One hour to go til doors and it was pouring rain. I was sulking about the prospect of standing by the stage in the mud. My friend called to let me know he was picking up ponchos. I was prepared for misery.

And just like that the clouds broke, the sky cleared and things were right in the world again. You take risks when you live in Buffalo and outdoor concerts in the fall are one of them. Fortunately for me and the rest of the crowd who descended upon the Outer Harbor that evening, this wouldn't be one of those nights.

Arriving shortly after doors, we were greeted with a line a quarter mile long, full of some of the best Buffalo had to offer; punk rockers, South Buffalo Irish drunks, yahoos, freaks, scoundrels and scalliwags....but mostly a lot of normal people. After making our way through the gate, we headed to the "over 21 section" which seemed to remain more populated throughout the night than even stageside. Some drunk was yelling "Dropkiiiick Muuuuuuuuuuurphys" for five minutes straight and I wouldn't mind if this guy was eliminated from the earth. God have mercy on your soul you swine.

Anyways, after a bit of delay and a few beers, Snapcase hit the stage, which was the highlight of my whole evening. For those not in the know, Snapcase is a Buffalo-based hardcore band that was really popular in the nineties and early 2000's before their untimely breakup a few years ago. Since that time they've played a few reunions. None however had quite the impact of last nights firestorm. The sound was fantastic and the setlist was incredible. Charging out of the gate immediately with "Coagulate", one of the group's strongest tracks, the band continued its tour de force with an End Transmission heavy set, as well as hitting numerous other classics before closing their set with their most popular song, 1997's "Caboose." The usual Bills and Sabre's jokes followed the songs, but it felt more natural coming from a bunch of Buffalonians who have lived through the constant state of sports misery.

Waiting. Waiting. It seemed to take forever before Dropkick Murphys took stage but when they did, it was with a commanding presence. The audience went nuts as traditional Irish music filled the park over the monitors signaling what was to come.. and when the band rushed the stage you'd swear it was AC/DC and not the humble, punk rock of a simple Boston-based band. One thing you have to respect about Dropkicks, whether you're a fan or not, is the energy and passion they put into their music. You can't fake the kind of love they were giving, smiling and jumping around the stage like madmen. In terms of the setlist, it was a lot of newer songs. What I consider "new" though is anything after their classic albums Do or Die and The Gangs All Here. It was at this point when they went from being an Irish influenced punk band to being a full on Irish band. I was pleasantly surprised to hear "Which Side Are You On", "Warriors Code" and "Boys on the Dock", and a few of the newer numbers such as "The Boys are Back (and They're Looking for Trouble)" certainly hold their own in the catalog. Overall though, I would liked to have heard a Do Or Die heavy set. That's just the old punk rocker in me I guess.

The night ended in style, with most crowd goers either stumbling drunk or half deaf (my GOD, was it LOUD!). A rousing finale left Buffalonians feeling proud to be Irish or wishing that they were. It's fair to say Dropkick and Snapcase, although an odd pairing, were perfect for that particular night and that particular place in time. Hell, it didn't even rain.