The Skints, Tiger Army & Flogging Molly at The Armory

Gatrs June 28, 2022 Events

If I’m being 100% honest, my heart wasn’t in it to win it as I sped through rush hour traffic to get to The Armory in downtown Minneapolis. A last-minute approval mixed with the fact that the main attraction for me had to drop off the show due to covid meant I was bitter as I had to leave the house unexpectedly and actually put a face on and make myself presentable. I spent my rushed drive trying to change my mindest but it wasn’t working and after powerwalking from my car to the venue just to find out that set times had been pushed back another forty minutes, let’s just say I was less than happy and quite pissed to realized I would have had time to actually grab a bite to eat and just slow down for a second. Thankfully, a Lucero song was playing over the speakers as I met up with some friends at the show. I felt my heart rate coming down and started to feel that feeling I am constantly chasing– the thrill of a live concert.

I mentioned the set times being delayed a bit and it breaks my heart to explain why. Unfortunately, The Interrupters had a couple of positive covid cases through the band forcing them to drop off of a handful of concerts including Wednesday night’s show. This was a huge blow for not only me, but a lot of other people who had been planning on checking out the show. Honestly, I saw more people on social media trying to ditch their tickets than I thought I would just with the news that this amazing band wouldn’t be on the bill. You could also see that come to fruition with the way the room never quite filled up through the night. Such a bummer but welcome to 2022 I suppose. I hope the entire Interrupters crew gets to feeling better soon and you best believe me (and hundreds of other people) will be anxiously awaiting their return to the Twin Cities.

Kicking the show off was London-based The Skints. Their sound instantly had me hooked. I’ll be honest, their stage presence didn’t stand out as super strong to me, but this was one of those rare moments where that didn’t matter. The Skints sound is this perfect blend of ska, reggae, soul, and rock, all with a punk edge. I loved how every time I would glance at the stage, vocalist Marcia Richards had a different instrument in her hand. From a sax to melodica to flute all the way to a guitar, this woman had me completely trapped in the palm of her hand throughout their time on stage. Wednesday night was this band’s first time in the Twin Cities but I sure hope it won’t be their last. I would go see these guys any chance I get if only to chill out and just have my ears treated to their distinct and flawless sound.

Following The Skints was a personal favorite of mine, Tiger Army. It has been years since I have spent time listening to this band but I was so excited for the opportunity to see them live and hear what they have been up to over the years. Tiger Army is definitely not a new band. They have been around since 1996 and although the years have passed, their sound has really never changed. They have this cool California swagger to their music and a very distinct psychobilly sound. Although vocalist/ guitarist Nick 13 is the only constant member of this group, their overall vibe has never changed and it was so nice to experience that feeling live for the first time in forever. The trio did a great job of giving the audience a little bit of everything. From their more country-leaning track “Outlaw Heart” to their cover of the almost surf-rock feeling “Rumble” from Link Wray & His Raymen to a highly energetic performance of their punk anthem “F.T.W.”, had you walked into the show on Wednesday with no previous knowledge of this band, you probably left their set feeling a bit confused but more than satisfied.

Flogging Molly are seasoned professionals having been around since 1997 and you can feel that when they perform.

Flogging Molly was just here last October and, although I love this band with all of my heart, I think that I need a bit of a break after Wednesday night. It’s a mix of too much of a good thing and the internal need of constantly seeing and experiencing something new. That being said, their Wednesday night performance was flawless as always and had the entire audience drinking and dancing the night away. The band wasted no time and kicked their set off with a personal favorite of mine and everyone else who is a fan of this band, “Drunken Lullabies”. Opening with that banger of a track absolutely set the stage for what the rest of the night was to bring and even though the audience seemed to struggle to sing along to some of the newer tracks performed off of the band’s 2022 album ‘Anthem’, every song was accompanied but dancing and smiles.

Flogging Molly are seasoned professionals having been around since 1997 and you can feel that when they perform. Don’t get me wrong, the amount of fun that this audience has on stage is clearly seen and felt mostly in the way vocalist Dave King spends majority of the time literally running from side to side of the stage but you also get a flawless sound from this band which is quite a feat considering there are seven people in the band. Although I feel like I see these guys every few months and it’s honestly starting to become a bit much, I will never not enjoy hearing their sound and experiencing their energy live and I think that’s the main reason I keep coming back for more every time they announce a show in town.

The line-up on Wednesday night was eclectic and even that sounds like an understatement. From the reggae/ ska based sound of The Skints to the psychobilly styling of Tiger Army and ending with the Irish-based drinking songs of Flogging Molly– there was a little something for everyone at The Armory on Wednesday and even though nothing about the show went as planned for me or anyone else who was super excited to see The Interrupters, it was a damn good way to spend a Wednesday night if you ask me!

Line Up:

The Skints

Tiger Army

Flogging Molly

Venue: The Armory

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers: None spotted but I was wandering

Mosh-ability: 7 out of 10

Sausage-Fest Meter: 8 out of 10

Stage Divers: 0

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around: $23