Dropkick Murphys and Rancid Co-Headline US Tour “Boston To Berkeley II”

Punk rock legends Dropkick Murphys and Rancid continued their US Tour “Boston To Berkley II” with a stop in Columbus, Ohio at Express Live! August 23rd.  When these guys get together you can expect a raucous punk rock family reunion in every town they roll into and this show was no exception!

Taking the stage first was The Bronx, a punk rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 2002. Vocalist Matt Caughthran loudly encouraged the crowd, sweltering in the 90+ heat, to get the pit circling. They immediately complied.

The Bronx showcased tunes off their new album ‘Bronx VI’ which drops August 27th. Check out the new video “Peace Pipe” on their website here.

Next up was Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys , formed in Quincy, Mass. in 1996. Loyal DKM fans are as hardcore as the band, punching out the lyrics to every song with intensity, especially the front row crew at this show.

Last year, to continue their tradition of playing on St Patrick’s Day but unable to do so live, the band presented “Streaming Up From Boston” on March 17th 2020. In the early days of the pandemic with so much uncertainty and everything shutting down, this show was a little over 2 hours of pure joy for any DKM fan. It was the medicine we didn’t know we needed.

DKM, as always, put on a great show at Express Live!, ramping up the crowd and keeping the party going for their co-headlining friends and mentors in the band Rancid.

Finally, punk band Rancid, formed in 1991 in Berkeley, California hit the stage and the crowd roared its appreciation.

Tim Armstrong (vocals, guitar) and Matt Freeman (bass) formed the band along with former drummer Brett Reed and they have been going strong for 30 years. Lars Frederickson (guitar vocals) has been with the band since 1993 and drummer Branden Steineckert joined the line-up in 2006. One of the most successful punk bands ever, Rancid did not disappoint the rowdy crowd in attendance.

The “Boston To Berkeley II” Tour continues into October.

More show photos below. All images by O’Rock Photos.