Dropkick Murphys, Lost City Angels & Madcap

The life of the rock critic is a lonely one. In addition to getting paid to slowly lose your hearing, there’s the feeling that you have to reinvent the wheel when observing someone else’s music. In the case of Sunday night’s concert, however, that simply wasn’t possible. It was a good old-fashioned punk rock show that showed everyone a great, rowdy time.
Having made the mistaken assumption that it would be a standard Brick Works show (i.e., late), I showed up 20 minutes into Madcap’s set, and immediately regretted it. I can’t remember the last time an opening band had so much energy, and the skinheads packing the place wall to wall were responding accordingly. They had an uplifting punk style that reminded me of Generation X, with crisscrossing guitars and some surprising harmonic innovation.
Next to take the stage were the Lost City Angels, who had a two-guitar sound that was either muddled, or too meaty for The Brick Works’ PA. They were young, loud and snotty, and their singer took time out between songs to wish the best for ex-Chicoan and Tiger Army drummer Fred Telles, who was recently shot during an armed robbery. It was a great moment, and it showed the limitless love and support inherent in any scene, punk or otherwise.
After nearly a half-hour of waiting, Dropkick Murphys, in all their 7-piece glory, took the stage to the strains of the Chieftains’ “The Foggy Dew”; a good omen of the “shamrock ’n’ roll” to come. I remember when former Bruisers singer Al Barr took the place of Mike McColgan, who left for a career as a fireman, in true blue-collar form. Any question as to whether or not Barr can pull his weight were answered at the show. I didn’t even have doubts about the new bagpiper, Scruffy Wallace, a 16-year veteran who learned to play in the Canadian army. He punctuated the songs with his well-played and complementary musicianship.
They cranked out all their best numbers, opening with “Do or Die” and never relenting through cuts like “Road of the Righteous,” “Buried Alive” and “Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight,” the latter from their new album, Blackout. Their street-punk sound has distinctly Bostonian roots, and the fact remains that they still do it better than anyone else out there. For their last number, Barr shouted “You know what to do!” and within seconds he was surrounded by dancing, singing, crazy kids chanting along with the music. It was over as soon as it had begun. Who knew that the stage at the Brick Works could hold 25 people?

– Raphael di Donato
– Photo by Jeff Shaner

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