The Dropkick Murphys, a Celtic punk band from Boston, played on Summerfest's Harley Davidson stage tonight. To call the show high energy would be an understatement. It was a relatively controlled frenzy of Dropkick fans pumping fists, moshing, shouting out lyrics and over-their-heads clapping. Oh, so much clapping.

A few random thoughts came to mind during the show. One: for 15 years, Dropkick Murphys have made the flute cool (the bagpipes were already cool). Two: the fans are very much a part of the live performance experience and, consequently, I will never miss another Milwaukee-based Dropkick Murphys show. And three: when bassist / singer Ken Casey wandered out into the audience and delivered the song, "Kiss Me, I'm Sh*tfaced," he put an exclamation point at the end of punk rock. (!)

On March 1, 2011, the band released their seventh studio album, "Going Out In Style," which features Bruce Springsteen, and numerous tunes played during Friday night's show were from this record including opening song "Hang 'Em High," "Deeds Not Words," "Sunday Hardcore Matinee," "Peg O' My Heart" and "Cruel."

Of course, they also played the song from the album that they dedicated to Wisconsin workers called "Take 'Em Down." The Dropkicks have always been known for supporting unions and the working class and they have a connection with the AFL-CIO. This past February, in support of Wisconsin workers' rights – particularly public union workers –they released a limited-edition T-shirt which benefitted the Workers' Rights Emergency Response Fund.

Personally, I would have liked more of an introduction to the song with more of a verbal commitment to unions, but I guess that was made clear when they played Billy Bragg's "There Is Power In A Union" right before the band took the stage at precisely 10 p.m.

During the show, they also cranked out "Tessie," "The Aulde Triangle," a cover of AC / DC's "T.N.T.," the party anthem "Captain Kelly's Kitchen" and a rollicking version of "Shipping Up To Boston" that featured the unfurling of a new backdrop behind the band and set off audience members screaming along with the lyrics "I lost my leg!" (Or was that just me?)

The Dropkick Murphys – whose name is believed to come from a rehab center in Massachusetts started by a professional fighter with the ring name "Dropkick Murphy" – formed in 1996 in Boston. They gigged constantly for the first few years of their career and played highly attended St. Patrick's Day shows in the Boston area and beyond.

In 2007, the band – originally with Hellcat Records – signed with Warner Brothers. Since signing, two of their albums, "The Meanest of Ties" and "Going Out In Style," have made it into the Billboard Top 20.

Current band members include lead singer Al Barr, bass player and singer Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, guitarist James Lynch and multi-instrumentalists Tim Brennan, Josh "Scruffy" Wallace and Jeff DaRosa.

The Dropkick Murphys attract a somewhat diverse audience which was represented tonight at Summerfest. Fans ranged from college kids to middle aged working class folks, and at one point Casey thanked the audience.

"Thanks for opening your home and your hearts and your wallets and your liquor cabinets for us," he said.

The feeling of thankfulness was clearly mutual. In short, Dropkick Murphys fans are hardcore Dropkick Murphys fans. Even though that famous Irish stout claims to be the cure for what "ales" you, most fans would agree that the Dropkicks do a pretty good job of it, too.