Who’ll Stand With Us to See Dropkick Murphy’s St. Patrick’s Day Tour
Ken Casey, lead singer of Dropkick Murphys, schooling the audience. photo by kim moenich
It’s my favorite time of year again! That’s right, it’s time for the annual Dropkick Murphy’s Saint Patrick’s Day Tour, aka my equivalent of Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one! Only this year is extra special- this is the 30th anniversary of the creation of the band we all know and love, and this year’s tour is going to be a banger!
Dropkick Murphys preaching to their choir. photo by kim moenich
The tour starts this weekend in Portland, ME, with two heavy hitters opening the shows. The Aggrolites, one of my personal faves, whom I’ve previously covered as a backing band for Lynval Golding and during the Greg Lee Tribute show, is an amazing self-proclaimed “dirty reggae” band, who have opened for and collabed with the likes of Prince Buster, Tim Armstrong, and Madness. Fronted by the one and only Jesse Wagner (whom I was lucky enough to stand beside and sing “Don’t Call Me White” while onstage at NOFX’s final show weekend!), The Aggrolites are going to be a perfect opener to get the crowds moving on this epic tour!
The punk and hardcore worlds have been abuzz of late with talk about Haywire. These local Boston legends have made a name for themselves, opening for huge acts like Negative Approach and Terror. They just wrapped up a European tour opening for the Murphys in December, and now they are back out on the road with their Boston brethren. I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous about being center rail for these guys. Do a quick YouTube search of one of their shows, if you haven’t already seen any of the viral videos. Their pits are truly monstrous, and the last video I saw involved people hurling metal trash cans into the melee. I have zero doubt that these boys are going to absolutely burn the house down in Boston, just like Death Before Dishonor did two years ago!
My boys, the Murphys, have been making quite a name for themselves in the media over the last year, with singer Ken Casey being interviewed everywhere from The Atlantic to In These Times, winning the Mass Humanities “Storyteller of the Year 2025” Award, and even appearing on The Daily Show with Jordan Klepper. The band has played protest rallies in Boston and Washington, DC, and have recently re-released their song “Citizen C.I.A.” with new lyrics, now titled “Citizen I.C.E.” But protest songs are not a new thing for the Dropkicks, who were gifted the unreleased catalog of famed American protest singer Woody Guthrie's music by his daughter, Nora. They chose songs whose lyrics matched the band’s long-stated love for the working class, and put out two beautiful albums, “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” and “Okemah Rising” from that catalog.
Their most recent release, “For The People”, the band’s thirteenth studio album, is a combination of anti-establishment tunes and the tongue-in-cheek rippers for which the band is known and loved. The first song on the album, “Who’ll Stand With Us”, has become an anthem for those fighting against what they see as the tyrannical takeover of the United States by an authoritarian government. You’d be hard-pressed to watch a reel by Michael Fanone or Graham Platner without hearing the song and seeing them wearing a “Fighting Nazis Since 1996” Dropkick’s shirt.
James doing what he does best. photo by kim moenich
Speaking of ‘96, this year marks three decades of Dropkick Murphys insanity. The final four shows of the St. Patrick’s Day tour, as always, will be in their hometown of Boston. Billing it as “The Showcase Showdown”, a throwback to the olden days of 90’s hardcore and punk shows, the Dropkicks are filling the bills with reunions and rare sets from bands like The Ducky Boys, The Unseen, The New Darkbuster, Big Bad Bollocks, The Vigilantes, and Reducers S.F. I’ve already seen hundreds of posts espousing mounting excitement about getting to see these Boston area legends who rarely, if ever, play anymore. To have them all on the same bill as the Murphys means real and true mayhem is about to occur.
Making my heart skip a beat, Tim Brennan always makes the crowd roar. photo by kim moenich
There are still tickets available for many dates, including two of the Boston shows, so I STRONGLY suggest you get yours now, because they will sell out. As a veteran of the Boston shows, I can absolutely promise you that it will be worth your time and money! And, if you make it, head to the front of the VIP line and find me- I'll be there waiting for my spot at the rail!
Come out and join us for what promises to be one helluva good time! photo by kim moenich
Go see the tour!!!
