Gogol Bordello
October 31
Liberty Hall
Better than:Doing the Dance Of Joy with Cousin Larry
Review by Berry Anderson, with photos by Scott Spychalski
I don’t think I have ever heard much of anything positive about gypsies. As a kid, my sister referred to herself proudly as a “blue-eyed gypsy” in reference to her penchant for successfully shoplifting cheesy undergarments from Target. Older and wiser, she now pays for her drawers and listens to Jack Johnson. But stolen thongs were the last thing on my mind when I heard the likes of Gogol Bordello on Halloween night at Liberty Hall. No one ever told me gypsies could rock so fucking hard.
Supposedly, Gogol Bordello has been banned from several venues in New York City because Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hutz likes to tear shit up. Club owners in GB’s home base can’t hang with the wackiness that ensues when the nine-piece shows up and delivers its brand of…world music. Members of the band are from Russia, Israel, Ethiopia, and other points between. With an accordion player, violinist, and two writhing, dancing girls, Hutz gave Lawrence a fat dose of what he calls “Gypsy punk cabaret.”
I'd never seen Eugene in person before, and he kind of reminded me of Balki Bartokomous on a fifth of charcoal-filtered vodka spiked with acid. He wore tight, pinkish pants, mismatched socks, and had a mustache that would make any KC midtown buttrocker jealous. At one point, he even donned a long, red wig and heels. But unlike a show at the Hurricane, the people here were completely into it. Never upstaging each other, the nine players on stage swept up and slammed down the costumed throng at Liberty Hall.
I took it all in from high upon the balcony. “Wonderlust King” got the whole place moving. “This is some scientific shit, ya’ll. My sisters are brothers!” Hutz declared. Enter the ladies. Pamela Racine and Elizabeth Sun were the cherry on the gypsyfucksong cake with their cymbals and drums. The girls took part in about two-thirds of the set and added significantly to the visual experience. There was also this other dude that was playing the bongos who skanked all over the stage and jumped into the crowd. If you could take your eyes off of all of that, violinist Sergey Ryabtsev and accordionist Yury Lemeshev carried the tempo while the guitar and bass brought more noise and kept the sound from going full-bore gypsy.
Well rehearsed and perfectly delivered, Gogol Bordello's performance pro are bringing Eastern European rock to the scene. "Think locally, fuck globally" is the band's message. Do that and let your freak flag fly.
Personal Bias: Take me with you!
Favorite lyric: I make a better rock revolution/ Alone with my dick!
By the Way: The security guys at Liberty Hall are way cooler than at the Uptown.
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