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Review Thu Jun 04 2009
Review: Gogol Bordello @ Congress 5/31/09
Photo by Kirstie Shanley.
[See all of the snaps from the show at the Gapers Block: Transmission Flickr page.]
Gogol Bordello can't be classified merely as standard live music. They are closer to a music festival all on their own. The gypsy punks bring their own party with an entourage that encourages the energy behind their lyrics. Not surprisingly, the crowd echoes back with its own energy of moshers, pogoers, dancers, and those who just want to have a shared experience over the music.
Likewise, Eugene Hütz isn't merely a singer but one of the most expressive and personality driven leaders of a group of musicians whose work could dissolve into a chaotic mess if they weren't following his every frantic move. Luckily, the other musicians on stage are also talented musicians all on their own and back up the songs well with supplemental vocals, drums, violin, accordion and more.
Part of the reason why it's great to go to a Gogol Bordello show is because the music has a certain fighting energy that few bands can muster whether live or on album. Their four studio albums spanning nearly ten years are just a small peephole into the vivid carnival. Seeing them live seems to bring about a sense of anguish that is altogether catchy and anthemic. You can't really go to a Gogol Bordello show, especially for the first time, and not be in awe. That's also why most people keep coming back: it's an experience live like no other.
Eugene Hütz was in true form last Sunday night at the crowded Congress Theater. Between grabbing the mic and acting like he was going to launch it into the audience at one point to joining up on their outstretched hands for the encore, he was ready to be a part of his own created spectacle. The set also picked up a sense of energy with "Start Wearing Purple" seeming to be the greatest high across their two hour set and "Alcohol," performed as the first song of the encore being the point in time where everyone felt a little more intimate with Hütz. It felt as if he was divulging something so personal to a huge venue filled to the brim with audience members who couldn't wait to listen.
