Via remote location, Bruce Springsteen virtually sat in with the Dropkick Murphys at their concert at an empty Fenway Park in Boston last night.

Towards the end of the set, after the Irish folk-punk band covered the Standells' garage rock classic "Dirty Water," Springsteen appeared on the centerfield scoreboard, with singer Ken Casey introducing him as the "reigning, defending heavyweight champion of rock n' roll." The two traded verses on the Dropkick Murphys' "Rose Tattoo," which Springsteen sang with the band on a 2013 charity EP. Then they alternated lines on Springsteen's own Irish-inflected "American Land," a song about the immigrant experience that debuted during his 2006 Seeger Sessions tour and proceeded to remain in the set for the next seven years, usually as the closing number.

The rest of the Dropkick Murphys 28-song set, which was streamed on YouTube, spanned their more than 20-year career, with the possibly their best-known track, "I"m Shipping Up to Boston," immediately following Springsteen. The band set up on the infield and were clad in Red Sox shirts. Springsteen, famously a fan of the New York Yankees, chose to wear a dark shirt. You can watch the whole concert below, with Springsteen's cameo coming shortly before the two-hour mark.

The show was a benefit for three organizations: the Boston Resiliency Fund, Feeding America and Habitat for Humanity. Consequence of Sound is reporting that they raised more than $100,000.

In addition to "Rose Tattoo," Springsteen has recorded with the Dropkick Murphys, cutting a version of the standard "Peg O' My Heart" in 2011, and has performed with them on a few occasions. Springsteen's Sept. 6, 2003 show at Fenway was the first rock concert at the ballpark.

 

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