Gogol Bordello -- Thursday, December 21, 2006 - Irving Plaza, NYC

Posted by Jes Tones on 01.04.2007

If you haven't yet, throw out your albums and see this band live -- the world needs more gypsy punks.

The first time I saw Gogol Bordello live all I could think was, Wow, this guy [as in lead singer Eugene Hütz] must do massive amounts of cocaine. And as that night went on and the energy only intensified, both onstage and off, until at points the whole place felt like Violet Beauregarde -- it might burst at any moment. My thoughts swung between have I inadvertently stumbled upon a ginormous coke party? and have I inadvertently stumbled upon the most exciting band in NYC? That night ended with no evidence to support Door #1, so I proceeded through Door #2 and, like a fiend, last Thursday I went back for more.

I was not at all surprised to see that their cartel had multiplied since my last time on the wagon -- this was good stuff. Same place, same time, but this time the Plaza was sold out and there were dozens of junkies on the street begging for just one ticket to the inside. Hell, even standing in line for the (forced!) coat check, a somewhat overeager and buoyant bordellian gawked at what he perceived as my lack of enthusiasm (because I was not shaking?) and rejected in disbelief my account that I had in fact seen Gogol Bordello once previously this year (at this very same place, no less!) at a show that Mr. Excitement had not heard about. Then, as if I must have had some sort of inside connection, my adversary quizzed me as to whether the gypsy punks would be traveling to Mehanata that evening after the show, as if his knowledge of the Lower East Side Manhattan Bulgarian bar that King Gypsy Hütz himself DJs for and shamelessly promotes was some sort of password. My antagonist apparently wanted to show me he, too, had the hook-up.

Alas, after the coat check interrogation, I was unlucky enough to catch a good portion of the night’s openers -- Valient Thorr -- whose presence on the main stage was not nearly transient enough while I impatiently awaited the gypsy punks. Apparently GB likes them enough though, as Thorr’s (Adventures in Babysitting, anyone?) guitar player joined them later onstage to strike a few more rockstar poses. Their lead singer also reappeared with an attempt to contribute, but, like a seed in a dime bag, both figures agitated me and I don’t think many others on my side caught contact either.

[Valient Thorr!]

But when the puff was over and the show passed to NYC’s favorite gypsy punks, the audience high was immediate and the intensity lasted for nearly two hours. I’ve written before about an artists’ ability to connect to his or her audience -- which generally takes the form of some sort of witty banter or attempted “dialogue” between onstage and off, but Hütz and crew take it one step further, at times literally crawling on top of their cartel of fanatics, infecting them with their energy. Accordion, violin, guitars, bass, drums -- all played as if the party depended on it, with several miscellaneous dancers, players and singers venturing in and out of the show throughout the evening.

They teased us with a brief hiatus, but our side was not fooled and performed our obligatory cheering, shouting, stomping and chanting until finally our heroes re-emerged and gave us even more. At this point one of the lovely female members of the gypsy entourage even tossed her bass drum (marching band style) out on top of the audience and shortly thereafter tossed herself on top of said drum, riding the audience as she continued to play it, stand and dance upon it, and finally cede it to Hütz, who then perched himself upon it, pulling an eager female fiend with whom he also shared the mic, up with him.

After our big finale, DJ Hütz seemed almost saddened with the idea of quashing his high and leaving behind his eager followers, and enthusiastically (is he capable of a lesser emotion?) dolled out the password to the evening’s after party at, you guessed it, Mehanata. The announcement was met with much clamor and cheer and immediately I heard a squeal Oh my god! Do you wanna go?! to which the new recruit’s man (at the moment, anyway) quickly returned Yes! Oh my god let’s go -- what did he say, 113 Melrose Street? I was compelled to set the story straight (and maybe even give it a happy ending) -- it’s 113 LUDLOW Street, I explained, Low-er Ea-st Si-de. Seriously, could it be anywhere else?

[Gogol Bordello]

The 411: Even if you're not into the music (although I think you should be!) this band puts on a kick ass show. If you are into the music, don't bother downloading it, or if you do, make sure to catch them live if you ever have the chance -- you won't regret it.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]