I’ve seen Flogging Molly a handful of times. My top-ranking experiences include a show two years ago in Portland, Ore., where I stood next to the mosh-pit deflecting the masses of sweaty youths, and another one three years back in Eugene, Ore., when I took the kid I used to babysit to see them for his 13th birthday. After this past Valentine’s Day show at the Ritz Ybor, I now have three favorite Flogging Molly experiences, with the February 14 ranking at number one. [All photos by James Ostrand.]

Flogging Molly has always had a consistently random array of fans and and crowd-watching is part of the fun of their shows. The Ritz was jam-packed with punkers, rockers, drunken Irishmen and non-Irishmen, some in kilts or even utili-kilts, fans ranging in age from 8 to mid-40s, a healthy number of those completely drunk 21-year-olds having the time of their lives. The crowd was so thick, you had to weave your way to openings just to grab a pocket of vision, unless you were six feet tall or directly in front of the stage.

The Architects kicked off the evening and revved up the crowd with their bold brand of mainstream punk rock. The set was great, the band definite crowd pleasers, but their sound was rather generic. I think one of the bouncers was right on target when I asked who was playing and he responded, "I don’t know, some band – the one who’s not Flogging Molly."

This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2010.