Boiled In Lead King of the Dogwoods Record Release Party
With special guests Pop Wagner and Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band
Saturday, March 21, 2026
7 pm Doors // 8 pm Music
All Ages
$25 ($32.30 w. taxes/fees) Advance General Admission
$30 ($35 w. taxes/fees) At The Door General Admission
Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable
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Boiled In Lead (BiL) is the longest-running Celtic punk band in America, and an important part of the foundation of what became Minnesota punk rock; their star is still on the wall at a certain downtown nightclub. For their 43rd anniversary, BiL release Dogwoods, their first studio recording in over a decade.
The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band will escort BiL onto the Parkway stage, and local legend Pop Wagner kicks things off with a solo set.
This special performance represents a living tradition: everyone here strives to put their own stamp on the music while maintaining respect for the original material. Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at The Parkway with this popular annual event!
Following their live album 40 Years (recorded at The Parkway), Boiled in Lead went into the studio and emerged with “King of The Dogwoods” — doubling down on the band’s radically eclectic signature sound, while seamlessly mixing genres from heavy noise to acapella vocals, world music material from Ireland to Serbia, with strong originals from lead singer Todd Menton and longtime collaborator John Van Orman.
“The remarkable thing is that BiL can come out so full of energy and desire after more than 40 years together. Whether it's on original or traditional material, that punk edge cuts through to add a sharpness to everything. A real force to be reckoned with, showing everyone how it should be done.” – Chris Nickson, author and music journalist
Founded in 1983, the band continues to challenge itself with a wealth of new material, as well as looking backward to reframe old tunes. Guitar, bass, violin & drums play country music from many countries with power and emotion. Enthusiastic, powerful, technically brilliant, playing a wealth of instruments with extreme dynamics, Boiled In Lead routinely demolishes genres with its highly-identifiable sound.
In a career spanning more than five decades, St. Paul, Minnesota’s Pop Wagner has performed in 44 states and 15 countries at clubs, concerts, festivals, museums, libraries, schools, ranches, stockmen's gatherings, rodeos, and farm co-op meetings. He is a top-notch singer, picker, fiddler, songwriter, storyteller, square dance caller, humorist, and trick roper. Ron Miles of Grassroots Concerts, from Brainerd, Minnesota, states "Renaissance cowboy/raconteur Pop Wagner...deadpan funny...his presence is like meeting Woody Guthrie and Will Rogers riding a single, many colored horse. Pop is a kind of 'textile genius' who is able to spin, at once, both yarn and rope.”
The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band was established in 1962 to preserve and advance Celtic piping, drumming, and dancing. They are one of the oldest existing pipe bands in the Upper Midwest. Members of the band have performed with national acts, including The Chieftains, Green Day, Blink-182, and Rod Stewart, as well as alongside local acts. A fixture in parades, celebrations, and dances, the band adds a sense of tradition and spirit of pageantry to every program in which they participate.