The Boston Traveler » matt-kelly

Encore: Dropkick Murphys on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:52:52 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that local band Dropkick Murphys would be appearing on the January 11th episode of David Letterman’s CBS late-night talk show.

Well, that appearance has come and gone, but thanks to the kindness and video skills of some YouTube-using fans, people can still enjoy their performance.

Band members actually played two tunes: the expected “State of Massachusetts,” the hit first single from their latest album The Meanest of Times, as well as a show-ending version of “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”

For the unaware, the second song appeared on the Murphys’ 2005 album The Warrior’s Code, as well as the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning, Boston-set 2006 film The Departed.

The Best Picture winner stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and homegrown actors Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg. Each of those talents have either won (Nicholson and Damon) or been nominated for (DiCaprio and Wahlberg) an Academy Award.

Say what you want about Dropkick Murphys and their Celtic-punk music, the titles of their tracks make it obvious that they love themselves some Boston and Massachusetts.

Check out videos of both songs as the guys played them live on Letterman’s January 11th show after the jump.

Dropkick Murphys on The Late Show
The State of Massachusetts

Dropkick Murphys on The Late Show
I’m Shipping Up to Boston

Post from: The Boston Traveler

Dropkick Murphys Play David Letterman’s Show on Friday

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:25:36 +0000

Non-Bostonians and Bostonians alike will get a chance to sample yet another local band in action this week when Quincy’s Dropkick Murphys pay late-night host David Letterman a visit on Friday in support of their latest full-length album The Meanest of Times.

If you’re not familiar with the group’s hardcore celtic-punk sound and background, there are three websites that can help rectify that: the Dropkick Murphys’ official home on the Web, the corresponding MySpace site, and the band biography on the website of the group’s former independent label Hellcat Records. All feature high-quality audio files and/or videos of the type of music the band’s been playing since the members came together in the mid-1990s. Then don’t forget to mark your calendar for their January 11th TV date with Dave after checking your local listings to verify when the Late Show with David Letterman airs in your area.

Whatever they decide to play, the Murphys’ tube gig will definitely be worth recording or staying up to see. In the meantime, you can also take a look at the live, fan-made video for the Meanest of Times single “The State of Massachusetts” after the jump. The track, the first single from the September 2007 release, quickly became one of the Top 100 songs played on modern rock radio in the States, which attests to the band’s widespread and deserved popularity.

The State of Massachusetts