Concert Review/ Photo Gallery - Dropkick Murphys @ The Palladium 2/20/09

At the very least, the Dropkick Murphys could stop any bar fight dead in its tracks. And it's not because they resemble tough-skinned preservers of the peace, or the fact that they're in a punk band that isn't in the business of promoting circle pits for the sake of blood and broken ribs. The only fists you'll see at a Dropkick show are the closed kind, punching towards the sky; those unspoken battle cries borrowed from a much older time.

The Murphys have spent thirteen years avoiding a musical climate that scoffs at the notion of bagpipes and bouzoukis. Not to mention the enduring theme of the Murphys lyrics: brutal honesty mixed with the stubborn devotion to the working class, dead soldiers, whiskey, a man named Spicy McHaggis and their hometown of Boston.

The "All Roads Lead To Boston Tour 2009" kicked off at the Hollywood Palladium this past Friday (2/20/09); Los Angeles being their first stop along the journey to their beloved homeland. The band will play a total of twenty-four shows, six of which are in Boston. Their final gig lands on St. Patrick's Day at The House of Blues in Beantown. Almost all of the shows sold out (including Friday's). Geography certainly plays a large role on the Murphys eastern horizon line; some might have wondered if Los Angeles was merely a pit stop.

If this was a concern for anyone attending, all fears were abated when the "Let's Go Murphys!" chants ceased and the stage turned to a black shroud, making way for the ominous opening tune 'The Foggy Dew,' by Sinead O'Connor and The Cheiftains. Not a sound was heard from the crowd during the five minute interlude, which is the traditional Murphy way of torturing their awaiting fans while filling their heads with images such as the  rolling green hills of Dublin. When the seven Murphys finally took the stage, the sound was so explosive in comparison that I can't for the life of me recall the first few songs.

Ken Casey (vocals and bass) of the Dropkick Murphys @ The Hollywood Palladium (Mallory Graves)

'The State Of Massachusetts,' a seemingly upbeat number, implored the crowd to heed its harsh theme; drug addled mothers whose children are forced to become property of the state. Al Barr stood on his perch center stage with nary a spark of spotlight, his gruffy growl getting lost in translation at times from the sheer magnitude of the Dropkick collective.

At one point Ken Casey (vocals, bass) peered into the crowd and said "You guys are acting like Boston fans." Casey then went on to sing 'The Chosen Few,' a slow ballad that's still fierce in its message about their homeland: 'God loves the city's chosen few congrats to one and all, You've battled to the top my friends, now we're ready for your fall.' And we all knew he wasn't singing about LA.

'(F)lannigan's Ball' induced some serious jigging (laced with Scruffy Wallace's bagpipe chops) in honor of Billy Flannigan, the man from Dublin who had a penchant for alcohol and dancing, while 'Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya' had everyone wailing "Har-oo, Har-oo"

Fans jumped onstage to sing the last two songs with the Dropkick Murphys (Mallory Graves)

The frivolous but fun 'Spicy McHaggis Jig' about a chubby-chasing pubcrawling hero gave way to the tear-jerker of the night, 'Forever,' which, according to a user comment on the Dropkick Murphys MySpace page post-show, will now be the chosen song to dance to with his wife at their wedding.

For the rocking anthem 'Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced,' the band invited all the eager (read: shitfaced and shameless) ladies onstage for some quality time with the band. After the gals were safely escorted off stage, the band plunged into 'Skinhead On The MBTA' for the men's turn to invade the sacred turf. The all-around good natured vibe gave way to the closing song 'Shipping Up To Boston.' The venue went wild as the enormous church-themed set of stained glass windows behind the drunken gaggle of men glowed with the image of drunken punks-turned-drunken-saints.

One last thought, in lieu of an encore Ken Casey sings a beautiful rendition of 'Spancil Hill,' an old folk song about a man dreaming of Ireland. In the Dropkick version, it's called 'Fairmount Hill' from their latest album The Meanest Of Times in reference to Hyde Park in Boston. Some of the lyrics are altered, but the last verse is the same: "The Clock, It rang in the Morning, It rang both loud and shrill. I awoke in California, Many Miles From Fairmount Hill."

What a wonder that particular song wasn't played at the LA show. It's quite good. If James Joyce were alive and could tear up a banjo I bet he'd have no problem playing it. But the Dropkick Murphys show slightly more mercy.