The “luck of the Irish” hit me late last week when I discovered a copy of the new DROPKICK MURPHYS CD/DVD release LIVE ON LANSDOWNE, BOSTON MA in my mailbox. Yes, it was like a gracious leprechaun had delivered me a gift – granted me a wish, or left me a pot ‘o audio/video gold. This new set, released yesterday on the band’s own imprint – Born & Bred Records, chronicles Dropkick Murphys’ epic run of seven shows over six nights March 12-March 17, 2009. With a completely different setlist from 2002’s excellent LIVE ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY, ‘LANSDOWNE boasts an impressive 20 tracks on both the CD/DVD, with an additional two songs – “Cadence to Arms” and “Do or Die” included as bonus features on the DVD version.
Directed by Torey Champagne and beautifully shot in HD, the video presentation captures the band at their best – performing live with home field advantage to a crowd peppered with colors of green and white. From the get-go, LANSDOWNE conveys a sense of “family”, with DKM feeding off the mutual respect of their audience – the opening chants of “Let’s go Murphys!” rewarded by the intensity of “Famous for Nothing.”
Ripping through the likes of “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya”, “The Warriors Code”, and “The Dirty Glass” (featuring CIVET’s Liza Graves on vocals), DKM enters the third act with “Tessie” – their ode to the Boston Red Sox.
Bringing the ladies in the crowd up and onto the stage during “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced”, the concert builds to an epic conclusion that ends with DKM’s rowdy cousins THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES crashing the party for “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” (the anthemic tune made famous by Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED) – decked out in black suits accented by appropriately green ties.
As DROPKICK MURPHYS wrap-up another week-long run of shows at Boston’s House of Blues (recording location for LANSDOWNE) tonight, I’ll be popping in the DVD again and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with them in spirit. For those of you so inclined, I’d suggest you do the same.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
