Hard Rock Cafe - Boston

Before we shipped out of Boston, we hit the Hard Rock Cafe and the Warf.   I had passed by the Hard Rock on St Pat's Day on my way back to the hotel from the Bruins v Flyers game.  Little did I know that Wendy had stopped there for lunch to start off her day.   Little did she know that was the first stop of the official Boston St Pat's Pub Crawl :).

Go figure that there was a Dropkick item!!

That Cobain guy thought he was Townsend.

The Texan pork shoulder sandwich with tobacco onion rings and jalapenos.  Yum!

Post Game

After the show, we headed over to McGreevy's which is owned by the bass player of the Dropkick Murphys, Ken Casey.  Unfortunately, Sean came down sick and didn't make it to the post game show.  As his family attested later, something had to seriously be wrong with the boy for him to leave a show before it ended.

Fortunately, his wife, Kathryn, was a trooper, and would not let us go back to the hotel.  She was determined to take us out to experience Boston.  Hats off to her!!!

We had a short wait in line to get into the bar.  They did a great job of not making the place shoulder to shoulder crowded.  I commend them for that especially on a week where tourists like us where there and they could have easily pushed another 100 people or so inside to make some more $.  I hate crowds.  This was awesome.

Once inside we listened to punk rock tunes played over the loudspeakers.  We met a couple from Ireland (pics below) who flew over earlier in the morning to see the show and head to the bar.  They were heading to NYC very early the next day and were to be married soon.  I believe some folks shared some Irish style shots with them.  Good times were had by all.  Thanks Kathryn!!!

The crazy Irish couple!!

The tourists and the trooper!

2012-03-16 Dropkick Murphys - HoB, Boston, MA

Well, it is now game time!

Up first were Boston's Revilers.  I enjoyed their set.  They were a punk'd up Motorhead with some guitar players that could play a few licks and not just Ramones chords.  I would enjoy seeing them play again.

Next was Frank Turner. I thought this would be the set where I just drank beers and hoped would pass quickly.  I was pleasantly surprised that he took his English acoustic, folk songs and speed them up with an electric band.  I actually enjoyed the set.  At one point, he called a girl up on stage and had here play a harmonica solo during a song.  The funny thing was she never had a harp in her hand before getting on stage.  She did a good job.

Finally, the reason we came to town.  The Dropkicks hit the stage and opened up with "For Boston" and the crowd went nuts.  It was the best DKM show that I have ever seen.  Plans are already in place to make it back to town next year.  I wish I could provide you the setlist.  Unfortunately, the HoB does not usually let cameras into the venue so we did not bring one so there are no good pics and no videos.  I did get a few OK pics from my cell phone.  Ken Casey's daughter was part of an Irish Dancing Club that participated in a few songs.  She didn't tell him she was participating in one song, and he messed up the lyrics on that song as he spent his time watching her perform.  Great to see him show his fatherly side.  There was a 4 song acoustic set in the middle which gave me time to hit the men's room and grab another beverage.  They played "The Dirty Glass" and had one of the Parkington Sisters sing the song.  I have not seen them play this song live very often.  Incredible!  When they sang "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced" a few hundred women in the crowd jumped on stage to singalong.  I never witnessed this before.  Apparently, it only happens in Boston.  After shuffling them off stage and a few songs later, a few hundred men jumped on stage for a song (which by this time I don't remember) and they then played an electric version of "Citizen CIA" to close out the show.  I didn't see Sidney either ;).

We did spend a few $ on merch for a DKM t-shirt for Wendy, a 2012 St Pat's week t-shirt for me, a DKM soccer jersey and a DKM stainless steel bar back bottle opener.  They were nice enough to through in a free recycleable grocery bag.

Here are the songs I remember not in order.

For Boston
The Irish Rover
Going Out in Style
Peg O' My Heart
Forever
Citizen CIA (acoustic and electric)
Shipping Up to Boston
Captain Kelly's Kitchen
The State of Massachusetts
Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced
The Dirty Glass
An AC/DC Song (either TNT or Dirty Deeds - I don't remember)
The Rocky Road to Dublin
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
Devil's Brigade (acoustic)
Boys on the Docks (acoustic)
The Auld Triangle
On the Attack

Dropkick Murphys - Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI - 2012-02-24

Friday night, we went to see the Dropkick Murphys play after a Milwaukee Admirals hockey game at the Bradley Center for the 3rd straight year.  The band was in top form and played quite a mixture of songs from their back catalog including a 3 song acoustic set.

The band also provided additional entertainment.
1) During the early part of the set, they through the security team out of the pit and threatened to quit playing if they did not leave.  Apparently, the security were roughing up people trying to have fun.  The Murphys won this battle.
2) They played security and asked a drunk girl who was biting and scratching the face of others in the front row.  "Some bitches can't control their fucking alcohol." They later blamed her for not being able to play a 4th acoustic song as they had to cut something from the set do to the time wasted dealing with her.
3) Ken Casey skated around the ice ala the movie Slapshot as he sang "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced" to close out the evening.

Here is a list of songs that I remember them playing.  I think I missed 2-4 others.  This is not in the proper order.

Irish Rover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiwtncPCM6U&list=UUmRLuPx00H7pbtRb99KRwlg&index=6&feature=plcp
Climbing a Chair to Bed
Going Out in Style

Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced (encore)
Never Alone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvq7LfzuA6c&list=UUmRLuPx00H7pbtRb99KRwlg&index=4&feature=plcp
Do or Die
Peg O My Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqW8lm_M3fI&list=UUmRLuPx00H7pbtRb99KRwlg&index=3&feature=plcp
Prepare to Attack (brand new song so I am guessing at the song title) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCHi5ts2HhU&list=UUmRLuPx00H7pbtRb99KRwlg&index=2&feature=plcp
Shipping Up to Boston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mBgFOOL15k&list=UUmRLuPx00H7pbtRb99KRwlg&index=1&feature=plcp
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC cover song)
Road of the Righteous
Boys on the Docks
Devil's Brigade
Fields of Athenry
Citizen CIA
State of Massachusetts
Take Em Down

Dropkick Murphy's - Summerfest, Milwaukee - 2011-07-08

This Summer I made my first trip to Summerfest in Milwaukee.  My wife, mother-in-law, daughter and her boyfriend joined me.  The rest of them were interested in seeing Gaelic Storm play that day.  I watched Material Re-Issue during that time.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was members of Chicago's Material Issue sans their lead singer who committed suicide many years ago.  They put on a great show and played my favorite track, "Valerie Loves Me".

In between sets, drinking beers, and eating, I walked around the grounds.  Here are some funny t-shirt designs they had for sale.

Of course, the main reason we were there was to see the Dropkick Murphy's again.  We had seen them in back to back nights in February in Milwaukee and Chicago.  As usual, they were great.  Here are a few pics from my cell phone and the set list.

01 Hang Em High (2011 Going Out in Style)
02 The Fighting 69th (1999 The Gang's All Here)
03 Barroom Hero (1998 Do or Die)
04 The Gangs All Here (1999 The Gang's All Here)
05 Time To Go (2003 Blackout)
06 Deeds Not Words (2011 Going Out in Style)
07 State of Massachusetts (2008 The Meanest of Times)
08 Take Em Down (2011 Going Out in Style)
09 Going Out in Style (2011 Going Out in Style)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzrfQHmrmT4
10 Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya (2008 The Meanest of Times)
11 Sunday Hardcore Matinee (2011 Going Out in Style)
12 The Auld Triangle (2005 The Warrior's Code)
13 Get Up (1998 Do or Die)
14 Cruel (2011 Going Out in Style)
15 Blood and Whiskey (1999 The Gang's All Here)
16 Peg O' My Heart (2011 Going Out in Style)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXpQ8ajydVw
17 Tessie (2004 Tessie EP) The first time this song has been played live outside of Boston.
18 Black Velvet Band (2003 Blackout)
19 Homeward Bound (1999 The Gang's All Here)
20 Captain Kelly's Kitchen (2005 The Warrior's Code)
21 I'm Shipping Up to Boston (2005 The Warrior's Code)
22 TNT (unknown) They went right into this song and closed out the set.
23 Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced (2003 Blackout).  Encore #1 with Ken Casey singing from the center of the crowd.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXeyoEDhniE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLP4MHr6qwE
24 Boys on the Docks (1997 Boys on the Docks EP) Surprise Encore #2.  Most of the crowd had left the area already then the boys came back on stage.  I looked over toward the bleachers and saw a wave of people running back across them heading toward the stage.  I wish I would have taken a photo of it.

Great show!  I realized they played a lot of older material that I had not heard them play live recently, but reviewing this set list has validated it.