Iconic punk band pulls out of festival over organizer’s Trump donations
Dropkick Murphys will no longer perform at Punk in the Park because of the festival organizer's donations to Donald Trump.
Dropkick Murphys said in an Instagram post Wednesday that Brew Ha Ha Production 's monetary contributions to the Trump campaign go against the band's longstanding opposition to the president and his polices .
"Punk Rock and Donald Trump just don't belong together," Dropkick Murphys wrote in the post. "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."
The punk band already played the festival's Denver shows "because we didn't want to leave our supporters who bought tickets holding the bag."
However, Dropkick Murphys will no longer appear at Punk in the Park's future stops in Worcester , Massachusetts; San Pedro, California; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California and Chandler, Arizona.
"Thanks for your understanding on this matter," Dropkick Murphys wrote.
Cameron Collins, owner of Brew Ha Ha, responded with his own statement on Punk in the Park's Instagram Wednesday.
"We live in a two-party system, and unfortunately, you must choose based on a few important issues that resonate with you," Collins wrote. "For me, those issues were the promise to end wars and refrain from entering new international conflicts, lower taxes, and stopping government overreach."
Collins added he hasn't been pleased with "many of the current President's viewpoints, opinions, and policies" and said Punk in the Park has not and will not donate proceeds to any political party.
"This community represents a wide range of views and backgrounds, and that diversity has always been part of its identity," Collins wrote. "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."
Brew Ha Ha is a Dallas-based beer company that is "passionate about crafting unique and immersive experiences that blend the best in craft beer, music, and community," according to its website .
The production company organizes several music festivals, including Brew Hee Haw , Boo Ha Ha and Lucky Punks .
Federal Election Commission records indicate Collins made multiple donations to the Trump National Committee, Never Surrender and WinRed last year. WinRed labels itself as "the only fundraising platform built exclusively for conservatives" while The Trump National Committee and Never Surrender use funds raised to support Trump.
The Dropkick Murphys have historically been heavily involved in politics, with lead singer Ken Casey publicly criticizing Trump in recent years.
In March, Casey paused during one of Dropkick Murphys' annual St. Patrick's Day shows at MGM Music Hall in Boston to call out an attendee holding up a white MAGA hat. The band played three shows at the venue from March 14-16.
"If you're in a room full of people and you want to know who's in a cult, how do you know who's in a cult?" Casey asked the crowd, according to a video posted to Dropkick Murphys' Instagram .
"They've been holding up a (expletive) hat the whole night to represent a president," Casey said. "This is America, there's no kings here."
Casey said in an interview with Mediastouch following the incident that the fan had been holding the hat up all night and was putting it in people's faces. That's why he decided to call them out.
"He was looking for the attention," Casey said.
The singer added that he isn't typically looking to turn a show "into a political rally," but simply wants to find something to comment on before playing the next song.
That said, Casey does feel inclined to "call out the hypocrisy" when he sees it, especially "if it's being put in my face at a show."
Citing the band's long history of being "pro-working class band," Casey said in the interview that the Dropkick Murphys' music has always had this message of "standing with your friends and family and the things you believe in, whether it's politics, or just how you were raised."
"Donald Trump is the exact opposite of everything we sing about," Casey said in the interview. "He's turned on his friends. He's turned on America's friends and our allies. He's a rat and a coward when you think of it that way. America shouldn't be turning on our allies."
Casey also called out a man for wearing a shirt and hat supporting Trump at a concert in Clearwater, Florida, in February, according to Billboard . Casey mentioned that Dropkick Murphys' merch is all made in America before making a "friendly" $100 bet about where the MAGA gear was manufactured.
"If you lose the bet, we switch shirts, OK? If you win the bet, I give you $100 and the shirt," the singer told the man before revealing to fans that the MAGA shirt was made in Nicaragua.
"He's taking the shirt off. We're taking crime off the streets," Casey joked, according to Billboard.
Dropkick Murphys also performed at Boston's "Hands Off" protest on Saturday, April 5.
The protest, organized by Mass 50501 , was against the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk.
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