The collaboration we never knew we needed.
If you would’ve told me a few years back that Celtic punk rock band Dropkick Murphys would be teaming up with Evan Felker from Turnpike Troubadours, I would’ve said you have lost your damn mind.
For those who aren’t immediately familiar with Dropkick Murphys, there’s a good chance that you’ve jammed out to their song “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” in an Irish bar on St. Patrick’s Day. Or, in the movie The Departed.
That being said, I jam a lot of Turnpike on St. Paddy’s Day from time to time as well… the fiddle, harmonica, accordion, songs like “Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead” and “The Housefire” have quite an Irish feel, and even Irish roots in some cases.
Needless to say, the two groups are quite different, but you can see where a partnership could make a lot of sense.
Dropkick Murphys announced back in June that they were releasing a folk album, titled This Machine Kills Fascists, in an effort to bring famed singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie’s unreleased words to life, with of course, their own unique spin.
Dropkick Murphys founder Ken Casey weighed in on the project:
“The project has been a long time in the making. Nora Guthrie thought her father would’ve got a kick out of us, would’ve liked us, that we were somewhat kindred spirits so to speak, which to us was a huge honor.”
The idea for this album has been in the making for quite some time, as Guthrie’s daughter Nora has put together a collection of her father’s unreleased music over the past decade for Dropkick Murphy’s to work on.
“Woody Guthrie, he’s the original punk. He went against the grain, he fought the good fight, he spoke up and sang about his beliefs. I’m motivated by reading what he wrote and am inspired by his courage. One man and a guitar – it’s powerful stuff.”
Woody was born in Okemah, Oklahoma, which just so happens to be the hometown of Evan Felker, so if you were looking for another reason to justify this partnership, there you go.
The song, titled “The Last One,” is an up-tempo, harmonica driven jam featuring both Dropkick Murphys lead singer Ken Casey, and Evan Felker.
Although the song has an upbeat rhythm, it shares a clear message about how being a blue-collar working man ends up getting screwed over in today’s America, when the rich get richer.
“She’s upside down, she’s broke apart
And getting worse every day
A working man’s hand is the hardest card
In the whole damn deck to play”
Check it out:
The group also released a trailer for the album as well:
Turnpike Troubadours To Play Boston St. Patrick’s Day Celebration With Dropkick Murphys
Turnpike Troubadours might just burn down Boston on St. Patrick’s Day…
They announced earlier that they’re joining their friends from Dropkick Murphys, an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in Beantown.
The shows will take place at MGM Music Hall on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, and on Saturday the 18th, along with other special guests The Rumjacks on the 17th and Jesse Ahern on the 18th.
Turnpike will be performing both days, and all tickets go on sale this Friday.
If you’re anywhere near Boston for what I’m sure will be an already-wild weekend, you better get there for at least one of these shows, because it simply doesn’t get better than drinkin’ beer and seeing Turnpike live:
“Very excited to be joining our friends Dropkick Murphys next March for a special St Patrick’s Day weekend celebration in Boston. Tickets on sale this Friday.”
