Parked cars lined all of the narrow Fuhrmann Boulevard. Fans waited in their vehicles, their feet dangling out of their trunks in quiet excitement. A few stragglers treaded the wet asphalt roads with signs that read "Desperate, will buy ticket." On flat grassland leading up to the quarry, the stage was set against a backdrop of sun-gold setting into the blue water.
Dropkick Murphys, a punk-rock band from Massachusetts, played at Buffalo's Outer Harbor last Friday as part of the After Dark Entertainment Series. Though the concert was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., the show was delayed two hours due to the rain. People braved the chilly breeze as they waited for the concert to begin.
"You know at first, this was kind of a bummer," said Megan Tomassian, a senior speech pathology major. "But it ended up being okay because you got to walk around and enjoy the harbor more, which you probably wouldn't have if the concert started right away."
Local hardcore band Snapcase entered the stage with a burst of energy that was commendable, but their opening act came as little relief to the eager crowd.
"I'm not quite sure about the lyrics, because I can't quite hear them," said Cheryl Stevens, 41, of Buffalo.
Characterized by screaming vocals and thick electric guitar riffs, Snapcase's set was definitely geared toward fans of angst-ridden rock. In response to the hard-rock sound, some younger teens began crowd surfing and wind milling near the stage.
However, the band's heavy sound lostsome crowd members, such as Buffalo resident Damon Rose, 58.
"I was a little confused about the static between the songs, where it... never ended, just noise," Rose said.
When Dropkick Murphys finally took the stage, the crowd's energy drastically escalated. During "The State of Massachusetts,"Celtic and Irish rock engaged audiences who cheered and raised their beers, chanting along with every audible "Hey!"Fans in the crowd tossed their own shirts around and on to the stage. Others sung and danced along to the band.
Stevens, who described herself as a Dropkick Murphys fan for many years, had been waiting to hear the band since 4:30 p.m. Her 20-year-old and 17-year-old children, who are fans of the band, also accompanied her and didn't mind the wait.
"Yes my oldest, he's very much a big fan," Stevens said. "He was like 'I don't care. I'm [going to] be there. I don't care what it takes. I don't care if it rains or not.'"
More dedicated fans donned green garbs, shamrock-shaped badges and other Dropkick Murphys merchandise purchased from the band's makeshift store in the concert arena.
At one point, the Dropkick Murphys members returned their fans' love by performing a song they had not practiced for a long time.
"We're gonna f*** it up," a Dropkick Murphys member exclaimed.
The audience was hardly bothered. They just threw more rock hand signs into the crisp night air.
The Dropkick Murphys drew a wide range of people to the concert, from young children to adults and die-hard fans to people who never knew the band existed.
"I didn't really know any of their music before I went, I actually just went with a friend," Tomassian said. "And once I got there I was pleasantly surprised. I actually think they sounded a little better live than they do on their albums."
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