancid’s Tim Armstrong said in a press release, "Looking forward to hitting the road with the Dropkick Murphys again for the second edition of our Boston To Berkeley Tour. Our good buddies The Bronx will be joining us on tour as well. See ya in the pit!"

Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey said, “Can’t wait to get back out there and kick the touring door open again. This is a great lineup and we are gonna take the country by storm.”

Rancid and Dropkick Murphys have a long and important history together. Back in 1997, Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen came across a copy of Dropkick Murphys’ original EP at a friend's house. He turned it over to his bandmate and Hellcat Records president Tim Armstrong, who quickly snatched up the band for his new label.

This year marks Rancid’s 30th anniversary, having formed in 1991 out of the ashes of Armstrong and bassist Matt Freeman’s ’80s band Operation Ivy. The California punk act last released the album Troublemaker in 2017, and have been reported to be working on a follow-up, although no details have been revealed.

Dropkick Murphys, meanwhile, released their 10th album, Turn Up That Dial, earlier this year, as the Massachusetts outfit delivered a new collection of sing-along Celtic punk anthems.

The closing set varies between Rancid and Dropkick Murphys throughout the tour

Emerging from the blue-collar swamps of Berkeley, California, Rancid has now been a living, breathing punk rock band for over a quarter century. Back in 1991, after the demise of their much beloved first band, Operation Ivy, founding members Tim Armstrong (vocals, guitar) and Matt Freeman (bass, vocals) decided to do the impossible ¬– start an even better band. Thus, Rancid. Signing with Epitaph Records, the band released their first album Rancid in 1993. Shortly thereafter, Lars Frederiksen (vocals, guitar) joined the band, because…well, are you going to tell him he can’t?

The result, in 1994, was Let’s Go. In 1995, Rancid released the classic platinum-selling...And Out Come The Wolves. You still remember when you first heard it. They followed with the even more ambitious Life Won’t Wait in 1998, and in 2000, Rancid released another album entitled Rancid, just to see if anyone was paying attention. After Indestructible in 2003, Branden Steineckert (drums) joined to solidify Rancid’s current lineup. They subsequently released the albums Let The Dominos Fall (2009) and Honor Is All We Know (2014). And out now is another immediate classic, Trouble Maker (2017).

Dropkick Murphys proudly remain Boston’s rock ‘n’ roll underdogs turned champions. Since 1996, the boys have created the kind of music that’s meant to be chanted at last call, in packed arenas, and during the fourth quarter, third period, or ninth inning of a comeback rally. Their celebrated discography includes four consecutive Billboard top 10 album debuts (2021’s Turn Up That Dial, 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory, Signed and Sealed in Blood, Going Out In Style), along with 2005’s gold-selling The Warrior’s Code featuring the near double platinum classic “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.” Whether you caught a legendary gig at The Rathskeller (The Rat) under Kenmore Square, found the band by taking the T to Newbury Comics to cop Do Or Die in ’98, discovered them in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning The Departed, or saw ‘em throw down at Coachella (or one of hundreds of other festivals), you’ve become a part of their extended family. Dropkick Murphys’ music has generated half-a-billion streams, they’ve quietly moved 8 million-plus units worldwide and the band has sold out gigs on multiple continents.

In 2020, the band was one of the first to embrace streaming performances, starting with their Streaming Up From Boston St. Patrick’s Day virtual performance. It was followed by last year’s landmark Streaming Outta Fenway livestream, which drew more than 5.9 million viewers and held the #3 spot on Pollstar’s “Top 2020 Livestreams” chart. Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021...Still Locked Down, was #1 on Pollstar’s Livestream chart for the week ending March 22, 2021, logging over 1 million views. Dropkick Murphys is: Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, mellotron, whistles, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, acoustic guitars, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), Kevin Rheault (touring bassist) and Lee Forshner (touring bagpipe player).

About Vina Robles Amphitheatre

Welcome to the Vina Robles Amphitheatre, where European Inspiration meets California Character and the stars always shine. Here, two of California's great compositions meet, as exceptional wine and intimate live music are paired to create an unforgettable wine country experience.

The 3,300 seat boutique amphitheatre is nestled on a picturesque, oak-dotted hillside in Paso Robles on California's Central Coast. With its opening in the summer of 2013, the Vina Robles Amphitheatre became one of the largest outdoor venues for arts and entertainment in San Luis Obispo County. Featuring a style reminiscent of the California missions, guests are able to immerse themselves in a unique and intimate concert adventure as they enjoy modern amenities and first class hospitality. The concert season runs from May through November and features top tier acts from around the world in all genres. Various seating options all within 150 feet from the stage, including regular, VIP and general admission lawn seating, make events accessible to anyone in the community. We look forward to sharing our love of wine and the arts with you soon. For more information about the Vina Robles Winery, Click Here

www.VinaRoblesAmphitheatre.com
 

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