"Our songs are all autobiographical," quipped Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz during a short break in the band's set Friday night at House of Blues. Hütz may have been referring to his lyrics—punk poetry preaching to the immigrant experience—but the group's unique sound is more fitting than anything else. From Hütz's singing style rife with Eastern European accentuations right down to the band's caustic mix of gypsy folk-meets-anthemic punk, Gogol Bordello are representative of many an emigration tale most Americans grow up learning. The fusion of old world Europe and new world US of A is more distinct and striking in Gogol than any other "punk-meets-(insert "old world" cultural musical tradition here)" on the market today. Considering celebratory, all-out dancing goes hand-in-hand with Ukrainian and Balkan-based folk, it's no wonder Gogol Bordello's live set tended to veer a bit away from the stylistically conservative three-chord punk of the group's peers and create an engaging and exuberant set.
First up on stage was Philadelphia's Man Man, an act heralded for odd and fantastic stage performances that might a cerebral "ying" to Gogol's sprightly "yang." Unfortunately, the quintet was a bit off Friday night. Perhaps it was the size of the venue and the distance between the stage and the crowd, as Man Man are an act that feeds off its interaction with the audience. Still, growling singer and stage curiosity Honus Honus seemed to be on autopilot, off in his own world even while running around the stage with various props in a sequin costume. Fortunately, the group's eclectic circus-ready mix of Tom Waits blues and indie punk was spot on, and their fans could be seen bellowing out song lyrics left and right.
By the time Gogol took control of the stage, Bostonist could tell the band simply wanted people to dance. Preceding the group's performance was a special DJ set by the band's touring mixmaster and co-singer; hiding behind a lucha libre mask, the mysterious man with a thick accent spun everything from funke carioca to dubstep, giving a little taste of what Gogol looked to integrate into their own sound during the night's performance.
Twenty minutes and a few seconds of backmasking later and Hütz ambled onstage to chaotic applause and the slight strumming on his acoustic guitar. One by one his fellow musicians joined him, and so kicked off an evening of multicultural-punk affability. Though accompanied by a slew of talented musicians and flanked by a couple of skilled dancers, all eyes were on Hütz, the veritable Gogol Bordello representative and something of a punk rock icon in his own right. Lanky and nimble, Hütz paraded about the stage as if his skinny torso was unaware of any stage boundaries or physical constraints, preening about in the spotlight like a man on a mission. When old punks endlessly blather on about '77, nostalgic for the good ole' days, they usually long for the kind of performer that Hütz embodies; a person who seems to place the execution of the music (or performance) before their very well being. Sure, Hütz ended the performance unbruised, but it looked as if any moment he could turn and dive headlong into the crowd.
All throughout the hour and a half of flying limbs occurring onstage, bodies danced offstage, engaged in the kind of friendly, all consuming dancing instead of brawl-to-the-wall moshing other punk bands push. Mixing Eastern European folk with clips of Rio-inspired funke carioca, ska, and a little bit of reggae, Gogol Bordello's set seemed unconstrained by their "folk-punk" style, an idea many other current artists should take note of. The band was focused on keeping the party going, with the DJ playing a veritable Flava Flav to Hütz's Chuck D, bouncing around belting out lyrics in various languages while the rest of the band stretched songs out well past their on-record endpoint. At certain points, it became a bit tedious, such as with the ten-minute-plus encore-ending tune that was so long Bostonist practically forgot where he was halfway through it.
By the time the house lights came on and the sweat-stained crowd broke out into the muggy night, Gogol's performance seemed cemented in many an audience member's head as unforgettable. In many ways it was; though Gogol Bordello's music and lyrics aren't inherently political, they boast an international heritage and immigrant experience all while immigration issues and rights are hard-fought in American society. Yet, here is a band that manages to capture a major portion of the pop culture mindset, with one sold-out show after another. Though Hütz's voice and perspective seems to thrive on an "alien" factor, it was completely welcomed by the capacity crowd at House of Blues Friday night, a feat that many punk bands can't seem to get the knack of. That could be the centuries of cultural tradition Gogol carries in their music... or the fact that they know how to put on a good show and get people to dance. And there's a universal theme that fits in to just about any biography.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit