Dropkick Murphys will perform two landmark hometown shows–September 8 and 9–at Boston’s Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, pending city approval. A portion of the proceeds from the two Dropkick Murphys at Fenway with Special Guests The Mighty Mighty Bosstones shows will benefit the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund–which helps support families of victims of 9/11 throughout the state–as well as the band’s charity The Claddagh Fund. Special guests The Mighty Mighty Bosstones will perform at both shows, with additional opening acts to be announced in the coming weeks.
Dropkick Murphys bassist/vocalist/founder Ken Casey comments, “We feel honored and privileged to share a connection and friendship with the Boston Red Sox. Our involvement in the 2004 and 2007 championship seasons are some of the greatest highlights of our career and our lives. But to be invited by the Sox to join the select few who have performed full concerts at the park is truly a dream come true!”
“Dropkick Murphys have permeated Boston and New England sports culture, particularly here at Fenway Park where ‘I’m Shipping Up to Boston’ has long signaled [pitcher] Jonathan Papelbon’s trip to the mound,” said Red Sox Executive Vice President/COO Sam Kennedy. “The band has debuted songs here, been part of our rallies and shared in our joy during the 2007 World Series parade. We are thrilled to be hosting them this coming September and look forward to also helping local 9/11 charities through this concert.”
While the critically-acclaimed Dropkick Murphys–known for their complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock ‘n’ roll–have performed at Fenway Park in the past, including their debut of “Tessie” in July 2004, these will be their first-ever concerts at the ballpark. Dropkick Murphys join the ranks of musical greats Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, The Rolling Stones, The Police, J. Geils Band, Aerosmith and NKOTBSB who have all performed at Fenway Park.
Tickets for both shows go on sale Thursday, July 7 at Noon ET and will be available online at redsox.com/dropkicks, by calling (877) RED-SOX9, or at the Fenway Park box office. The shows will feature a “bleacher theater” style set up, with the stage set atop the bullpens in right field, and fans seated in the bleachers and first few Grandstand sections. This intimate setting has been used for other successful shows at Fenway Park, including the 2007 Hot Stove, Cool Music concert series, which included Grammy-winning artist and musician John Legend, and by the Boston Landmark Orchestra in 2010.
Dropkick Murphys are currently touring in support of their Going Out In Style CD (Born & Bred Records/ILG), which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200–the group’s highest chart debut to date. Their latest trek launched June 19 in Winnipeg, MB and includes a headlining slot at the annual 4th of July weekend Hootenanny in Irvine, CA, where DKM–Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, whistle, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), and Scruffy Wallace (bagpipes)–will be joined by such artists as Reverend Horton Heat, Murder City Devils, Supersuckers, Swingin’ Utters, Royal Crown Revue, John Doe and more. The current North American dates will wrap August 6 and the band will head overseas for European festival dates from August 12-21.
In other news, Deering Banjos has teamed with Dropkick Murphys to give away an autographed Dropkick Murphys Goodtime Tenor Banjo, along with other prizes. The sweepstakes runs through Monday, July 11 and can be entered online at: http://www.deeringbanjos.com/dropkick-murphys-banjo-sweepstakes.
The current Dropkick Murphys tour dates are as follows:
Date City Venue
Tuesday, June 28 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
Wednesday, June 29 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
Friday, July 1 Pomona, CA Fox Theater
Saturday, July 2 Irvine, CA Hootenanny (Oak Canyon)
Sunday, July 3 Tempe, AZ The Marquee Theatre
Tuesday, July 5 San Antonio, TX Sunset Station
Wednesday, July 6 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
Thursday, July 7 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium
Friday, July 8 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
Sunday, July 10 Ottawa, ONT Cisco Ottawa Blues Fest
Monday, July 11 Quebec City, QC Festival d’été de Québec
Wednesday, July 27 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Thursday, July 28 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
Friday, July 29 Essex Junction, VT Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo Center
Saturday, July 30 Syracuse, NY Krockathon (NYS Fairgrounds)
Monday, August 1 St. John’s, NL George Street Festival
Wednesday, August 3 Halifax, NS Multipurpose Centre
Thursday, August 4 Moncton, NB Oxygen Nightclub
Friday, August 5 Montreal, QC Metropolis
Saturday, August 6 Collingwood, ON Wakestock (Millennium Park, Collingwood Harbour)
Friday, August 12 Püttlingen, Germany Rocco Del Schlacko
Saturday, August 13 Eschwege, Germany Open Flair
Sunday, August 14 Rothenburg, Germany Taubertal
Friday, August 19 St. Pölten, Austria Frequency Festival
Saturday, August 20 Lüdinghausen, Germany Area 4
Sunday, August 21 Großpösna, Germany Highfield
Thursday, September 8 Boston, MA Fenway Park
Friday, September 9 Boston, MA Fenway Park
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