Celtic folk and punk band The Dropkick Murphy’s celebrated St. Patrick’s Day two weeks early in St. Petersburg, playing a sold out show at March 3 at Jannus Live.
The night was everything a punk show promises to be — with bagpipes to boot. It might have been below 50 outside the venue, but inside the sweaty mass of pure body heat made a coat unnecessary. The crowd stayed alive as the band switched back and forth between slower, folksier melodies reminiscent of old sing-alongs from Irish pubs and fast-paced punk anthems.
“The pits were brutal as they should be for any punk band, and Dropkick proved no different,” said Charlie Strong, a USF St. Petersburg student and fan of the band since childhood.
Though some of the outskirts of the venue were dotted with casual latecomers, the energy from the band and die-hard fans are what make shows like this an experience. Prime real estate by the front of the stage and in near the mosh pit is hard to come by, and the fans who got there early enough to grab it were handsomely rewarded.
“I had been in the very front of the Venue, six feet from the band, on the railing,” Strong said. “Lead singer Al Barr jumped into the front row and got face to face with me as I sang a couple verses on the mic. I had the time of my life.”
The show featured two opening acts: Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, followed by Old Man Markley. Both are punk and folk bands that were well received by the crowd.
“They rocked the house a bit,” said Joe Rouse, a long time Murphy’s fan. “But they’re about this much of the real story,” he said, holding up two fingers spaced close to each other.
Inked with a Murphy’s tattoo that represents his long time love for the band, Rouse characterizes something of a distinction in the crowd between two types of fans: old school punk fans, and the new breed of fans that came with their commercial success in the mid-2000s.
That success was fueled by the song “Shipping out to Boston.” The song became an anthem for the Boston Red Sox during their 2007 World Series run, and was the theme song for “The Departed,” the 2006 film that won the Oscar for best picture.
Since then the fan base has expanded tremendously, as evidenced by the crowd of about 2,000 packed inside with still more desperate for tickets outside the main gate. More cunning veterans of Jannus milled around the side gate that leads to the back alley of Mastry’s Bar, catching free glimpses of the show and hoping to find a window of opportunity to sneak in.
Possibly recognizing that the die-hard fans may be growing weary of “Shipping Out to Boston,” the band found an interesting compromise for those who love the single, and those who liked the band “before they were cool.”
After playing the infamous first two notes of the song, the crowd roared with anticipation. But the band paused. Vocalist Al Barr bowed out from his usual duties, instead challenging the crowd to provide the vocals “without missing a word.” They obliged in a powerful, nearly flawless, half drunken chanting as the band played the instrumental parts.
With the final song on their set list over, the band wished the crowd goodnight. But as the lights came on, they revealed the place was littered with more than just beer cans. The fans stayed put, screaming for more. The Murphy’s returned for a series of encores, including new single “Rose Tattoo,” during which the loyal audience members were invited to crash the stage.
“Everyone went berserk,” Strong said. “All in all, it was an amazing show.”
Photo: Lazar Anderson, The Crow’s Nest
