Concert review: Dropkick Murphys w/ The Aggrolites and Haywire | 02.24.26, The Factory (with photo gallery)

Photo of Jeff DaRose of Dropkick Murphys by Laura Jerele

Ever come to a hardcore show expecting positivity? Well, that’s exactly what we got with the Dropkick Murphys show at The Factory. I can’t say enough good things about a Dropkick Murphys concert, and this show was no exception! They are one of those bands that know how to truly deliver fun, an incredible musical performance, and of course, never being afraid to take a political stand. This show was loud, sweaty, joyful chaos in the best possible way. Three bands, nonstop energy, zero filler.

Haywire opened things up and did their job perfectly: raw, fast, and got the room buzzing early. Then The Aggrolites rolled in and completely flipped the vibe in the best way. Anything but aggro is right. Straight outta my beloved Los Angeles, they brought that funk-punk-reggae-SoCal magic that only hits right if you’ve lived it. Big sound, tight as hell, and absolutely on fire. They even threw in covers of “Don’t Let Me Down” and “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” turning both into funky, full-on crowd singalongs. Pure reggae funk fun that may have been out of the norm for what St. Louisans hear and I appreciated the fine welcome they gave this band!

Haywire, live at The Factory. Photo by Laura Jerele.

And then came Dropkick Murphys, who somehow never disappoint and never slow down. The night kicked off with bagpipes echoing through the place and it was on from there. Long set, massive energy, killer lights, and constant crowd interaction. Fans of all ages, fists in the air, voices screaming every word. The band itself is stacked with real talent: Ken Casey on lead vocals; Tim Brennan bouncing between guitar, tin whistle, accordion, piano, and vocals; Jeff DaRosa on guitars, banjo, mandolin, and vocals; Matt Kelly holding it down on drums and percussion; James Lynch on guitar and vocals; Kevin Rheault on bass; and Campbell Webster absolutely ripping on bagpipes and Uilleann pipes. Some of the songs from the setlist tonight: “Smash Shit Up,” “Citizen I.C.E.,” “Rose Tattoo,” “Who’ll Stand With Us?,” “Men Behind the Wire,” “Deeds Not Words,” and “Worker’s Song.” They played about 25 songs tonight in total and damn, these guys know how to put on a show! And let’s face it, they’re never shy about what they stand for either. Their merch says it best, proudly fighting Nazis since 1996.

Whether you showed up for the music, the message, or just to lose your voice with a room full of strangers who felt like friends by the end of the night, this show delivered hard. Loud, joyful, cathartic with a dash of fighting fascists, which is exactly what a Dropkick Murphys show should be. | Laura Jerele