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Concert review: Flogging Molly@Rainbow Ballroom, 5/26/2011
- May 31 2011
- 2
This was day one of a two-day mega-show marathon (something rare for Fresno), which included Rob Zombie at the Crest Theatre.
Drowning Men: If you told me these guys were locals, I would believe you. I'd wonder why I'd never heard of them before, but ... the San Diego five-piece does mid-tempo indie-dance rock, which seems popular these days, at least in certain parts of the city, and the band has a certain Fresno-esque sound (think Rademacher's bombastic drums) that made them seem familiar. They get bonus points for having (and playing) the theremin. The last third of the set seemed to lag some, though I have a feeling that wouldn't have been the case if I had known the songs.
Flogging Molly: Happiest. Most. Pit. Ever. Once upon a time, there was a swimming pool underneath the Rainbow Ballroom. As a reminder, the floor still has some give when you get enough people jumping up and down and dancing around in unison. Which pretty much describes Flogging Molly's almost-two hour set.
Singer/band leader Dave King shouts "Get your fucking dancing shoes on" and that's what the close-to-sold out (if not completely) crowd did. Obviously the show was high energy. It shocking (and mesmerizing) the amount of balls the band pulls out of the fiddle (or violin), tin whistle, banjo, accordian, etc. Dude pulls a Pete Townsend windmill on the mandolin and makes it look bad-ass. Every song was sing-along epic and the whole thing unfolded with a smiling, happy energy.
2 Comment(s) for "Concert review: Flogging Molly@Rainbow Ballroom, 5/26/2011"
so bummed out i didn't get this one. i wanna quit music sometimes just so i can be a better fan. thanks for reviewing though, i could picture the concert and it rocked! haha
I met the bass player for Flogging Molly after the show and told him this was the best concert I had ever seen at the Rainbow if not in Fresno and I wasn't lying. They kept playing and playing. I'm not sure how long their set list was, but it felt long. One of the things I love about this band is how Dave King interacts with the audience. From some tall viking-esque dude that apparently goes from show to show, to welcoming kids to their first concert ever, to just thanking everyone for buying tickets to the show even though money may be tight, you can tell he still loves the fans.
And speaking of fans, my sister was able to get all of the band's autographs except for Dave King's. She asked Bridgett where he was and was told he had went to sleep as he was feeling sick and was exhausted. Props to King and the rest of the band (especially the drummer who played with a broken hand) for putting on such a great show. When I thanked the bass player for his music he reached out to shake my hand and thanked me for being a fan, was really impressed me. You can tell even after all these years they still appreciate their fans and know the only reason they are where they are today is because of them. Just makes me respect FM that much more.