Concert Review Part 2: July 28, 2010 Essex Junction: Gogol Bordello

GOGOL BORDELLO

In the few moments between Heloise and the Savoir Faire's last song and the appearance of Eugene Hütz and the rest of the smorgasbord of cultures that make up Gogol Bordello, there seemed to be one question on the crowds' collective subconscious - How were the 9+ members of the band going to fit on the a stage that seemed filled by the few members of the Savoir Faire?

The answer of course, was that it wouldn't matter much; Gogol Bordello wasn't going to be spending too much time in one spot. In fact, with the obvious exception of drummer Oliver Charles, it was quite possible that none of the band members touched the stage for more than 3 or 4 seconds at a time, and they definitely spent more collective time airborne then not. From the start of their opener, "Ultimate" from 2007's Super Taranta! to the closer, "Darling", Gogol Bordello made one thing extremely clear - this was going to be an adrenaline fueled performance.

All this may sound typical for a punk show - you may easily replace "Gogol Bordello" with "The Ramones", "Iggy and the Stooges", or "The Pogues" and the previous paragraph would still make sense. What differentiates Gogol Bordello from this irony-driven punk prototype however, is the band's main mission and its consequential impact on their performances and art.

Composed of a smattering of cultural origins (Ukraine, Ethiopia, Russia, Israel, Ecuador, China, America, etc.), the band strives for what it dubs a "neo-optimistic communal movement" that is probably best described by one of their slogans - "Think locally, fuck globally". The group celebrates global tribalism and wishes to break out of the ambiguously moderate era of postmodernism, specifically that cliche that originality is a con. As the band states in their official manifesto - "the beloved statement of postmodernism 'everything is been done' sound as an intellectual error".

As part of this attempted break from postmodernism, the group attempts to incorporate aspects from all of the members' seemingly infinite cultures in order to develop from a sense of authenticity rather than one of pretense or irony. Through a mixture of cabaret, punk, and and traditionally gypsy music, the band manages to incorporate the Reggae rhythm of bassist Timmy T's Ethiopian roots, the vicious lyrical attacks of Ecaudorian MC Pedro Erazo, and the masterful melodic swinging of Sergey Ryabstev's charming violin playing without overbearing the listener or impeaching the bounds of the music as a single entity. This characteristic of Gogol's work is what separates it from the other "foreign-fueled" punk bands like Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys - Gogol's music is a culmination and interweaving of multiple entities into something new and inclusive, while these bands' products are an authentic celebration of one, seclusively particular entity.

The global message was certainly apparent in this show, via both the set list as well as a small talk to the audience of the importance of family by Hütz, who was donned in an "I love my Dad" t-shirt for the first half of the performance.

"Immigraniada (We Come in Rougher)" from Essex Junction 2010


Musically, the band was spot on (although the majority of Erazo's raps were unintelligible for those who didn't already know the lyrics due to the nature of the outdoor event), and the group definately earned some new followers. One Primus fan in particular behind me in the mosh pit immediately left after the last song in order to purchase the latest cd, Trans-Continental Hustle, rather than rush the stage in preparation for Primus.

To focus on the musical aspect of Gogol's show, however, would be silly. The music obviously is the key ingredient in the Molotov cocktail of an experience the show was. However, the groups' non-stop energy and authentic enthusiasm, masterful sequencing of a set list, and audience engagement/interaction created a timeless effect that had many of the crowd wondering why they hadn't noticed that the sun had gone down or dismissing the red wine stains (from Hütz's spastic wine spraying during mainstay "Start Wearing Purple") on their white shirts as honorable badges of authenticity. Overall, the performance was by far the highlight of the entire night, and was one of the more memorable shows I have ever seen.

SETLIST:

Intro/Ultimate

Not A Crime

Wanderlust King

My Companjera

Tribal Connection

Trans-Continental Hustle

Immigranadia (We Comin' Rougher)

60 Revolutions

Break the Spell

Universes Collide

Pala Tute

Start Wearing Purple

Punk Rock Paranda

Sun is on My Side

Darling

  

For more videos of Gogol Bordello at Essex Junction on July 29, 2010, check out these youtube links:

"Start Wearing Purple"
Further from stage, but much better camera work
Closer to stage, but with bad camera work

"My Companjera"
Good audio/visual





Next on the list: Co-Headliner, Primus!

P.S. - The videos posted are borrowed from various youtubers who had better quality videos than my own. The back of my head and my friend Greg (blond with the green bandanna) is visible in "My Companjera" at the 1:57 mark on the far right! Thanks!


 - MattintheBelfry