DROPKICK MURPHYS delivered the first truly great gig of the pandemic era this past Friday, May 29, rocking out at an empty Fenway Park with a little help from Bruce Springsteen himself.
On a proud night for the city of Boston, the Murphys – decked out in matching Red Sox uniforms - performed a stunning 28-song set spanning the band’s four decade-long career.
Spread out across the iconic diamond that graces the city’s most famous baseball venue, Covid-19 restrictions may have prevented fans from attending the gig in person but the band still succeeded in bringing their trademark energy to a night that meant so much to so many.
While drummer Matt Kelly was stationed at second base, with the rest of the band further spread out, co-lead singers Al Barr and Ken Casey took to the field, making sure to stay a safe distance apart while continuing to raise the roof.
“It’s just the Dropkick Murphys here, sneaking into Fenway for a little concert,” Casey joked at one point – but this was no little concert by any stretch of the imagination.
Billed as Streaming Outta Fenway, the gig was livestreamed online for fans to watch at home, free of charge, and was the band's way of giving something back to their fans and the city Boston and these testing times.
This most unique of spectacles was organised to raise essential funds for a trio of local charities doing incredible work for communities across the Boston Area.
They included Boston Resiliency Fund, Feeding America, and Greater Boston’s Habitat for Humanity.
A string of celebrities got involved in proceedings too with the likes of Kevin Bacon and The Wire’s Lance Reddick recording messages that played throughout the night’s festivities.
One of the undoubted highlights came late on in the night, when “The Boss” himself joined the band, via video link, to perform the Dropkick Murphys’ fan favourite Rose Tattoo followed by Springsteen’s very own American Land.
With other highlights including a cover of the Gerry Cinnamon classic The Bonny, as well as new single Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding and, of course, I’m Shipping Up To Boston, the good news for anyone who missed the gig is that it is available to watch, in full, on YouTube via the video link provided.
The second Covid-19 fundraiser put on by the Dropkick Murphys, following their St Patrick’s Day livestream, their efforts were once again met with a huge response online.
At the time of writing, donations have climbed to just shy of $400,000.
A truly proud day for Irish-Americans and Boston.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can do so here.
See More: Boston, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Dropkick Murphys
