On Tyranny: Dropkick Murphys Headlining Free ‘Abolish ICE’ Concert in Minneapolis Tonight
One of the most curious, foreboding and even alarming trends that arose and continues to metastasize amid the Trump regime’s incalculable atrocities can be summed up in one sentence: Where are all the punk bands?
The bread and butter of punk music is – or at least was – an anti-establishment sentiment shared by young people who galvanized to fight en masse against injustices like racism, sexism and class warfare. In fact, the punk movement was so furious, potent and desperate for social and political change that they almost indisputably played a critical role in the last quarter of the 20th century.
From the Sex Pistols publicly taking the piss out of Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher due to the latter’s ruthless rule to railing against bobbies to figuratively spitting on conservative politicians, punk bands played an integral role in transforming their stomping grounds into a more accepting, and therefore freer, version of itself.
American punks also impacted their own culture around the same time as the Brits were fighting the good fight – look no further than Black Flag, Misfits and Circle Jerks for proof. Instead, look at what’s happening today, during one of the most horrific and terrifying periods in the last decade of American history.
Imagine the Civil Rights Era, Woodstock – and mass demonstrations against Vietnam and inequality – without the music that acted as a rallying cry to people who took to the streets to demand equality for all. Doesn’t seem right, does it? Well, neither does the moment in which we are all currently living, with democracy teetering on the edge of the abyss, financial inequality stratifying like never before, millions of Americans losing their health insurance and Trump giddier to do battle with Iran than a kid getting their favorite sundae for dessert.
So, we’ll say it again: Where are the punk bands who are dogmatically bound to a code of ethics that was essential to the punk movement? Why are they not writing and incessantly performing in concert songs about their opposition to the Trump regime? Don’t get us wrong: Many if not most rock fans revere Bruce Springsteen and U2 for their godlike status. But with Springsteen turning 77 years old in the fall and Bono inching close to 66, it is imperative for younger artists to take the baton so they can carry it for decades to come.
And now for the kinda-sorta-yeah-I-guess-so good news: There does appear to be a silver lining, however thin it may be. Tonight, three-decades old punk band and hard-core union supporters Dropkick Murphys will play a free concert in Minneapolis commemorating the unforgivable murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in that fair city this year. (Surely, Dropkick Murphys will play “Citizen I.C.E.,” a reworked version of the band’s 2025 track “Citizen C.I.A.” recorded in late 2025.) The self-explanatorily titled “Abolish ICE” fundraiser will run from 1 to 8 p.m. and feature a handful of additional bands that, admittedly, are totally unfamiliar to The Bad Penny.
Roughly a week ago, Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey (who hails from Massachusetts) said the following in a press release statement: “We are so proud of how Minnesota stood up and met this moment and we are so sad for the community and for the Pretti and Good families for what they’ve gone through, so it is an honor to come down and be able to play some music for the people and let them know we stand in solidarity with them [sic].”
When asked for further comment in early February, a representative for Casey said an interview with him and any other Dropkick Murphys band members wouldn’t be possible.
“The band is about to hit the road and they’re only doing a few tour date specific phoners right now due to very limited time,” the rep said.
One imagines, though, that with the world all but burning down before our very eyes in 2026, Casey will have plenty more to say publicly in the months and years to come.
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Visit the On Tyranny hub to read more than 100 other interviews that The Bad Penny has conducted with musicians of all stripes about the state of the U.S.
The franchise revolves around how authoritarianism and fascism directly damage artists on a professional and personal level. More than 100 musicians have already taken place, including Thalia Zedek, Bobby Conn, Deaf Club, Locust and loads more.
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