{"id":40948,"date":"2024-03-20T13:51:38","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T17:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=40948"},"modified":"2024-03-20T13:59:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T17:59:21","slug":"review-dropkick-murphys-mgm-music-hall-3-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2024\/03\/20\/review-dropkick-murphys-mgm-music-hall-3-17\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: DROPKICK MURPHYS @ MGM MUSIC HALL 3\/17"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Dropkick Murphys<\/p>\n

Review by Sadie Shelkey<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dropkick Murphys\u2019 unique sound, catchy lyricism, and inclusive working-class and union pride have cemented them as hometown legends in Boston. Hailing from Quincy, Massachusetts, the band is known for its iconic Celtic-punk style, blending instrumentals and melodic elements from traditional Irish folk music with an American punk-rock foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday, March 17th, marked the final show of the Dropkick Murphys\u2019 five-week St. Patrick\u2019s Day Tour across the US. Since 2001, the band has made a tradition of performing an annual series of St. Patrick\u2019s Day shows in Boston, attracting many loyal fans from across the country. While this was my first time seeing the Dropkicks, the pit was full of devout fans, decked head-to-toe in the band\u2019s merchandise and the celebration\u2019s traditional green. With infectious energy coming from both the crowd and onstage, the Dropkick Murphys put on a truly memorable performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show opened with Kneecap, a hip-hop trio from Belfast. The group recently made their <\/span>US TV debut,<\/span><\/a> performing \u201cSick in the Head\u201d on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Their lyrics mix English and Irish (Gaelige), and their 30-minute set was full of catchy hooks and witty verses. This was Kneecap\u2019s first gig on this tour, and they were clearly unfamiliar with such a large American audience. But as seen in their efforts to egg on the reluctant crowd to chant \u2018cunt\u2019 and to mosh like the Irish do \u2014with \u201cno elbows,\u201d unlike the more aggressive American pits\u2014 their hilarity quickly transferred to the room and captivated the growing audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kneecap\u2019s performance was followed by Pennywise, or \u201cThe West Coast Dropkick Murphys,\u201d according to Dropkick Murphys\u2019 lead vocalist Ken Casey. <\/span>The California-based<\/span> punk-rock band, led by frontman Jim Lindberg, are longtime friends and collaborators of the Dropkick Murphys.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a great setlist and entertaining crowd work, Pennywise delighted the room with favorites like \u201cMy Own Country,\u201d \u201cF\u2014 Authority,\u201d and \u201cSociety.\u201d Lindberg made sure to shout out the band\u2019s hard-working crew throughout the performance, even bringing one of the members, Johnny, onstage to jam with the band for a number.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band performed a punchy twist on \u201cStand By Me\u201d and a mashup of songs by NOFX and The Ramones. Even 37 years in, Pennywise\u2019s energy was electrifying, and it was clear that every member of the band was having a blast performing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after, the Dropkick Murphys\u2019 set opened with a surprise appearance from English singer and political activist Billy Bragg. He performed \u201cThere is Power in a Union\u201d as he stood alone on stage. Equipped with a setup fit for the band\u2019s 7 vocalists and instrumentalists, the Dropkicks rushed to join him for \u201cWorker\u2019s Song.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The energy in the room was palpable as the Dropkick Murphys wowed the crowd with an explosive set, not wasting a single moment. The entire group\u2019s energy was unmatched, but multi-instrumentalist Campbell Webster often stole the show with crowd-pleasing bagpipe solos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout their performance, Dropkick Murphys\u2019 setlist spotlighted their hometown pride, with beloved highlights including \u201cThe Queen of Suffolk County,\u201d \u201cTessie,\u201d and “I’m Shipping up to Boston.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billy Bragg later took the stage, singing Woody Guthrie\u2019s \u201cWhich Side Are You On?\u201d and Bragg\u2019s \u201cAll You Fascists\u201d with the band. Casey then brought Gurthrie\u2019s daughter, Nora, on stage, mentioning that Bragg and the Dropkick Murphys have both been honored to take on Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics during their careers \u2013including Dropkick Murphys\u2019 album \u201cThis Machine Still Kills Fascists\u201d and Bragg\u2019s \u201cMermaid Avenue\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casey also announced that this tour has raised around $200,000 for The Claddagh Fund \u2013 Dropkick Murphys\u2019 charity foundation supporting a variety of community-based nonprofits, <\/span>according to their <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>. This announcement was met with a huge round of applause before the band jumped back into their set for a strong finish and encore.<\/span><\/p>\n

As someone uninitiated to Bostonian St. Patrick\u2019s Day and Dropkick Murphys\u2019 shows, I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. Ultimately, through a sea of green lights and outfits alike, this concert was a joy to witness, making it abundantly clear why these shows have become such a beloved tradition for Dropkick Murphys fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Dropkick Murphys Review by Sadie Shelkey   Dropkick Murphys\u2019 unique sound, catchy lyricism, and inclusive working-class and union pride have cemented them as hometown legends in Boston. Hailing from Quincy, Massachusetts, the band is known for its iconic Celtic-punk style, blending instrumentals and melodic elements from traditional Irish folk music with an American […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21826,"featured_media":40949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525,1523,15],"tags":[97,1912,427,1920],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40948"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21826"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40948"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40953,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40948\/revisions\/40953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}