On this Saturday night we were accompanied by probably one of the greatest irish punk bands to grace the stage, Dropkick Murphys. They brought out long time their friends and legendary punk band, Pennywise (from Hermosa Beach, California) along with opener, The Scratch, a mix of genres of folk & metal (all the way from Dublin Ireland). Doors opened at 6 p.m. and the show started promptly at 7 o’clock. The night was filled with a lot of sing-alongs, laughing, and crying. Each band brought their a-game and stellar performances.
The Scratch opened up the show to an eager crowd. Their sound would be best described as a melting pot of Punk, Metal, Celtic, and Irish sounds. There were parts of the show that just became one big jam session where the guitarist was whaling on his guitar like Angus Young from AC/DC and the drummer was going to town on his box with his spoons. The Scratch formally known as a metal band called Red Enemy rose from the ashes to push the barriers of what you could do creatively as artists, while still keeping to their Irish roots. They were really the standout act for me for the night – very entertaining and engaging with the audience. Their setlist included “Cheeky Bastard”, “Excuse”, “McAlpine’s Fusiliers”, “Sally MacLennane”, & “Another Round”.
The second act of the night to take to the stage was Pennywise. They managed to do a 13 song set throwing in some of their best songs such as “Fuck Authority”, “Society”, & even a cover of “Stand By Me”. For being a band that has been around for almost two decades they still have a whole lot of energy. They saved “Bro Hymm” as their last song to close out the night. All around Pennywise is just a fun band to experience. Before the show started I saw these three kids on the rail excited to see Pennywise, it felt nice to see the fans that grew up with the band bring out their kids to experience the show. The next generation are the one’s that are going to carry the torch for this music to live on.
For anyone that doesn’t know who Dropkick Murphys are, they are a American Celtic punk band based out of Quincy, Massachusetts formed in 1996. Throughout the years the band has seen lineup changes, switching from being on a major label to going independent in 2007. Their early influences are The Ramones, The Clash, Swingin Utters, & Sex Pistols to name a few. The best way to describe their sound to me is songs that you would enjoy singing at a bar with your crew while drinking a pint of Guinness.
Ken Casey (lead vocals) the leader of the group is accompanied with Tim Brennan (guitar, accordion), Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin), Matt Kelly (drums, percussions), James Lynch (guitar & vocals), & Kevin Rheault (bass). Together they bring their explosive sound and statesmanship entertaining one venue at a time. This show probably was one of the most engaging shows I’ve been to in a long time. An absolute delight, the crowd was providing their full attention, singing and having a good ole’ time.
Some highlights from the setlist included “The Boys Are Back”, “Rose Tattoo”, & “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced”. They did a couple covers “Dirty Old Town” by Ewan MacColl & “James Connelly” by Black 47. When we all thought the show was over they came out at the very end for a five song encore: “Candence to Arms”, “Do or Die”, “Worker’s Song”, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”, & “Having a Party”.
In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Dropkick Murphys will be in Boston for a four day stint. Things will kick off THURSDAY, MARCH 14 at HOUSE OF BLUES. Then the band moves across the street to MGM MUSIC HALL for three shows: FRIDAY, MARCH 15; SATURDAY, MARCH 16; and SUNDAY, MARCH 17.
