Dropkick Murphys w/ Strung Out
The Fillmore Charlotte
March 8, 2010
The Deal: Boston's finest Celtic rock band rolls into The Fillmore for a sold-out, high-intensity show.
The Good: The night started out with a set by Larry and his Flask and unfortunately, I missed it. I heard great things about their energetic show though, so check them out if you get the chance.
Strung Out was up next with its high octane punk. No surprise that the band's performed on the Warped Tour as its music would fit right in. I give the guys credit for giving everything they had into warming up the crowd.
You could easily tell that singer Jason Cruz loves what he does.
Let's face it though, the 2,000 in attendance were clearly there to see the Murphys. When the lights went out, a single spotlight hit Jeff DaRosa as he played the line to the opening of "The State of Massachusetts" and with that, the band hit the stage like they were shot out of a cannon.
Sure, there's a bag piper on stage, but the music is more punk and heavy rock than fellow Celtic rockers Flogging Molly that were on the same stage a few weeks ago. It wasn't long before all seven band members were dripping with sweat.
Singer Al Barr hit the stage running - literally - and rarely settled down. He used a platform in front of the stage, as well as the barricades, to stay close to the crowd during the show. His growl in perfect form, Barr did everything he could to get the crowd going and feel every syllable of the lyrics he was singing.
There was plenty of singing along during the show on songs like "Finnegan's Ball," "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya" and "The Warrior's Code." Halfway through "Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced," the band invited up about 35 women onto the stage most of whom knew every word being sung. The ladies stayed on stage for the final song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," as well.
The stage was cleared before the band returned for a four-song encore. Halfway through, roughly 40 more people - men and women - hit the stage to sing along with the band in a all-out party atmosphere. There was plenty of crowd surfing going on throughout the night, but you could tell those on stage had clearly gotten a second wind when they were under the lights with the band.
The Bad: Didn't know the show was sold out? Keep an eye on our music homepage or my Twitter feed, I posted the sold out notification at roughly 7 p.m. Also, this should be a good sign that shows in Charlotte will in fact sell out and you should buy your tickets in advance if you really want to go.
As for the show itself, I can't imagine people complaining it was too short. Sure, it only lasted for an hour and a half, but the band played 28 songs. Could they really do more?
The Verdict: If you enjoyed the show, check out the band's new CD/DVD that's being released on March 16 Live in Lansdowne, Boston, MA. It's about as close as you can get to last night's show if you couldn't get in the door. You'd imagine that the band puts forth more energy in its hometown, but I can't imagine them having anything left after a show like last night's...
DM Setlist
The State of Massachusetts
Captain Kelly's Kitchen
Citizen C.I.A.
Black Velvet Band
Which Side Are You On?
As One
Buried Alive
Surrender
The Fighting 69th
Echoes on "A." Street
Bastards on Parade
Dirty Glass
Time to Go
Sunshine Highway
Fortunes of War
Finnegan's Wake
Your Spirit's Alive
The Warrior's Code
Far Away Coast
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
Walk Away
Heroes From Our Past
Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced
I'm Shipping Up to Boston
Encore
Barroom Hero
Boys on the Docks
Skinhead on the MBTA
Alcohol