popwreckoning

I am a HUGE Dropkick Murphys fan. It all started with when I was in the Air Force and I was in the middle of a deployment that a fellow buddy of mine played “Sing Loud, Sing Proud” in a beat-up portable CD player we had hooked up to a tape adapter in the truck we were driving around the base while having the A/C on full blast as the humid temperatures reached in the High 90’s/low 100’s. After hearing songs like “For Boston” and “Which Side Are You On?,” I became hooked.  It wasn’t until a year later that I saw them at Warped Tour in Charlotte, NC, that they became one of my favorite punk bands next to Descendants and Suicidal Tendencies.

Their last two albums, The Warriors Code and The Meanest of Times, have been nothing but stellar. Although, The Warriors Code which was awesome, could get tiresome after a few listens.  Although, after “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” was featured in the Academy Award winning film “The Departed” things took off for the band.

Four years and a lineup change later, the Murphys are back with Going Out in Style the second release on their Born and Bred Records label. It is a concept album that takes the band’s own personal experiences and family folklore and rolls them into the story of a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin.

The album starts off with “Hang ‘em High!,” the typical start off track off of any DKM album to get you pumped for the record as what Sing Loud, Sing Proud had with “For Boston” and The Warriors Code had with “Your Spirit’s Alive.” Another standout track would be none other than the title track, “Going Out in Style,” which features a couple surprise guests, such as Fat Mike from NOFX, Chris Cheney of The Living End and comedian Lenny Clark. This makes a great song to drink to, especially the near St. Patrick’s day release. On some occasions it can be on the level with “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced,” but much more fast paced and hardcore. Other stand out tracks include, “Peg O’ My Heart” Featuring The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, “Memorial Day” which has more of the Celtic sound that DKM is known to produce on top of the hardcore Irish-punk sound they are famous for. And my personal favorite, “Deeds Not Words’ which starts out with a revile of drum beats and a haunting sound of the old bagpipes that sounds like a policeman’s funeral, but then jumps into a brash hardcore punk song that gets pumped up like that of fans at a Boston Red Sox game.

Overall, this album doesn’t disappoint in any aspect. Even with a lineup change, DKM never disappoints and this album is proof of just that. The band still has the magic that makes them the fan favorites they are today. In areas where The Warriors Code may have disappointed some fans, this album makes up for it. Oh and by the way- if you haven’t seen these guys live, do me a favor; next time they are playing in town near you, GO SEE THEM!!!

Track listing:
01. Hang ‘Em High (3:59)
02. Going Out In Style (4:08)
03. The Hardest Mile (3:26)
04. Cruel (4:21)
05. Memorial Day (2:59)
06. Climbing A Chair To Bed (2:59)
07. Broken Hymns (5:03)
08. Deeds Not Words (3:41)
09. Take ‘Em down (2:11)
10. Sunday Hardcore Matinee (2:43)
11. 1953 (4:14)
12. Peg O’ My Heart (2:20)
13. The Irish Rover (3:39)

Massachusetts’ Celtic Punk rockers Dropkick Murphys recently brought their raucous show to Kansas City’s Beaumont Club. Photographer Todd Zimmer was at the packed club party and shares these photos:

You can find more from the Dropkick Murphys here.

Twenty-four hours after their March 1 release of their seventh studio album Going Out In Style, Dropkick Murphys will bring their Celtic punk sound to the stage of Kansas City’s Beaumont Club. Set to burn the place down with cohorts in crime, Rise Against, this March 2 show is simply not to be missed.

PopWreckoning is offering you and a friend the chance to attend this show free of charge. In addition, we will throw in an autographed cd booklet to sweeten the deal.

Winning is simple – just comment on the site, answering the following question: If you were a leprechaun what would you leave at the end of your rainbow?

PopWreckoning staff will choose the most creative answer on March 1, 2011 at 1 p.m. CST. Winner must be present at the show in order to receive their autographed booklet, as PopWreckoning will not be responsible for mailing the prize to contest winners. Please make sure to leave both your full name and working email address in the comment so we know where and whom to contact.

Okay, enough said. Go, comment, dance, mosh! Also, read more about the Dropkick Murphys on their website here.

It was the final day and it was already sweltering hot before noon. This didn’t stop Bonnaroo goers from making the best of their final day though.

I began with Japandroids, a garage rock duo playing over at This Tent. For only two guys, they had a very large sound and I really liked how they switched lead vocals between the guitarist and the drummer. This was a good way to start.

Japandroids

Next, I went to a band that completely contrasts Japandroids: Calexico. These sleek rockers were joined by some friends from Spain on some brass instruments. The resulting sound was like a more mainstream mariachi band. It was the perfect soundtrack to the summer sun beating down on the crowd.

Calexico by Joshua Hammond

What’s Bonnaroo without checking out a few good jam bands? We headed over to the What Stage to watch of Australia’s John Butler Trio deliver some of their folky jams before the lady we were really dying to see this day: Regina Spektor.

John Butler Trio by Joshua Hammond

The adorable pianist is bubbly and charming as her gentle voice skips into the upper octaves, but then Regina takes you by surprise: “Fuck. That’s not how this song goes. I don’t know how you all do it: a whole day in the sun. My mind is just a fuck puddle.” Only Regina can make cursing sound so polite. Then again, perhaps that cursing isn’t such a shock if you think about the content of somehow her songs, “Someone is fucking to one of my songs,” just one of a few examples I can think of.

Regina Spektor by Joshua Hammond

Regina Spektor by Joshua Hammond

Punk rock was a popular theme of the day: Against Me, Dropkick Murphys and Rise Against were all performing Sunday. Punk music is really dependent on the energy level of the show, and with the high temperatures, I was worried these bands might take a hit. That worry was unnecessary because these bands tore it up. Against Me, with new member Franz Nicolay, even wore their leather jackets as they sang out their vein-popping energetic set. Dropkick Murphys was like a big party with the multi-instrument band filling up the stage with accordions and guitars and strings. Raucous and fun.

Against Me! by Joshua Hammond

Dropkick Murphys by Joshua Hammond

Dropkick Murphys by Joshua Hammond

In between the two punk bands, Josh caught the classic rocker John Fogerty before joining me for the self-described geek rockers: They Might Be Giants. They’re goofy, but brilliantly so. They’ve been around for quite some time and just released some new great material, perfect for any aspiring scientist. I was kind of surprised by how many of their songs I knew, but didn’t realize was them. Yet another fun set.

John Fogerty by Joshua Hammond

They Might Be Giants by Joshua Hammond

After that it was time to watch a few Grammy-winners. Country artists Zac Brown Band was first up over at the What Stage. I’m not a fan of country music, but these guys are pretty easy to get into to with their speed-demon riffs. My personal favorite moment of the set was their cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” It was a nice moment for their violinist to show off his chops.

Zac Brown Band by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix, as far as the indie Bonnaroo fans were concerned, was Sunday’s headliner and as the Parisians tore through an intense rock set not just of the new Wolfgang songs, but songs from their entire repetoire, they kind of did steal the show. There were times when singer Thomas Mars‘ voice sounded a bit hoarse and worn from their constant touring, but even with that, the crazy guitar riffs and big drums made up for it.

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Dave Matthews Band was Sunday’s official headliner. I think I owe these guys an apology. I had kind of written them off as a frat band with boring tunes, but in actuality, they are fun and the band has plenty of personality. They do deserve success for their long jams. It was a bit bittersweet to watch them play though. It was surprisngly great to enjoy them, but sad to see their set signal the end of the fest.

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Joshua Hammond

Another Bonnaroo over. Despite the lack of surprise collaborations and guest stars, this was a stellar year with solid performances. Though my aching feet are thankful it’s over, the rest of me can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.

by Joshua Hammond

View recaps and photos from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“A sold out punk show – that means with all the mohawks present, vision impairment is going to be a major issue.”

Kansas City’s Beaumont Club is a lovely venue, recently remodeled, but since it does host line and salsa dancing, the flat venue already makes it a little tricky to see. Then with a sold out line-up of Dropkick Murphys, Strung Out and Larry and His Flask, only one of the biggest punk shows of the season, average-female-reviewer-here was hesitant to go immerse myself in the sweaty throngs of tattooed, gauged earringed, mohawk-wearing muscle men that I pictured at this show. And while there were some who met my poor, misguided stereotype, the beauty of this tour is that it appeals to so many people of all walks of life: tiny girls, punk guys, indie kids even in plaid, etc. And with St. Patrick’s Day a few weeks away, green clothes and holding an Irish beer would have been the most apt stereotype.

Another apt stereotype was that the audience was either there for the Murphys or Strung Out, both bands having released several successful records in their 10+ years. So when Larry and His Flask took the stage, nobody quite new what to expect, but we all had faith the Murphys wouldn’t let us down in their selection of tour mates. Larry and His Flask was one spectacular surprise after another:

“Is that guy in the crowd with an upright bass?”

“Yup.”

“Is that guy standing the entire time wailing on that drum set and singing?”

“You betcha.”

“Did they just dedicate a song to all the grandmas?”

“Guess they did.”

“OMG. Did you see that guy flip the upright bass over his head?”

Enter speechless response here.

The band’s myspace doesn’t do them justice. This is something to experience live. The stage presence was insane. This was americana-punk-folk at its finest. At first, the upright bass player acted as a magnet. Those things weigh more than a small child and I’ve never seen anyone move with one as if it were as light as another guitar – and without missing a beat. Forcing myself to watch others in the band, I was impressed by the gang-vocals and the speed of the banjoist, but really left me speechless in the dust was the vocalist/drummer standing front and center. Those sticks were flying like lightning and the guy could stand a foot back from the microphone and belt out a chorus that could still be heard clearly over his powerhouse drumming.

The bar was set and it was set high. It was time to see how the veteran acts would stack up.

Strung Out was next at bat. The stage looked a bit more bare with the opening act’s bajillion instruments gone, but that was to Strung Out’s advantage. Immediately, as the first note was sounded, the singer was in the crowd. Vocals and heavy guitars practically shook the venue as excited fans reached their arms up and half moshed and half surfed. The world’s energy issues could be solved if we could find a way to harness the amount in the room at the moment of Strung Out’s set.

For those that have been living under a rock the past 14 years, Strung Out is like a punk meets heavy metal meets regular rock act – Avenged Sevenfold cites Strung Out as one of their primary influences. It’s a bit different than my usual type of music, but watching Strung Out, I got a little hooked on the mind-blowing guitar solos. You don’t see many of those in indie music where it’s just a bunch of light chords.

Following Strung Out, was everyone’s favorite Boston/Irish punk rockers: Dropkick Murphys. This band should be synonymous with awesome at this point in the game. Beers clanking, crowd-singing along to every word, it was like we were all friends magically transported away from Kansas City to an intimate pub in Ireland.The band was tight and sounded better than their recordings and countless radio singles. They, too, showed their fans love with constant time in the crowd. The piano had never been used so rockingly. It was just insane fun to watch and take part.

If you love Dropkick’s albums, you have to see the live show. It’s the way they’re meant to be experienced.

In fact, if you can (many dates have already sold out), try and get to a show on this tour immediately. You won’t regret it.

Writing by Bethany; Photos by Joshua Hammond

Although Lawrence has this great reputation as being a center of indie music culture, the audiences can be less than welcoming and rather apathetic. It takes a rare breed of band to get the crowds moving and singing, so you know you’re at a special show when there is an interaction between the artist and crowd. Gogol Bordello was one such show.

Apostle of Hustle opened up with what sounded like space age salsa music. The touring duo used a pre-recorded voice to give song introductions and what I dubbed their “space age” vibe before jumping into the latin-laced tunes, which was unique considering the bands ties to the States’ northern neighbors, not southern.

The drumming definitely dominated as Dean Stone alternated from mallets to beating with his bare hands. Singer Andrew Whiteman played guitar, but it was his vocals that really resonated with the crowd. The band had a few moments that left the audience divided. It was pretty 50/50 on who cheered after a big presentation of several flags and a sign that said, “Who else is high?” and who was simply left scratching heads. At another point during the show, the singer made a bring presentation, and told a little anecdote: “We bring you this song all the way from Canada. It is about the great poet who ever lived…in California.” As they played what became my favorite song of the set, “Eazy Speaks,” I couldn’t help, but chuckle if Apostle of Hustle was implying that Eazy was the greatest poet ever and just happened to live in California or if Eazy was only a great poet as far as Californians go. This band’s live show holds up better than their recordings, so catch a performance if you can.

Gypsy punk rockers Gogol Bordello made Lawrence wait about 40 minutes for their performance, but it was worth it when one by one they ran out: drums then fiddle then accordion and the rest of the crew. Once they started, it was a raucous party. Whether people knew the words or not, nobody had trouble joining in on shouts and dancing. Oh boy was there dancing. Gogol Bordello even has members whose sole purpose is to dance (although they also add some backing vocals).

My friend told me I didn’t properly prepare him for what this show was, but really the only way to be ready for Gogol show is to watch Gogol. It really is like no other performance you’ve ever seen. The closest would be seeing some of the Irish punk bands like Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly, yet Gogol is even wilder than either of those. Gogol is just as much about the music as they are the show and within the first song, the band was dripping from sweat from pouring tons of energy into their performance. You can listen to this band’s recordings, you can watch them on YouTube, and all that is fine and dandy, but do yourself a favor and get yourself to one of their shows.

Apostle of Hustle: website | myspace
Gogol Bordello: website | myspace | @ popped! | @ lollapalooza | @ virgin mobile

Below is the second installment of Josh’s rundown of Warped Tour. Enjoy.

1:50 P.M. – 2:20 P.M. The Briggs – Hurley Stage

Of all the bands at Warped Tour this year, The Briggs were at the top of the list of bands I wanted to see. It is safe to say, they didn’t let me down. Sporting a sound as rich as Dropkick Murphys and as strong lyrically as Rancid, in my book The Briggs are punk superstars.

Personal memories of the day’s performance were forced on me when one of the group’s vocalists, Joey LaRocca, stole, wore and threw my sunglasses into the crowd. But you can’t really fault a band for having too much energy. Their live show excels because of this energy. You can expect them to be in your face, in your head and in the crowd at some point during the show. Absolutely check this band out!

Grade: A+

2:20 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. Reel Big Fish – Route 66 Stage

I’m not shy to admit that I completely love ska. Less than Jake, Goldfinger, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish are legends in my book. I have been involved in music, in some form, for 15 years now, yet today was my first shot at seeing Reel Big Fish. Furthermore, due to scheduling conflicts with the day, I could only catch ten minutes of their set. Complete bummer.

But from what I saw, regardless of what is said by the talking heads and critics, ska is alive and well. Reel Big Fish had one of the tightest, musically prepared sets of the day. They don’t fuck around. This is an outstanding band that you should do your best to catch while you still can, if not only to see their amazing version of “Take on Me.”

Grade: A+

2:50 P.M. to 3:20 Jack’s Mannequin – Highway One Stage

Growing up, I loved Something Corporate. There is just something magical about piano being used as a punk type instrument. While it has become somewhat the norm to have keys in a band these days, Something Corporate kind of pioneered the sound. Having seen Something Corporate several times in their life, I was really excited to see how Jack’s Mannequin stacked up against them.

I must say I was surprised to find that Jack’s actually had the upper hand. While Andrew McMahon seemed to lack the energy he once had in Something Corporate, his showmanship and stage conduct seemed to have improved, as unbelievable as that may seem. Unfortunately, a fairly modest sized stage and a grand piano somewhat boxed MacMahon in, leaving him with very little room to move. This of course was completely forgivable due to the perfect pitch and wonderful chemistry of the band. The instrumentation and dynamics of each member worked flawlessly, making for a very beautiful performance. I was left completely without complaints.

Grade A-

4:20 P.M. – 4:45 P.M. The Color Fred – Hurley Stage

I really have to eat crow regarding The Color Fred. I had written them off due to their affiliation to Taking Back Sunday since I am an avid supporter of Straylight Run. They won me in the divorce. So my assumption was that since it was Fred Mascherino’s job to replace members of Taking Back Sunday after they began losing members left and right, he too must be associated with the evil empire.

I was completely mistaken. The Color Fred’s music is not only pleasant and refreshing, it exceeded my expectations of creativity. I was really quite pleased with the bands performance. With the exception of some technical mishaps, the band’s set was rather flawless. I look forward to seeing them again. Thank god I sucked it up and gave them a shot.

I was an asshole for not doing so before.

Grade: A-

The Briggs: website | myspace
Reel Big Fish: website | myspace
Jack’s Mannequin: website | myspace
The Color Fred: website | myspace