Live Review: Dropkick Murphys + The Aggrolites + Haywire + Slugger @ The Signal, Chattanooga - February 21st, 2026

Chris Collett
17 hours ago
4 min read

The Signal sits at 21 Choo Choo Ave on the grounds of the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo complex, and it has quickly become one of the city’s main stops for national touring acts. The venue originally opened in 2018 before relocating to its current space, and the Concert Hall now holds up to 1,500 people, with 1,300 on the main floor and a 200-seat mezzanine above. On February 21, that entire capacity was spoken for. The show was officially sold out, and the energy reflected it from the moment doors opened at 6:00 PM.

California punk outfit Slugger kicked things off at 6:30. The band wasted no time setting a tone built on speed and stripped down aggression. Their sound leaned classic West Coast punk, tight and direct, and they played like a band used to earning rooms one song at a time. Early arrivals pressed toward the stage instead of hanging back, which is always a good sign. Slugger did not treat the slot like filler. They treated it like an opportunity.

At 7:15, Boston-based Haywire took the stage and immediately raised the intensity. Fronted by Austin Sparkman, the band delivered a sharp, high energy set that balanced hardcore urgency with big chant-ready hooks. Haywire has been building momentum recently, with new material circulating and an upcoming release adding buzz around their name. You could feel that hunger in their performance. Sparkman worked the front of the stage constantly, pulling the crowd in instead of waiting for them to respond. Midway through their set, the night delivered its first major moment when Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys walked out to join them for “New England Forever.” The crowd erupted instantly. It did not feel staged or promotional. It felt like two bands connected by shared roots and mutual respect. By the end of Haywire’s set, the pit was fully active and Chattanooga was locked in. That connection paid off later when Sparkman returned to join Dropkick Murphys for “Citizen I.C.E.,” turning it into one of the loudest moments of the night.

At 8:00 PM, The Aggrolites shifted the tempo without cooling things down. Their blend of reggae, soul, and rocksteady added groove to the evening, and the rhythm section sounded full and clean inside The Signal’s acoustics. It was a smart contrast in a lineup built around punk aggression. Instead of draining the room, their set widened it. People swayed instead of slammed, but nobody checked out. By the time they wrapped, the entire main floor was packed shoulder to shoulder.

At 9:15, Dropkick Murphys hit the stage and the sold out crowd exploded immediately. They opened with “Deeds Not Words,” and from that first punch of energy the floor surged. The band rolled straight into “The State of Massachusetts,” “Caps and Bottles,” and “The Boys Are Back,” stacking anthem after anthem without giving the crowd a second to breathe. “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya,” “Blackout,” and “Bury the Bones” kept the pit moving early, while “Caught in a Jar” and “The Boys on the Docks” pulled huge crowd participation moments.

Mid set, “Never Alone,” “Finnegan’s Wake,” and “The Green Fields of France” added that traditional Celtic weight that separates Dropkick Murphys from standard punk bills. Newer material like “Who’ll Stand With Us” reinforced themes from their 2025 album For the People, which leans heavily into working-class identity and direct political messaging.

Throughout the night, the band paused several times to address the political state of the country, encouraging unity and standing together against leadership they believe does not represent working people. The speeches were direct and unapologetic, and the Chattanooga crowd responded loudly each time.

“Barroom Hero” and “The Gang’s All Here” brought the room back into full chant mode before Austin Sparkman returned for “Citizen I.C.E.” The collaboration felt intentional and timely rather than gimmicky. Then came one of the most memorable moments of the night. Before “Rose Tattoo,” Ken cleared the pit of all the guys and told the crowd this pit was ladies only. What followed was a massive, chaotic singalong, with a circle pit filled entirely by women shouting every word.

The final stretch of the night delivered exactly what it needed to. “The Worker’s Song” turned the room into a unified chorus, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” sent the pit into one last eruption, and “The Big Man” closed the show with the kind of emotional weight that left the entire room spent. When the lights came up, the main floor looked like it had survived a controlled riot. Sweat, spilled beer, and exhausted smiles everywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yie5FluJiPc

Dropkick Murphys - The Big Man

Dropkick Murphys have always balanced celebration with confrontation. Since forming in 1996, they have fused Celtic instrumentation with street-level punk and blue-collar storytelling. With For the People, they doubled down on that identity, and live it feels less like nostalgia and more like a statement. On February 21 at The Signal, Chattanooga did not just host a concert. It became part of something loud, unified, and unapologetic.

Dropkick Murphys band members are:

Ken Casey (lead vocals)

Tim Brennan (guitars, tin whistle, accordion, piano, vocals)

Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals)

Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, and vocals)

James Lynch (guitars and vocals)

Kevin Rheault (bass)

Campbell Webster (bagpipes and Uilleann pipes)

Catch Dropkick Murphys on tour through mid-March! Tickets here.