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Good golly Flogging Molly

February 16, 2006 12:50 am

By EMILY GILMORE

It's almost as if Flogging Molly was meant to be.

The band, which mixes fiery punk rock with traditional Celtic sounds came together in the late '90s when its members heard vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dave King perform at Molly Malone's, a pub in Los Angeles.

Over time, the members approached Dublin-born King, bass player Nathen Maxwell said in a phone interview on Tuesday, and "through all that chaos it just kind of turned into Flogging Molly."

As he spoke, Maxwell was walking down South Street in Philadelphia, on his way to the Theatre of the Living Arts for the sound check for the second of two shows the band was scheduled to play in the city.

Flogging Molly is currently in the thick of a 17-city, two-tours-in-one trek across the United States.

Monday's show was a Guinness-sponsored "Green 17" show, for ages 21 and over. Tuesday's show was to be an all-ages "Black 17" show.

Known for the explosive energy it puts forth during concerts, Flogging Molly will bring both shows to the 9:30 Club in Washington next week.

The Black 17 show will take place Feb. 21, and punk bands The Briggs and The Dead Pets will open, as well as Lemonface, a D.C.-area-based trio of 15-year-olds. In each city it visits, Flogging Molly invites local punk bands to open the Black 17 show, to give those bands more exposure in their hometowns.

Washington's Green 17 show will take place the next night, Feb. 22. Roots-punk band The Scotch Greens and garage-rockers The Rolling Blackouts will open that show.

Playing two shows in each market Flogging Molly hits gives fans "the best of both worlds," Maxwell said.

In some places, such as San Diego, he said, all-ages shows can be a drag because those who drink alcohol are segregated from the nondrinkers. On the other hand, 21-and-over shows exclude younger fans and people who want to bring their kids.

The core of Flogging Molly's set list doesn't change, but the band has so much material that people who come to both shows can still get two different experiences.

"We played a song last night we haven't played in five years," Maxwell said.

The tour has been "killer" so far, he said, with some shows selling out.

Spending more time in each city also gives the band a little downtime.

"It's good for us. It makes the lifestyle funner and easier," Maxwell said.

Because the band stayed overnight in Philly, they had a chance to walk around and see the city a little before the show the next day.

Flogging Molly's current tour wraps up in mid-March, and the band will tour more this year, playing festivals and traveling to Australia, but the main focus will be writing a new album to follow 2004's "Within a Mile of Home," Maxwell said.

In addition to King, fiddle player Bridget Regan has an Irish background, Maxwell said, but none of the other members--electric guitarist Dennis Casey, accordion player Matt Hensley, mandolin player Robert Schmidt and drummer and percussionist George Schwindt--does. They all just are interested in playing music that moves them.

From the beginning, naysayers tried to tell Flogging Molly that their style of music wouldn't be successful, and that they wouldn't make it past performing in bars, Maxwell said, but the band would have none of it.

They told off their detractors, determined to play the music because they loved it, Maxwell said. They brought it to the people, and the people have spoken.

"When it moves the people," Maxwell said, "that's the most beautiful thing of all."

To reach EMILY GILMORE: 540/374-5426
Email: egilmore@freelancestar.com Read her blog at fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=3