The best thirteen bucks I've ever spent.

I saw Flogging Molly in Salt Lake last night. And it was the best thirteen bucks I've ever spent.

They played all my favorite songs, and I almost couldn't handle being in the audience. I was giddy. And I jigged my heart out. It was that good.

First, reviews of the opening bands:

• Zox - There were a few interesting things about this band, and none of them were the music. The singer looked like Napoleon Dynamite, and the drummer looked like he would fit better in an 80's hair band (we're talking tank-top and big hair, it was awesome). The guy playing the electric violin was pretty cool--again, not to listen to, but to watch. Their best song was a Pixies cover.
• Bedouin Soundclash - This group has a cool name, but I can't say enough bad things about them. They were weaksauce Clash-wannabes, and they were in love with the echo effect (both on the guitar and the mic). They played for way too long, and that's the bottom line.

My guess for the song that FM would start with was Tobacco Island, but they came out of the gates with Screaming at the Wailing Wall. And it was unbelievable. As soon as the music started, it doubled your heart rate and removed your inhibitions. It was cool. And everybody was into it.

One of the best things about the band, it seems, is that they all contribute equally, and they're all equally passionate about it. Above all else, you get a tremendous feeling of energy from the music and from the stage. I appreciate the way that the sound fuses together--you can distinguish very few individual instrument when they're all playing together, because they seem to play as one instrument.

I almost lost all continence when they played Drunken Lullabies, which may be my favorite song ever. It's also the song I always yo-yo to, when possible.

The front man (acoustic guitar and vocals) is way cool, and he appears to be like 45. His first comment on stage was about what a travesty it was that they were making him drink Guinness out of a plastic cup. He would briefly mention a song's origin and meaning before playing them, which was really cool, and there seemed to really only be a few themes: his mom, his dad, drinking, God, and the Devil.

Overall jist: Hands down, this was the most exhiliarating performance I've seen by anybody. They really know how to play to a crowd. And it just might be the best show I've ever seen. Go buy all their albums. And buy me tickets to see them in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day (can you imagine?!).