I honestly can’t remember if it was March of 2006 or 2007, but it was St. Patrick’s Day in Boston. The beer was flowing at the old Avalon ballroom (now the House of Blues) on Landsdowne Street, the hardcore-looking crowd was decked out in either green or black, and the music was loud. Really loud. It was fantastic.
It was my first Dropkick Murphys concert and I was a newbie on the scene.
The song “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” had been out for a couple years and was their biggest commercial success but was better known from the movie, The Departed, than from the Dropkicks tours. (BTW, you’ll hear me refer to them as “Dropkicks” or “DKM”.)
For me it was a night out with the guys. “The Dads” from my street getting a hall pass for the night. Aldo, Bob, Paul. They were regulars, having already been sucked into the scene for a few years. Now it was my turn.
Being the diligent nerd that I am, I downloaded a few of their recent albums to make sure I was ready for the show. I loved the music and felt as prepared as I could be.
- The Warriors Code
- Blackout
- Sing Loud Sing Proud
Yet, somehow the studio versions of their songs — a mixture of hardcore punk tunes, Irish sing-a-longs, and odes to Boston and union life — just didn’t do the music justice. It was quite different to watch them perform on stage. A sing-a-long in your car is not the same as a sing-a-long with a couple thousand people. Besides, the kids in the backseat aren’t perilously crowd-surfing over your shoulders to get to the dashboard. At least not that I’ll admit to. And there’s no mosh pit. It might look and smell like one in the backseat after a long drive, but it’s still not the same. So, live DKM show it is.
I’d by lying if I told you I remembered the opening bands. I don’t even remember if we made it in time for all of them. But there’s one consistent part of a DKM show that always gets the crowd ready to go – they play a recorded version of The Foggy Dew by Sinead O’Connor and The Chieftains. It’s a great Irish song and builds to a crescendo that’s perfect for the band to run on stage.
Once on stage, The Dropkicks never disappoint. I’ve never once been to a show — and I’d venture to say I’ve been to 20+ shows — where I left thinking “boy, they weren’t really on their game tonight.” It’s loud, it’s energetic, it’s a hormonal release. And it feels like a family show.
Be prepared for some rough-around-the-edges folks in attendance. And I’d warn them to be prepared for some old-fogeys like me in attendance. But that’s what makes it so great. One big family.
I’ve got a few videos posted to my YouTube page that you’re more than welcome to watch (click the videos below). And if you like these, I encourage you to visit their site or check out their own YouTube pages and other social pages where they post their songs and videos.
I hope to see you at a show one of these days.