Boston's Dropkick Murphys [ tickets ] have lined up a string of headlining dates early next year leading up to their annual hometown slate of St. Patrick's Day performances.

The Boston shows--which will feature six concerts ahead of the March 17 St. Patty's appearance--will cap a three-week, 13-city road trip for the band, which kicks off the outing Feb. 24 in Montclair, NJ. Details are included below.

The band is also putting the finishing touches on "Live On St Patrick's Day 2009," recorded during this year's Boston shows. The set, which will include a bonus DVD, will be released "in time for next year's shows," according to the Murphys' website.

The group's most recent studio album is 2007's "The Meanest of Times," the inaugural release on the band's own Born & Bred Records label. The set features the single "The State of Massachusetts," and includes guest appearances from Spider Stacey of The Pogues and Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners.

The Dropkick Murphys formed more than a decade ago in the Irish Catholic working-class neighborhoods of South Boston. The seven-member band has gone from playing in a barbershop basement to selling more than 1.5 million albums in the US.