84 / 85 / 86 -- Shamrockfest [DJ Pauly D / Carbon Leaf / Dropkick Murphys] -- Saturday, March 12, 2011 -- RFK Stadium Parking Lots -- DC

It was a miracle: it did not rain at Shamrockfest. For the first time in seven years, there were no frigid toes, no frigid fingers, and no soupy river of mud and beer flowing through the stadium lots. I don’t know who deserves the credit: God? Mother Nature? Jimmy Edmonds? In any case, it was satisfying to start the festival with unexpectedly nice weather. It was also satisfying to be there with so many fun people: i.e. Hurricane, Ryan Ball, Lindsay Cochrane, and Jimmy. Somewhat less satisfying was the fact that the biggest name at the festival was…

DJ PAULY D: Carbon Leaf and Dropkick Murphys were the bigger names among actual music fans, but it seemed like there was a bigger media buzz for Pauly D. How would the Jersey Shore sensation perform? What would he be like in action? The problem was that his ‘action’ consisted of pressing play on various Top 40 hits, pausing only to shout “DJ Pauly D!” two times a song. Can you imagine Girl Talk interrupting his creative mashups every two minutes to shout “DJ Gregg Gillis!” Awkward. Some of the mix was definitely entertaining, but that was not a result of the Pauly’s skillz. He did not splice the Top 40 hits; he was not responsible for the sound and lighting that made the dance tent pulse. His main responsibility was to stroke his own ego – to bring Merriweather to the Jersey Shore…

Grade: C+

CARBON LEAF: Carbon Leaf and Dropkick Murphys both delivered competent live performances, so my review really comes down to which band I like better. “American Tale” has a cool, smoky, “Airport Song” vibe to it, and the contrast between the beat and the story in “The Boxer” is great, but overall, I find Carbon Leaf a bit boring. On an iPod, fiddles and tin whistles sound chill. In concert, without some new, exciting variable, they sound dull.

Grade: B-

DROPKICK MURPHYS: Dropkick Murphys, by contrast, almost never sound boring. They maintain your interest no matter what the genre: pop punk (“Walk Away”), hard punk (“Skinhead in the MBTA”), driving anthem (“Fields of Athenry”), funeral ballad (“The Green Fields of France”), etc. I’d also challenge anyone to find a funnier, truer drinking satire than “Kiss Me, I’m...” 

It took me a long time to recognize it, but I do owe John Bavoso an apology. Jolly, you were right: Dropkick Murphys do rock.

Grade: A-