Dropkick Murphys show the love!
Ken Casey, Dropkick Murphys, shows the people the love at The Ritz, Raleigh NC - 02.14.2026 - photo @adrianpomilio
This Was for the People!
A sold-out show on Valentine’s Day to see the Dropkick Murphys. Usually Valentine’s Day, that “Hallmark” day of love, the one day where “romance” is supposed to matter for couples, as if the other 364 days don’t count. See, that’s the problem. You shouldn’t need a special day to show love. The Dropkick Murphys have been showing love to the people who matter to them every single day for 30 years. Those people are their fans.
The sold-out crowd had a tremendous vibe of togetherness. The lineup was perfect, and each band did their part to show “the love” that night. The bill was Slugger / Haywire / Aggrolites, and then the Murphys.
Every band brought their own vibe, and the crowd responded. Slugger hit the stage with pure “Oi!” fury. Haywire brought absolute thunder with their backbreaking Boston hardcore sound. Then the Aggrolites soaked the crowd in their “dirty reggae,” and this ain’t the polished Ziggy stuff you hear on the radio. Every aspect of punk was represented. But the night belonged to the Boys.
The Dropkick Murphys hit the stage as “Let’s Go Murphys” chants rained down from the floor and the balcony. A couple thousand fans losing their minds for their heroes from Boston.
Some of the greatest moments came from Ken talking to the crowd. You could feel that love. You knew it mattered. The Murphys weren’t just playing songs. They were there playing for the people. And three moments on that stage stood above the rest.
The first was when a young man from the Coast Guard got brought up by Ken to sing “Rose Tattoo.” And damn, did he crush it. Seeing Casey with his arm around that Coast Guard kid, both of them singing their hearts out, was something special.
The second moment… that was when Austin Sparkman from Haywire came out to belt out “Citizen I.C.E.” with Ken. That was a fucking banger. A giant FU to the bullies. The crowd went wild and screamed every word.
The third moment kept the “Fuck ICE” energy rolling. A fan threw their T-shirt on stage to Casey. Ken held it up so we could all read it: “ICE can gargle my balls.” The place exploded. Then the Murphys signed a tour shirt and traded it back to the fan. That’s one of those moments you never forget. So when you’re at a future show and you see Ken rocking that “ICE can gargle my balls” shirt, just know it came from a fan in Raleigh, NC.
If you’re on the fence, or you’ve never had the chance to see the Dropkick Murphys, you need to fix that. They are for the people, and they love their fans.
Just like we love them.
LETS GO MURPHYS!
