Dropkick Murphys have vowed to never play Punk in the Park again after finding out that the festival organizer previously donated to Donald Trump.
The veteran punk act still played its set at Punk in the Park Denver on Sunday night (July 19th), but did so only for loyal fans who had already bought tickets. From the stage, singer Ken Casey appeared to blast fest organizer Brew Ha Ha Productions’ owner Cameron Collins for previously donating to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
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“If you’re coming under the punk-rock banner and you voted for that f–king guy, and you support that f–king s–t that they’re doing, you’ve twisted your mind into knots,” said Casey onstage (via Billboard). “The far right ain’t the new punk — you heard it here first.”
The politically outspoken band later posted in an Instagram video on Wednesday (July 23rd) that they would no longer be participating in future Punk in the Park gigs:
“Hey folks. Punk Rock and Donald Trump just don’t belong together. So Upon finding out that Brew Ha Ha promotions donated to the Trump campaign we will not be playing any more Punk in the Park shows. We kept our commitment to the Denver show because we didn’t want to leave our supporters who bought tickets holding the bag. Thanks for your understanding on this matter.”
A pair of bands, Destiny Bond and Time X Heist, dropped completely off the bill when the Denver fest kicked off last Friday (July 18th) after learning of Collins’ donations of $978.39 to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and Republican fundraising groups. Larger acts such as Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Descendents — along with the Dropkicks — chose to express their dissatisfaction from the stage.
Meanwhile, Collins has since issued his own statement in his defense, saying that he never inhibited any acts from expressing their politics onstage during the shows he’s promoted:
“I have never posted anything political on our platforms and have no intention to in the future but this needs to be addressed. There have been a lot of assumptions and conclusions made as to who I am and what my values are.
Like many Americans, my political views don’t neatly fit into a single box or party affiliation. I believe in fairness, humanity, free expression, and fostering unity among people. That’s how I’ve tried to live my life and conduct my business.
We live in a two-party system, and unfortunately, you must choose based on a few important issues that resonate with you. For me, those issues were the promise to end wars and refrain from entering new international conflicts, lower taxes, and stopping government overreach
At the time, it boiled down to those points for me. I must admit that I haven’t been pleased with a great many of the current President’s viewpoints, opinions, and policies thus far, particularly with the recent ICE atrocities and the backtracking on the Epstein files being released as well as all the posturing with our allies around the world.
I think we all probably have common ground on a lot of big issues like being anti-racism, anti-war, and the belief in human rights for EVERYONE, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other identity.
Additionally, I’d imagine we all oppose hate of any kind and passionately support this community of punk rock and its individuality that has welcomed so many misfits into the family over the years.
This community represents a wide range of views and backgrounds, and that diversity has always been part of its identity. We don’t have to see eye to eye on everything to come together and enjoy what unites us, great music, good times, and mutual respect.
It’s important to note that the festival has not and will not donate any of its proceeds to any political party. However, we do make significant donations to various charitable causes, such as Punk Rock Saves Lives and Big Brother Big Sister.
We proudly employ hundreds of people directly and indirectly at our festivals from all walks of life, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Over the years, I’ve been proud to provide a platform for artists to connect with hundreds of thousands of fans. We’ve invested millions of dollars in artist guarantees, and I’ve never censored or restricted a band’s message or voice. Our track record speaks for itself.”
Fans of Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion can still catch those bands in concert during their ongoing co-headlining summer US tour. The route stops in Tacoma, Washington, Thursday night (July 24th) and runs through August 17th in Big Flats, New York. Get tickets here.
Punk in the Park stages festivals in a handful of cities throughout the year, with events in Worcester, Massachusetts, and San Pedro, California, set for September and October, respectively. Bad Religion and Pennywise, among other bands, are currently scheduled to play both cities.
Check out Dropkick Murphys’ social media post about Punk in the Park below.
