Dropkick Murphys will host a memorial concert honouring Alex Pretti and Renée Good in Minneapolis next month.
Per Rolling Stone, the Boston punk outfit has organised a free acoustic performance on March 6th, prior to their headline concert at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul.
The event will feature performances from several local acts including Wild Colonial Bhoys, DJ Jacques, Kiss the Tiger, Sophie Hiroko, Chutes, Laamar, Obi Original, and the Shackletons.
“We are so proud of how Minnesota stood up and met this moment and we are so sad for the community and for the Pretti and Good families for what they’ve gone through,” frontman Ken Casey said.
“It is an honour to come down and be able to play some music for the people and let them know we stand in solidarity with them.”
The concert will serve a dual purpose as both memorial and fundraiser, with proceeds supporting various local organisations and mutual aid efforts. Beneficiaries include rent support initiatives, Neighbours Helping Neighbours, Show Up for Eat Street, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and the South Minneapolis Families Fund. The performance will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
Dropkick Murphys have previously spoken out against President Donald Trump and his administration. Following the January killing of Good by an ICE agent, the band transformed their 2005 protest track “Citizen C.I.A.” into “Citizen I.C.E.” The reworked song, which reimagines their original mock recruitment anthem for the intelligence agency, was released in early February.
During their Warped set last year, the band dedicated their song “First Class Loser” to Trump whilst performing against a backdrop featuring images and videos of the politician, including material highlighting his connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
Casey said: “This next song is dedicated to a guy who wears orange makeup, shits his pants in his diapers, rapes women, touches kids. It’s called ‘First Class Loser’.”
