The Dropkick Murphys are not ones to hog the limelight. If they have a bunch of fans, great. If some people do not like them, that is fine too. The group has been around long enough to have forged its identity in culture, and that is what matters.
But there are certain truths the band lives by. One is that they are not going to give up their own worldviews just to make people happy. At a recent concert, a fan held up a black MAGA hat (the kind that Elon Musk wears), and singer Ken Casey told the person, "This is America, there’s no kings here. Anyway, if you mind, sir, we’re gonna play a song about our grandparents and people who fought Nazis in the war and shit. So if you could just shut the (expletive) up for five minutes."
This is not the first time that the Murphys have commented to a crowd about some wearing political paraphernalia that they are out of place and their wears are not welcome. The band has that right. Unlike pop stars who just want to sell records, one goes to a Dropkick Murphys concert to be a part of a community.
Dropkick Murphys clarify Elon Musk issue and put on a St. Patrick's Day show
But some have also commented that the Murphys X/Twitter handle has been suspended as well. Is that because Musk was mad, or was something else afoot? Casey told Rolling Stone that the reason for the suspension was the band's choice. They simply did not want to be affiliated with Musk.
Casey told the magazine, "We broke up with him first. We quit Twitter in 2022 when he was only half a Nazi. Then someone else took our handle, pretending to be our official account, so we filed a legal complaint to put a stop to that — which is why @dropkickmurphys shows as suspended."
The band also just completed its annual run of Boston shows that revolve around St. Patrick's Day. These are can't-miss shows if you are anywhere close to the city, and streaming service Veeps broadcast the March 17 show live. The band was great, and the selection of songs ranged from the early years of the group to more recent times.
But the sound quality was somewhat muffled for a viewer. There seemingly was a clear choice to make sure the crowd noise was muted (which was wrong because one of the things that make a Murphys concert great is the crowd interactions), but the microphones were pingy overall. Casey's voice was clear, but not the signing of the rest of the band. The bagpipes were nearly silent on the Veeps stream on the higher notes.
The idea to bring Dropkick Murphys live on St. Patrick's Day was a good one. The execution was not.