Dropkick Murphys shipping up to Boston and New Jersey in 2010

By Melissa Turtinen

Irish punk legends Dropkick Murphys’ don’t fail to rouse any audience, no matter the venue, even with their Boston-centered songs. In fact, it helps get the crowd going.

“It depends on where you are,” said Tim Brennan, vocals, guitar and accordion player, who joined the band in 2003. “In New York we might play Boston sports songs to rile ‘em up, or in a town with a big Boston contingency or a big Red Sox town to get them excited.”

Dropkick Murphys formed in 1996 in Boston. It was just a group of friends that got together to play music in the basement of a friend’s barbershop, and from there they developed into a popular band that can’t always be categorized. Influences came from music they grew up with – punk rock, Irish folk, rock and hardcore – coming together to make the band’s original sound.

“We try and mix up old traditional Irish music with more modern day punk – by that I mean the ‘70s to now – that we listen to,” Brennan said.

As of late, Dropkick Murphys have been preparing to release a live album from the 2009 St. Patrick’s Day concerts in Boston. The album – and DVD – should be released just in time for the 2010 celebrations.

Tickets for the 18-show St. Patrick’s Day tour went on sale at the end of November – already selling out three of the six Boston shows.

“Everybody says this, but we really do have the best fans. We’ve been doing this for years and every year they buy tickets,” said Brennan. “We saturate the market in our hometown and they are still excited!”

The tour kicks off in New Jersey with two concerts starting Feb. 24 followed up by ten shows around the country and finishing up in Boston with six concerts from March 12 through March 17.

It’s the tenth year for Dropkick Murphys to play on St. Patrick’s Day in Boston, and every year it keeps getting bigger and more popular.

“We have a great time with it,” said Brennan. “Only once a year we play in Boston and it’s very exciting.”

Tours are always fun for the band, good thing too, because they spend most of their time on the road. Brennan says that his favorite memories while on tour are “just being able to hang out with my best friends all the time.”

For now, they are home for the holidays, writing songs for their upcoming studio album and preparing for their European tour that begins at the end of January.

The success of Dropkick Murphys comes from their hard work and constant touring. Dropkick Murphys continues to play live shows, unlike other bands that may “put out an album, go on a tour and sit back,” says Brennan.

On top of their seemingly never-ending tour schedule, Dropkick Murphys has released more than ten singles, two EP's and four full-length albums. They’ve played across the country, and the world, with a strong following in Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia and Australia.

The band was named after one of the first dry out clinics in the Boston area, according to Brennan. It was run by a boxer, Dropkick Murphy. This clinic was different than the others, though, in that instead of cutting you off, it allowed you a drink a day.

The band’s name hold’s significance to Ken Casey – the only founding member left in the band.

“Ken, when he was a kid he was a foul ball, and the threat was that [his family] would send him to Dropkick Murphys,” said Brennan.

As the years progressed Dropkick Murphys’ following grew – even passed their Irish-punk band niche with the release of The Departed (2006) and the success of Boston sports teams in recent years.

I’m Shipping up to Boston, a crowd favorite was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film directed by Martin Scorsese.

“Every time I see the movie I’m surprised by how prominent the song is in the scene it’s in. It’s definitely not background music,” Brennan said. “It was an opportunity we are so grateful for.”

The song continued to gain momentum when I’m Shipping up to Boston became the unofficial theme-song for the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 Championship season. And thanks to Jonathan Papelbon, there is a unique Irish jig to go along with it.

As for a few of the band’s other songs, they have become theme songs for various teams. Tessie, Dropkick Murphys Red Sox anthem, made it big after the team broke the 86-year long curse in 2004. The song, Time to Go is an unofficial theme song for the Boston Bruins.

“[It’s nice to] hear our song in the background at the stadium or arena,” said Brennan. “It’s surreal. A lot of accomplishments this band has made. We’re just normal guys that can barely get tickets to a Celtics game let alone be at the