You don’t have to ask a Dropkick Murphy fan where they would rather be on St. Patrick’s Day. There is only one place on the planet-the city of Boston, Massachusetts for the annual 4 day mayhem of Dropkick Murphys’ shows.
Boston is known for The Red Sox, the Irish, and legendary punk rock band The Dropkick Murphys. The Murphys are heroes in Boston. Aside from inspiring the Red Sox to victory in the 2004 World Series with their version of the tune Tessie, the band is held in the highest regard by its hometown residents.
Every year for St. Patrick’s Day, the Dropkick Murphys honor Boston with an entire weekend of shows at The Avalon Ballroom. Each show is jam packed with non-stop surprises and tunes that fire up the crowd into a frenzy of singing, moshing, crowd surfing, and even jigging. The Murphys make sure to complete the evenings with special guest appearances by local bagpipe players, Irish dancing troupes, family and friends, and who could forget Spicy McHaggis. “It’s pretty crazy, like a whole tour packed into 4 days, you get to see all your family, friends, and acquaintances for about 3 minutes each,” says Matt Kelly, drummer for The Dropkicks. This year is extra special as it is the 10th Anniversary of The Dropkick Murphys. That’s right lads and lassies, these guys have been bringing their brand of Irish infused punk rock to audiences for 10 years.
For some Murphys fans it is tradition to attend, for those that can not make it, they are here in spirit, and for fans like me, making the journey for the first time, it is an absolute dream come true.
Friday, the corned beef and cabbage flowed just as smooth as the Guinness. The all too familiar chanting started in the bars around Landsdowne St. “Let’s Go Murphys!” and echoed throughout the neighborhoods of Boston. Saturday arrived and the masses poured back into the bars by noon. The chanting continued along with Dropkick Murphys tunes over loudspeakers. Stories of the band were told by bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and bus boys. The Dropkicks were the talk of the town. Matt Kelly spoke about the band’s experience of playing Boston on St. Patrick’s Day.”we typically only play locally this one time of the year so it’s nice having the people we actually know and care about being the ones attempting to talk to us during songs, knock our equipment over, and spill drinks everywhere.” In essence, The St. Patrick’s Day shows are the biggest and by far the most popular of the year.
The doors of The Avalon Ballroom opened at 6:00 sharp and the crowd shuffled in. The evening kicked off with Rat City Riot and fellow Bostonians, The Explosion. The Explosion charged up the crowd with songs off their latest release Black Tape and Flash Flash Flash. Everyone was soon singing along with hits like “No Revolution” and “God Bless the SOS”. As soon as The Explosion exited the stage, a single voice started the chant again and the crowd did not quit until the lights dimmed signally the Dropkick’s set. As always, The Chieftains’ The Foggy Dew featuring Sinead O’Connor rang loudly over the speakers. The Bunker Hill Pipers marched onto the stage with a roaring welcome from the crowd. A young piper tossed T-shirts to the audience and beckoned for more cheering. The crowd’s roar grew even louder almost overtaking the bagpipes and drums. As the Pipers made their way off the stage, The Dropkick Murphys appeared from behind. Al Barr walked to the edge of the platform that jutted out into the crowd to greet the thousands of raised fists. The Murphys performance was outstanding! The energy was there from start to finish. The crowd egged them on with each tune. The Dropkick Murphys treated everyone to favorites like “Good Rats”, “Finnegan’s Wake”, “The Wild Rover”, “Forever”, “The Torch”, “Boys on the Docks”, and “For Boston”. I personally remember The Avalon Ballroom being extremely loud. But it was not the volume of the music, it was the sound of the crowd that shook the walls. Covers of “Dirty Water” and Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” had everyone singing along, even a few parents. The Murphys put the icing on the cake with a troupe of Irish dancers during the set. And Spicy McHaggis invited all the girls in the audience to join the band on stage. The Dropkick Murphys closed their set with a cover of The Who’s “Teenage Wasteland”. The crowd flooded the stage (with the help of security personnel, of course). Each microphone was inundated with voices of both fans and band members. Ken Casey was so overwhelmed he had to play from atop an amp. Marc Orrell and Tim Brennan were lost among the masses. Matt Kelly, the now magically invisible drummer, was heard pounding away. And Al Barr hung on for dear life to keep from falling off the stage as fans put their arms around his shoulders and held the mic with him. It was quite a site to see. To watch a band that is so comfortable with fans to let them on stage was wonderful.
Sunday came quickly and everyone in Boston was up pretty early. Why? The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, of course! By noon, every car on the T was packed with people clad in green hats, beads, and bobbing shamrocks heading to South Boston. Transit officers helped parade-goers maneuver at the Broadway subway station. It took at least 20 minutes to ascend the single staircase that led to the street. At street level, people were hustling and bustling to grab a good spot to watch the parade. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade began promptly at 1:00. Those that lined either side of Broadway cheered as Clydesdale horses, bagpipes and drums, school marching bands, and Boston’s fire and police departments made their way past. Sarah and Matt, sporting enormous, green hats came from Worcester, MA to see Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They were pleased with the turnout and the variety of groups involved in the parade. “St. Patrick’s Day lasts an entire week in Ireland and each year there is a different theme to the parade,” said Sarah, who recently moved to Worcester from Ireland. The local radio station WAAF even had a float with none other than The Dropkick Murphys performing live. By 2:00, the crowd had begun piling back underground to the T, heading home, off to the bars, or out to lunch with their families.
I reluctantly stepped off the T at South Station, climbed the stairs, and took one good, long look at Boston. I knew it would not be the last time I saw the city. The Dropkick Murphys could definitely count me in for next year’s St. Patty’s Day bash.
I would like to take this time to thank those that have made this story possible. The Dropkick Murphys, their management, drummer Matt Kelly for taking the time to answer my questions, The Avalon Ballroom staff, The Hotel Buckminster for their hospitality, the city of Boston, and all the people who shared the experience with me.
