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The ticket said that the show started at 6. I figured that meant that doors were opening at 6 and the first band wouldn't be going on until 6:30. Walking in at about 6:20 and hearing The Skells say that they only had two songs left led me to believe that I was wrong.
The Skells had a really country/Irish sound to them (more an Irish sound), even though I only heard them play two cover songs. The first was a country song that mentioned Hank Williams and beer. It was a really good song, even though I don't know who did the original version. They ended their set with a fine cover of "Astro Zombies" by The Misfits. This left the majority of the crowd-which had everyone from crust punks to parents to frat boys to punk rock parents-pleased with the great cover song choice.
The Blue Bloods came out and played a half hour of working class hardcore. The songs were fast and heavy, but they all had some street punk and melody mixed in there as well. They played a good set, though nothing fantastic. I was getting a bit antsy towards the end of their set, but I think thats just because I can't stay still for very long. I decided to pass on picking up their album, which was a dumb move because its expensive at Newbury Comics.
The first time I saw Dropkick Murphys at a club was at the Met Cafe in Providence in 1997. They played before Boston greats The Showcase Showdown, and people just watched them with little to no interest. They were a four piece then trying to make a name for themselves in the punk rock world.
Fast forward eight years and the sold out crowd (this was the fourth of an eight show St. Patrick's Day Celebration taking place in Boston and Providence) and the crowd was eagerly awaiting this band-which has only retained one original member since 1997-to take the stage and pump them full of Irish spirit. The lights went down and traditional Irish music started pumping through the sound system, followed by an Irish marching band, all leading up to "Worker's Song," and the sold out crowd eating it up like corn beef and cabbage.
They played a few songs off of Do or Die ("Barroom Hero," "Caught in a Jar," "Third Man In," "Boys on the Docks," and "Skinhead on the MBTA"), as well as Runt of the Litter 2 classic "Streets of Boston," which was great to hear, but also bittersweet as Al Barr's voice doesn't live up to that of former singer Mike McColgan. The songs from Blackout ("Blackout," "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced," "The Dirty Glass," and some other ones) all sound great, as did the songs from albums I never bought (I took me awhile to accept Barr as their new singer). The three new songs they played were hardcore as shit, which was a pleasant surprise. I know the whole album won't sound like that, but it excited me none-the-less.
Anyone with a brain can watch Dropkicks and know that this is bassist Ken Casey's band. He handles all business aspects as well as producing duties, and he makes it known that he is king shit on stage. he has more vocals than Barr on some songs and totally takes over for "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced." Casey seems to love the spotlight and makes it so you have to watch him. This is neither a good nor bad thing, just an observation. Casey has been the genius behind this band since day one, so he's earned all the limelight.
Matt Kelly is a terrific drummer who I watched when Barr wasn't standing directly in front of him, which he did often. I also liked the guy who played every non traditional instrument known to man.
The Dropkick Murphys played an entertaining hour and a half set, which also included "Tessie" being played while video highlights of the Red Sox played on a screen behing them (why can't Cubs' fans show this much enthusiasm for their team?). The energy never stopped and I was damn impressed. Dropkicks are definitely a great live band to check out. Its crazy to see how much this band has grown.
Written by: RF