Incoming: Dropkick Murphys at the Beaumont, February 28

Read the following as if it’s being said by a cranky old man — someone like Ed Asner in Up or Clint Eastwood in Grand Torino:

Y’know, I really used to like Dropkick Murphys. I can’t decide if it’s because they got too big to play clubs like the Bottleneck anymore, or if it’s because once a band starts to get featured on film soundtracks, they start to attract people who are only interested in hearing “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” and stand around being annoying the rest of the time.

Drummer Matt Kelly and bassist Ken Casey are the only two original members left of the band, and Casey is the only member who’s played on every recording. The band’s sound has changed so much since that Boys On the Dock EP twelve years ago, that it’s damned near a totally different act.

Dropkick Murphys play the Beaumont Club on Sunday, February 28. They’re working on a new album at the moment for 2010 release, so expect to hear a few new tunes. Openers have yet to be announced, but the European leg has Sick of It All, the lucky bastards.