Fever Pitch had “Tessie”, The Departed had “Shipping Up to
Boston”, The Fighter used “The Warrior’s Code”, if there are any movies done
within the Boston area, chances are they have the Dropkick Murphys in their
soundtrack. The Irish punk rock band exploded onto the scene with a unique
style that is all their own, taking classic Irish songs and themes and giving
them a kick-ass twist. The best way to describe their style would be with two
words: kilts and mo-hawks (not a bad album title if you ask me).
Coming out of Quincy, Massachusetts, the Dropkick Murphys
have always had a tremendous local fan base mostly because of how proud they
are to be Irish and to be a part of Boston. This Boston pride was culminated
into one album: Live on Lansdowne.
Released in 2010, the album was a live recording from all the concerts and
festivities that the Dropkick Murphys took place in during Saint Patrick’s Day
weekend in 2009. From March 12 to March 17, the Dropkick Murphys rocked Boston
to its core with heavy bagpipes, an army of vocals, and thunderous riffs on the
guitar. They had managed to make a collage of the best that occurred throughout
that one week. In the end, it was put together brilliantly with an amazing mix
of some of their best songs from the nostalgia and pride that fuels “Tessie” to
the simplistic yet anthem-like “Shipping Up to Boston”. The problem, though, is
that when the Dropkick Murphys take to the stage, you have to see it to believe
it. Trust me.
I have been a big fan of the Dropkick Murphys ever since I
first heard them play the Boston classic “Dirty Water”. That’s how you can tell
who is a true Dropkick Murphy fan (the fake fans say they became fans after
hearing “Shipping Up to Boston” in The
Departed, which was their first true taste of national popularity). For the
past three years, I have spent my Saint Patrick’s Day at a Dropkick Murphy’s
concert and I can honestly say from first-hand experience, a Dropkick Murphy’s
concert is one hell of an experience. It starts off with the kind of people that
go to the shows. It is the most awkward yet glorious mix of a fan base when you
see a group of older people who like Irish music and Boston tradition walk in
behind punks with gage piercings and mo-hawks that are looking for a mosh pit.
Beyond that, you realize within the first few minutes that
you’re in for a concert that just simply can’t be experienced as a track. The
Dropkick Murphys take the stage as if they were a small battalion in the I.R.A.
just screaming, singing, and jumping all over the place. Early into the show,
Ken Casey, the lead singer, brings his niece (as well as her entire dance team)
on stage to do some Irish step dancing to a song or two. If you’re lucky, Ken
Casey will even get the audience all riled up then get them to part like the Red
Sea. Why? Because he’s going in to sing with the crowd! If it couldn’t have
gotten any better than this, The Dropkick Murphys always make sure to let their
fans know how much they care and how much they love them, so they let as many
people as possible get up onto the stage with them for the final song of the
night. People are yanking each other up onto the stage in a mass riot trying to
squeeze in just one last person if they can. It’s an unbelievable sight to see,
so imagine the difficulty in trying to just hear it.
Now, to many people, this album review could be completely
done with right now. I’ve stated that the Dropkick Murphys are too interactive
of a live band to get themselves a successful live album. I guess this is where
I can just stop writing and get back to focusing on Boston movies…NO WAY KID!!
Yes, to be in the heart of the Dropkick Army on Saint
Patrick’s Day (on Lansdowne Street to boot) is like milkshakes on the Fourth of
July: down-right awesome, but that still doesn’t take away from the perfected
science that was putting some of the best Dropkick Murphy songs onto one album.
It is the delight of a true Dropkick Murphys fan to hear so many of their best
songs on one album such as the feel good sound of “Sunshine Highway”, the
drunken sing along anthem “Kiss Me I’m Sh*tfaced”, the blood pumping anthem to The Fighter, “The Warrior’s Code”, and,
as previously mentioned, the piano battle cry for any and all Red Sox fans, “Tessie”.
I was thoroughly pleased with the song choices for this album…well, except for
one thing: Dirty Water.
One of the first songs that the Dropkick Murphys had done
was a remix of the old Boston classic “Dirty Water”. It was mostly performed
lived, but that just makes my case that much more. If you are an Irish
Boston-based band performing live in the heart of Boston, then I would think
that it should be a priority to give back to the town and play that one song
that has been seen as a staple in Boston music for generations. It was a little
disappointing to think that this wasn’t on the album (or even played for that
matter), but this issue is simply just one where I am being a picky jerk. In
reality, “Dirty Water” was simply something that could have taken the album
from good to great.
For a band such as the Dropkick Murphys, they also did a
very good job of making the songs clear and understandable. At times, the
entire mass of four or five people belting out lyrics as loud as they can often
tend to impact how the lyrics sounds and you end up not really knowing what
they’re saying. Listening to the album, the words and the songs are clear and
it makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
The album concludes with an interesting twist. The Dropkick
Murphys close with their most infamous song, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”, a song
of simple lyrics, but heavy bagpipes, guitar riffs, and a bass line comparable
to an A.E.D. What was really interesting were the special guests that came out
to play the song with the Dropkick Murphys: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who
the Dropkick Murphys used to frontline and go on tour with. The idea is beyond
cool and I would pay both legs and a crutch to see it, but that’s the key: it’s
another one of those things you need to see.
“I’m Shipping Off to Boston” is a song that, from beginning to end, involves a
rugged harmony of sailors on the hunt for their lost leg. It makes it very hard
to hear anyone specifically signing in the song at all. Yes, you can hear some
trumpets playing in the background, which is a staple in the scat-like style of
the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but other than that, I wouldn’t have guessed anyone
else was on stage with the Dropkick Murphys if I didn’t know any better.
(Me, my cousin James, and my Dad at the Dropkick Murphys concert at the Garden)
Say what you will, but when it comes to Irish rock, the
Dropkick Murphys can do no wrong. Live on
Lansdowne was their way to capture the celebration of Irish Christmas … or
Saint Patrick’s Day … live in the heart of Boston. It really isn’t a bad album,
but I’ve got a better idea. Next Saint Patrick’s Day, grab a ticket or two to
go see them in the Garden, preferably on the floor. I’ll see you there.
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