Bruce Springsteen to join Dropkick Murphy for Fenway Park Livestream – Variety

Not even an epidemic can stop Boston’s Dropic Murphy from playing ball. Following the veteran Celtic punk band’s “Streaming Up from Boston” St. Patrick’s Day Livestream concert, they will perform in the city’s historic historic Fenway Park on May 29 – with no live audience as per the state COVID-19 social distance order.

However, a very important guest will be present to join the band on the home turf of the Boston Red Sox or at least on the big screen overhead: Bruce Springsteen is there for a song exchange.

Springsteen played his first full Fenway Park concert in 2003. The following year, during the regular Red Sox season, Dropkick Murphy debuted their song “Tessie” which honored a local Derhard Sox fan. That year the Bambino curse was broken and the Sox won the World Series.

In 2011, the band played their first full concert in the park, hosted by Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, Fish, Rolling Stones, Police, John Legend and the local band Aerosmith.

Springsteen and Dropkicks will not only perform the live stream concert at Fenway Park for the first time, but it will mark the first concert of the epidemic without a private audience in any U.S. arena, stadium or ballpark.

“Streaming Outta Fenway” starts at 6 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT through the band’s Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch pages. Simulcast will benefit multiple charities worldwide and is presented by Boston-region technology firm Pega.

Diversity Talking to the band’s founder, co-artist and bassist Ken Casey, he took a break to finish the band’s tenth album, which is due in September.

Variety: Boston is missing Fenway Park right now. Was it easy to book a space?

Casey: We always had a great relationship with the Red Sox and we were really itching to do another livestream. When we did the first it wasn’t with the social distance commands we had now, so we knew we had to do the next one in a huge outdoor space. Fenway Park is our national treasure here and for Bostonians it paints a picture of summer. It will be the distance we need and it is a sign of hope and summer. Also, we don’t want to see a strange game, standing too far away on a field somewhere.

What is setup?

We are using baseball diamonds to create distance. The drums will be on the second base; First and third bass guitars; The [touring] Bus players where there will be shortstops; Banjo player where will be second baseman; And I and al [Barr, co-singer] The song will be from Infield. So it’s similar to what the players will look like on the field.

How did Springsteen get involved?

He is so down to earth; He is very calm. When the 2013 marathon was bombed, he sang in a new version of our song “Rose Tattoo” for charity. He was so interested in it – it happened, “Hey, let’s ask Bruce.” Usually you don’t want to bother such a legend as you have such a busy schedule. But Bruce is a guy who likes to play. His schedule is now as open as all of us. He always comes down to help.

What songs would you do with Springsteen and how would you perform them?

We’re working on the technology now, but the plan is to put it in a jumbotron. That’s the goal, so we’ll see if technology collaborates. We will do his song “American Land” which we have joined him on stage several times. And she will join us in the “Rose Tattoo”. We’ll become band play; Will he come straight from his studio? Her couch? We do not know

Are there any other guests?

We had quite a few ideas to ask other people. But we are trying to grasp the technology and use it. We can invite a few more people from Boston. We don’t have to be there – not even the people of Boston. We had to have strict security plans and no more than 35 people in total, including our staff and their employees, could be in Balpark.

You’ve included two new songs in St. Patrick’s Concert. Will you make your debut now?

I don’t think so. We decided to do those songs on the scene that night, but if you think everyone in this time is listening to everything all the time on YouTube, you gift it before the whole record is released. We want to be somewhat surprised. I will say that the set we have been practicing is at least 75% different from the one we played at St. Pats.

Will you play “Tessie”?

Absolutely: We can’t play in Fenway Park and we can’t play it. We didn’t play that song from St. Patts; We never play the song outside of the baseball season. I think it has some baseball magic in it and we don’t want to ruin it.

The new album is coming in September. What is the tour going for you to see? Could it be something more like this?

The thing I don’t know is, it’s tough enough to set things up already in the music industry. There is not much travel and ample space here. You take it and then there’s all these redefined jigs figure I don’t know how it will all work. But it will be a great problem because it means we can all go out and play music.