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The Dropkick Murphys have been together for nearly three decades, and they’re no strangers to taking a stand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
For a punk band, the members have unorthodox politics. They’re all about unions and the working class, but they also support police and military — and that doesn’t always square with the left wing politics of punk rock. The band even supported former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s reelection bid in 2018.
And now, frontman Ken Casey has been going viral as he pushes back on what he sees as an attack on American democracy by the Trump administration.
I checked in with Casey as the band prepared for its annual St. Patrick’s Day run in Boston last week. I wanted to hear his reaction to Boston’s moment in the national spotlight over its immigration policies.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
At a recent show in Clearwater, Florida, a man sporting MAGA gear stood in the front row. Casey offered him a friendly wager over whether his Make America Great Again shirt was actually made in America.
The crowd roared as Casey revealed the shirt was made in Nicaragua. Casey swapped it for a Dropkick Murphy's t-shirt, which he said was "proudly made in America."
After the show, Casey told me he approached the fan in the MAGA clothing.
Casey: " I said, ‘Hey man. That was cool that you were a good sport about it and you honored the bet.’ And he said, ‘I've been coming to see you for 20 years. You guys are family, and I don't let politics come between family.’ And I was like, wow. I think a lot of us have a lot more in common than politics would make us think."
"I think a lot of us have a lot more in common than politics would make us think."
Ken Casey
Rios: What is the message you’re trying to send? And is it something you bring to every show?
Casey: "No, I never plan to say anything. Some nights I'm worried about just trying to remember the lyrics — I gotta do my job first. But my point is that this is a class war, not a political war. We are being tricked to fight amongst each other so that the ultra wealthy can milk us of everything we have."
Rios: There must be pushback from the Trump supporters among your fans?
Casey: "Someone who is a Trump fan will say I'm dividing people. I say, ‘My words are dividing people? No. I'm not the one that's doing all these horrible policies. I'm just speaking up.’ "
Rios: Are you concerned about losing fans, or have you gotten a lot of love because of the stances you're taking?
Casey: " I want to be remembered as the band that spoke out, whether it benefits or hurts us. And now, as we put ourselves more in the crosshairs speaking out, I feel like more people on the left are like, ‘We gotta support this band,’ which is nice, but I don't really care. It's who we are and what we do."
Rios: Republicans seem to be targeting Boston, with immigration front and center. Legislators brought Mayor Michelle Wu before Congress earlier this month to talk about Boston's immigration policies and crime.
Casey: "I get it. Crime needs to be handled. If an immigrant comes here and commits a violent crime, they shouldn't be allowed to stay. But you're going to villainize the person who's a hard worker, trying to build a new life? The way I was taught is, if your family were immigrants to this country and came for a better life, the price you pay for that is you can never say that 'no one else is welcome.' That is what America was built on."
"The way I was taught is, if your family were immigrants to this country and came for a better life, the price you pay for that is you can never say that 'no one else is welcome.' That is what America was built on."
Ken Casey
Rios: Border czar Tom Homan has said he’s set on “bringing hell” to Boston because of the city’s stance on immigration enforcement. What’s your reaction to seeing Boston targeted this way?
Casey: "I mean, we'll see about that. I hope I'm home when they come."
Rios: Boston has this image as the cradle of liberty and a revolutionary stronghold. Do you feel like the city continues to live up to that reputation?
Casey: "I think so. I mean, Boston was a very segregated city when I was growing up, and it got a bad reputation as being racist. But then if someone comes at everyone together, it's like, ‘Hold on a second.’ And I think that's the mentality people have shown toward Tom Homan and ICE, like, don't tell us you're gonna come here and bully us."
Rios: How do you feel about the current political moment and where we're headed as a country?
Casey: "I'm terrified for the future. I'll be alright, but I worry about my kids. I think a lot of people just assume, if you look back through history in America, good always comes out on top. But you can't just assume that we'll suffer through these four years and he'll be gone. There might not be another election. That's the way I look at it."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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