I can’t think of any better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than in Boston at the homecoming Dropkick Murphys show. The band came home to close out the latest leg of their winter tour. The band packed the MGM Music Hall at Fenway for three nights for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend following another sold out show at the House of Blues Boston last Thursday. 2024 marks Dropkick Murphys’ 5th year in a row of livestreamed performances as part of their annual run of hometown Boston shows.
The night was full of political statements starting with the show opening with buzzy newcomers Kneecap from Belfast, Ireland. The group was performing after recently canceling their SxSW gigs in Austin after learning that the U.S. Army and military suppliers were super sponsors of the annual conference in 2024.
Kneecap spoke about hating the British monarchy and their recent boycott in Austin because of the U.S. military involvement in the Israel and Palestinian conflict that has resulted in thousands of deaths in Palestine. Their songs during their 30 minute set also expressed their views and the rap trio spoke their mind in their native Irish language in songs including “Fenian C*nts.”
Punk rock was alive and well as Hermosa Beach natives Pennywise took the stage to warm the crowd up for the hometown boys by opening with “Can’t Believe It.” Pennywise played their hits in their 45 minute set and also payed tributes to greats like NOFX and The Ramones with covers to close out the tour cycle. I always have a soft spot for the band who gave me my first photo pass 15 years ago and always love to see them live.
Guitarist Fletcher Dragge addressed the crowd in a spirited speech in the middle of their set telling the crowd, “Do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Do not let them divide you.” He encouraged the attendees to have a drink, smoke a joint, and find middle ground leading into “F*ck Authority.”
Pennywise and Dropkick Murphys are longtime friends and touring partners so it was amazing to see them all come out onto the stage at the end of the Pennywise set to celebrate and conclude the tour leg together in a “Stand By Me” and “Bro Hymm” sing a long with the crowd.
Dropkick Murphys returned to fully electric performances in late 2023 following a pair of critically acclaimed acoustic albums – 2022’s This Machine Still Kills Fascists and 2023’s Okemah Rising – interpreting the work of Woody Guthrie for a new generation. Fans on Sunday night were in for a special treat as the great songwriter and labor advocate Billy Bragg opened the headliner set and played several songs with the band. Bragg is one of the few other artists who have been given permission to use the lyrics of Woody Guthrie in his music.
Nora Guthrie was also on hand to mark the special occasion. Ken Casey called Nora onto the stage to join the band and Billy Bragg and thank her for giving them access to the special archives of Woody Guthrie and keeping his memory and beliefs alive.
The crowd during the show was electric with a mosh pit and continual crowd surfing to the front of the stage where fans hoped to get a fist bump from Ken who continuously made his way to the stage extension and the barricade wall with the most die hard fans singing along to every word.
For an hour and 45 minutes, Dropkick Murphys energetically performed a setlist that delved into their extensive repertoire, featuring beloved classics loved by fans throughout their career.
The show kicked off with their spirited rendition of the Boston College fight song, “For Boston,” followed by the rebellious anthem “The Boys Are Back.” The crowd came alive when the band played classic Dropkick hits “Shipping Off To Boston” and “Rose Tattoo.” They concluded with the crowd-pleasing encore finale, “Kiss Me, I’m Sh**faced,” leaving the audience captivated and swaying together in harmony.
I definitely see why fans come back for this show year after year to celebrate with the band that loves the city of Boston to their core.
On March 20, Dropkick Murphys will perform at the Sinéad & Shane at Carnegie Hall event in New York City, celebrating the life and work of Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan, two late icons of music and freedom of speech. The band will also be heading to Europe for a string of festivals and shows so check them out on the road this summer.