Concert Review: Dropkick Murphys - March 14, 2009, House of Blues, Boston, All Roads Lead to Boston Tour - Page 2

And then it was time for the main act. True to DKM’s nod to their musical ancestry, their set was heralded by a recording of “Foggy Dew” sung by Sinead O’Connor with the Chieftains. There was a raucous, yet respectful response to the ballad, creating the perfect intro. And then the boys bounced onto the stage, their visceral energy contrasting with the stained glass window backdrop. They ripped right into “Do or Die,” and never looked back.

Another rousing anthem followed, “State of Massachusetts,” the sad story about a woman who loses her children to DSS. But lest the crown feel any sort of melancholy, an adorable line of young girls step danced their way on stage, including Ken Casey’s own daughter. They smiled and bounced to “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya” in the most shiny and colorful costumes imaginable, and again graced the stage during “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen.” What great fun.

During another song from Warrior’s Code, “Citizen C.I.A.,” one citizen’s good time was tempered with a bloody injury. We saw him being led quickly out of the pit, for some fresh air and medical attention. In comparison, our Warren’s injury wasn’t so awful.

As live acts often do, during this All Roads Lead to Boston tour, DKM mixed it up by bringing Liza Graves, the lead singer for Civet, to join them during “Dirty Glass,” and Saturday’s matinee show was no exception. The crowd loved it. Another crowd-pleaser was the DKM staple “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” A beer- and estrogen-fueled crowd of lovelies rushed the stage to join the in the rowdy sing-along. Another one of those  “someone’s going to get hurt” Mom panics ran through me, but surprisingly it worked.

The only obvious awkward moment of the show was during the beloved “Tessie.” The fact that I was in the restroom during this favorite was aggravating, but as it turned out, Ken Casey was getting annoyed by some crowd disturbance, and/or the way the security handled the disturbance. I could only hear bits and pieces of Casey’s chastising, but he ended up starting the song over from the beginning, which actually worked well for me, as I was on my way out of the restroom. And it’s really all about ME, anyway.

Article Author: Mary K. Williams

Mary K. is a freelance entertainment writer living in the Greater Boston area. She pens CD reviews for Metronome Magazine and is a former Features Editor for Hot Psychology Magazine. Mary K. has also contributed to the anthology, Brewed Awakenings.

Visit Mary K. Williams's author page — Mary K. Williams's Blog