Flogging Molly tour rolls out annual Green 17 dates

The Celtic punk rock group Flogging Molly has unveiled plans for a St. Patrick’s Day outing in 2009. The band’s annual Green 17 Tour will visit 20 cities on its run, which begins February 15 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY, and wraps on the celebrated March 17 at Congress Theater in Chicago, IL.

The North American tour includes two-night stands on February 20-21 at the House of Blues in Cleveland, OH, and March 1-2 at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA, as well as a February 28 concert at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in Austin, TX, and a March 9 gig at The National in Richmond, VA. Canadian shows are set for February 16 at the Metropolis in Montreal, QC, and February 17 at Sound Academy in Toronto, ON.

Ticket sales for most dates began December 13. However, public onsales for the date at the newly opening House of Blues venue in Boston won’t start until January, though a limited number of presale tickets are currently available.

The band is also offering tickets without service charges at participating locations in a number of markets on the tour. Flogging Molly credits the move to the bad economy, noting a desire to make tickets more affordable to fans who might not have as much disposable income.

“We know it’s the holidays and money is tight for everyone these days, so we’ve worked hard to set up a ‘no service charge’ ticket outlet in as many markets as possible, thus avoiding having to pay any ticketing fees on top,” the band explained in a statement on their Web site.

Flogging Molly is supporting its fourth studio album, “Float,” which was released March 4 and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The record is a follow-up to 2004’s “Within a Mile of Home” and, like the band’s previous catalogue, incorporates a mix of traditional and modern music.

“If it didn’t have mandolin, accordion, fiddle and whistle, it would be punk rock, and if it didn’t have guitar, bass and drums, it would be traditional Irish music,” Irish-born frontman Dave King explained in a statement. “You can’t be bothered being labeled.”

Flogging Molly itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)