Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Oliver Anthony, and more play at Poconos Park in Bushkill on May 17-18
From a press release:
It was announced this week that platinum-selling Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys and SoCal punk rock legends Pennywise will headline Day 1 of the Lost Highway Motorcycle Show & Concert on Friday, May 17 at Poconos Park in Bushkill, following performances by The Castellows, Rick Monroe & The Hitmen, and Kevin Goocher.
Breakout country folk singer/songwriter Oliver Anthony will top off Day 2, marking his first-ever tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey) live show at the newly renovated, 200+ acre entertainment complex. Tim Montana, Nikki Lane, Ricochet, and another performance by Rick Monroe & The Hitmen will precede him on Saturday, May 18.
The second Lost Highway at Poconos Park is the spring opener to motorcycle riding season on the East Coast, letting riders rev up their engines and rock the highway, taking over the Poconos for three days with live music, vendors, bike shows, motorcycle giveaways, bike games, a cornhole tournament, line dancing in the party tent, and more on Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19.
Daily activities also include the Warrior Built Charity Ride, First Responders Ride benefiting the Bushkill Volunteer Fire Company, and more at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson (110 Hill Motor Lodge Rd., Tannersville), with more to be announced at other locations throughout the scenic Pocono Mountains.
Daily tickets, which range from $24.99-$149.99 (plus fees), are on sale now at losthighwayshow.com and Etix. Also available are elevated experience packages such as front row, standing pit, reserved seats, dinner on the lake, private cabanas, hotel packages, and camping packages.
Dropkick Murphys proudly remain Boston’s rock ‘n’ roll underdogs turned champions. Since 1996, the boys have created the kind of music that’s meant to be chanted at last call, in packed arenas, and during the fourth quarter, third period, or ninth inning of a comeback rally. Their celebrated discography includes four consecutive Billboard Top 10 album debuts (“Turn Up That Dial,” “11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory,” “Signed and Sealed in Blood,” and “Going Out in Style”), along with 2005’s gold-certified “The Warrior’s Code” featuring the double-platinum classic “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”
Whether fans caught a legendary gig at The Rathskeller (The Rat) under Kenmore Square, found the band by taking the T to Newbury Comics to cop Do or Die in ’98, discovered them in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film “The Departed,” or saw them throw down at Coachella (or one of hundreds of other festivals), they’ve all become a part of their extended family. Dropkick Murphys’ music has generated half-a-billion streams, they’ve quietly moved 8 million+ units worldwide, and they’ve sold out gigs on multiple continents.
In 2020, the band was one of the first to embrace live streaming performances, starting with their “Streaming Up from Boston” St. Patrick’s Day virtual performance. It was followed by the landmark “Streaming Outta Fenway,” which drew more than 5.9 million viewers and held the No. 3 spot on Pollstar’s Top 2020 Live Streams chart. Their “St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021… Still Locked Down” was No. 1 on Pollstar’s Livestream chart for the week ending March 22, 2021, logging over 1 million views.
Dropkick Murphys returned in 2022 with their first-ever all-acoustic album, “This Machine Still Kills Fascists,” and seated theater tour. This and their follow-up album “Okemah Rising” breathed musical life into mostly unpublished lyrics by the legendary Woody Guthrie, curated for the band by Woody’s daughter Nora Guthrie.
Formed in the South Bay of Los Angeles – a neighborhood with a rich punk rock history – Pennywise began in 1988 and went on to amass an international following with their relentless touring and a melodic, high-energy sound fusing classic punk, surf punk, and blistering hardcore. Through the years, they have solidified their place in punk history with iconic songs like “Fuck Authority,” “Alien,” and “Bro Hymn” (their timeless ode to brotherhood and departed friends). Resolutely working outside the margins of the mainstream, the group has emerged as an enduringly vibrant staple on SoCal radio airwaves and the worldwide festival circuit.
Starting with 1991’s “Pennywise,” Pennywise has released 12 studio albums over the last 30+ years. Their latest, “Never Gonna Die,” is the first full album of new songs with singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin, and bassist Randy Bradbury in over a decade. Produced by longtime collaborator Cameron Webb (Motörhead, NOFX, Alkaline Trio), the 2018 record came to life in the same space where the group penned classic songs with late bassist Jason Thirsk. With their quintessential power to merge the subversive and the celebratory, the band built the album on fast-paced anthems expertly engineered to inspire radical change, personal empowerment, relentless hijinks, and reckless fast times.
Oliver Anthony became a viral sensation with his independently released hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which catapulted him into the global spotlight in 2023. The track reached the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 and resonated with a diverse audience. Additionally, the song’s YouTube video has amassed an impressive 125 million views.
The Lost Highway Motorcycle Show & Concert features Copper Mike’s Custom Bike Show on May 17, recognizing both craftsmanship and creativity with live judging and awards. On May 18, the event will feature the Deadbeat Custom Clash Ride-In Motorcycle Show. Classes will include Chopper, FXR/Dyna, Sportster, Bagger, and Softail, with handmade trophies for each category winner. Throughout the weekend, the Speed-Kings Cycle Showcase will feature custom motorcycles tastefully displayed. Each build was selected by Steve Edgar, founder of Speed-Kings Cycle, and will be on display at the Lake House at Poconos Park, sitting on a 90-acre lake in the Poconos Mountains. World-renowned custom motorcycle painter Taylor Schultz will host an after-party at the Lake House, combining the pure art of the stunning built motorcycles with awe-inspiring backdrop.
“Come party in the Poconos with us!” exclaimed John M. Oakes, the founder and CEO of From the Roots and Poconos Park.
“We are working hard to curate the best of the motorcycle world for this show and booking great music! East Coast motorcyclists can kick off their riding season with us while enjoying a great ride through the extraordinary countryside of Pennsylvania and the scenic Poconos – it just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Oakes started Lost Highway, which combines a passion for motorcycles with music and camping, in 2015. It was originally held in Southern California and named “Best Event” by Hot Bike Magazine, so with the purchase of Poconos Park by Oakes’ company, this premier event has now expanded to the East Coast. In early 2022, From the Roots acquired 200+ acres of land, including the nearly $40 million development formerly known as Mt. Laurel Performing Arts Center and the Tom Ridge Pavilion, just a short ride or drive from Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia, New York City, Newark, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. From The Roots recognized the venue’s immediate potential and took action, renovating, upgrading, and reopening as Poconos Park.
Poconos Park, located 18 miles north of Stroudsburg in the Bushkill Falls region near Delaware Water Gap National Park, will operate as a boutique festival site and play host to world-class tours and productions, as well as special events like the recently announced Berzerkus music festival on Saturday, Sept. 14. The complex includes two sizable venues. The Amphitheater at Poconos Park is a 10,000+ capacity, open-air amphitheater with thousands of seats near the stage and a beautiful grass lawn for thousands more to enjoy entertainment in the great outdoors. The amphitheater can also be converted to a 3,000 capacity, fully-enclosed venue for year-round performances. The Lake House at Poconos Park, a 14,000 square-foot banquet hall, is located on a scenic 90-acre lake. The theater can seat up to 400 people for private events such as banquets, corporate retreats, weddings, etc., and serve as a facility for first-class VIP experiences for concerts, festivals and other large events.
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Dropkick Murphys playing at the Santander Arena in Reading in 2022 here, the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in 2017 here, and the Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia in 2017 here.
Photo by Scott Kucharski Photography/NEPA Scene
