ONE SICK DROPKICK ARMY

A psychobilly band, a hardcore band and an Irish-punk band all walked into a bar. Only it wasn't a bar. It was the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio. And they didn't really walk, so much as they charged, full-speed ahead. It was the “Sing Loud, Sing Proud American Pride Tour”-- an all-ages Sunday Service featuring diesel-fueled turns in the pulpit from Tiger Army, Sick Of It All and the Dropkick Murphys. SoCal psychobillies Tiger Army warmed up the congregation with their Addams Family blend of rockabilly, punk and horror movie flair. In one hell-fire half-hour, they spat out staple Tiger Army hymnals like "Nocturnal", "F.T.W" and "Never Die". The second full-gospel performance came from New York hardcore patron saints Sick Of It All. The full-throttle foursome popped eardrums and cherries-- giving a large handful of concertgoers their first taste of a Sick Of It All show. By far the loudest of the three performers, their set was an all-you-can-eat sampler spanning their decade-plus worth of album material, from Blood, Sweat and No Tears to Call to Arms. The third and final sermon of the night belonged to working class punks the Dropkick Murphys. Watching them take the stage was like watching the entire Boston Bruins team charge at you full-steam, ready to deliver your salvation in the form of a bare-knuckled beating. They barreled through three albums' worth of material, effortlessly blending heavy-handed Oi-punk with traditional Irish music. They incited sing-alongs to the likes of "Curse of a Fallen Soul", "Whose Side Are You On" and "Amazing Grace". They defended a few concertgoers (including one unlucky lady) from the steroid-laden wrath of the venue's meat-headed security. And even invited every female patron onstage to inspire bagpiper Spicy McHaggis during the song of the same name. With a stage full of ladies and a crowd full of satisfied vagrants, the Murphys left the stage as quickly as they came, closing up one of the most thoroughly entertaining punk shows I've seen in years.