Richmond - I had a pretty good notion of what to expect going into this concert.  With the Riot Before, Big D and the Kids Table, and Flogging Molly playing it was sure to be lively.  I had actually never seen any of these bands before in concert, but I was familiar with the music of all three.  There was a time when Flogging Molly would have been my first response when asked who my favorite band was.  That was back closer to the release of Swagger.  It had actually been some time since I had even thought about them before hearing about this concert.  Big D and the Kids Table is one of my best friend’s favorite bands.  I never really got all that into their music, but I remember him wearing one of their tee-shirts around all the time.  Of the three bands I was least familiar with the local Richmond band the Riot Before.  I had been meaning to go see them since reading Andrew Lutwin's article back in April, and had listened to some of their material that I could find online. 

The Riot Before was the opening band, and after seeing them live I found Andrew's article to be even more accurate than I feel anything I could have written would be, so I will just recommend that you go check that article out here if you have not already read it.  What really stood out to me was the emphasis on melody that is so unusual in harder punk music.  And there is no denying the sincerity and lack of pretense that Andrew mentioned.

Of course, the Riot Before was only the first of three performances of the night.  They were followed, after a brief break, by Big D and the Kids Table.  If you haven't heard of them, think late third-wave ska with light punk influences.  Like I said, I never really got into their recorded material, but I have to say these guys put on a phenomenal show.  Far from the hardcore punk feel of the Riot Before, Big D and the Kids Table instantly had the crowd in a celebratory mood.  I noticed a marked increase in activity on the dance floor during their performance.  The floor was pretty packed for all three bands, but there was something about this band that elicited much more movement from the dancers.  But that's the way good ska is.

Now on to the main attraction: Flogging Molly.  What is there to say but "Wow!"  I knew I liked their music, even if I hadn't really listened in a while, but I was not prepared for how good they are live.  If Big D and the Kids Table had the most fevered dancing among the crowd, Flogging Molly definitely had the most shouted singing along from the crowd.  The dancing was quite impressive as well.  It was pretty obvious that most of the crowd had been drinking pretty heavily by this point.  And there didn't appear to be much chance of this trend abating.  Flogging Molly has that indescribable element to their live performances that forces you to throw yourself wholeheartedly into the music.  Quite frequently I found myself singing along with songs to which I did not even realize I knew the lyrics.  And I doubt I would be able to recall them now.  There was just something in the atmosphere of the room that put the words on my tongue right as I needed them.  One of these songs that really stuck in my head was "Rebels of the Sacred Heart."  I was familiar with it from Drunken Lullabies, but if you had asked me before the show I would not even have been able to recall the melody let alone any of the lyrics.  That being said, during the show I was shouting along with every single word.  What more can I say?  Such is the power of Flogging Molly live in concert.

All in all this was an amazing show, partly because of how much better it was than I was expecting.  Don't get me wrong - I knew it would be a decent show.  No band can survive for as long as both Flogging Molly and Big D and the Kids Table have without being able to put on a good show.  What I wasn't expecting was for them to be performing at top notch.  And both of these veteran bands were.  Throw in a great performance by local punk veterans the Riot Before, and you have the makings of a real crowd pleaser.  I will definitely plan on seeing either of these bands the next time they come through town, and I would recommend checking out the Riot Before the first chance you get.

By Editor (Managing) and Correspondent: Robin Marschak

Robin Marschak was born and raised in Richmond, VA. After a brief attempt at attending an engineering school in Claremont, CA he returned home to study English at VCU, an endeavour he is currently still engaged in. One thing that has remained unchanging throughout his life is a love of music. He was raised on local bands such as the Ululating Mummies and Dogs New Clothes as well as more classic mainstream bands such as the Beatles and the Grateful Dead. As a teen his tastes shifted towards the punk scene and bands such as TSOL, Operation Ivy, and Rancid, and while he maintains a deep love of this style of music he has broadened his listening palette quite a bit in recent years especially into the realms of country and old time music. His favorite bands currently are Popebear, a blues-funk fusion band out of Pasadena, CA, the Hot Seats, a string band from Richmond, and the No BS! Brass Band, also from Richmond. As far as more national acts go he tries to catch shows by bands like Umphrey's McGee, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the Belleville Outfit whenever possible.