The Aggrolites will continue to tour with the Murphys through mid-March then break off and head back to California for a string of dates across the state.
Trying to perfectly capture the mood and intensity of a live performance is never an easy task. How exactly does one truly convey the palpable sense of pent-up energy and excitement that seemed to ooze out of every pore at the sold-out show? Recalling the chants for the band and the pounding of the floors seems so cliché and yet the cliché repeats itself at nearly every show of this nature.
Tearing down and quickly setting the stage back up, the Murphys hit the ground and the crowd (here comes the cliché) exploded, releasing their bottled up energy like a soda can shaken by a malfunctioning paint mixer. The bag-pipe tones of “For Boston” filled the concert hall and the crowd chanted back the familiar chorus to the band. From there, neither the band nor the crowd quit for nearly two hours as the Boston boys hit a smattering of songs from their nearly ten years together.
Much like the Aggrolites, the Murphys are an extremely high energy band who take great pride in their live shows. If all one did was listen to their music on CD, they would never fully get what this band is about; working-class ethics, camaraderie, engagement with the audience and just having a damn good time.
Nearing the end of their set, the band called for all the women in the audience to join them on stage. They damn near pulled it off as throngs of women clamored to join in the chaos as the band played their riot-rising “Spicey McHagis Jig.”
Not a single member of the band left the stage without being drenched in sweat and exhausted, but you just knew following the encore the party continued backstage long into the night until it was finally time to hit the road for the next city. As hard as the Murphys rocked Cincinnati, I can only imagine what the three-day St. Paddy’s Day party in their hometown of Boston will be like. Dare I say, I’d give a four leaf clover to see it and one day I will.
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