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Today, my family rode the carousel in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Usually, the soundtrack is recorded organ and calliope music. But this morning, Abraham, the cool clown who was at the helm, was playing awesomely insane music that reminded me of the Pogues vs. a crazy circus sideshow band. He told us the music was by Gogol Bordello, a Gypsy punk band of Eastern European immigrants now living in New York City. I looked them up online and they're terriric. Oddly, I also read that Gogol Bordello performed with Madonna last year at the London Live Earth concert. Apparently, their live shows are insanely exhilarating musical extravaganzas too. (Live photo from Wikipedia.)Link to Gogol Bordello's site, Link to their MySpace page
Saw them again last Wednesday in Brixton (London) – longest encore ever! Eugene is so comfortable wearing the 9-inch stilettos that I didn’t even notice he’d put them on until he started crowd-surfing in them…
Gogol Bordello is one of those bands that never has a bad concert (at least that’s what I’ve been told and read). Learned about them two years ago in a little town in Massachusetts. A friend at White Knight Records let me bum Voi-La Intruder and Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike. I was fascinated.
I finally saw them in Austin on St. Patrick’s Day, and they blew me out of the water! Check out my experience of Gogol live!
Raytube @68: Yeah! That show at Red Rocks was indeed awesome.
Perhaps one reason GB might have been a hard act to follow is because Manu Chao is so gosh-darn short.
– My first BB post! -
and congratulations to you!
love dem gogol bordello! got turned on to them in ’05 and now got 4 c.d.’s and some miscellany live stuff. they remind me a lil of a band from the 1990’s called “the red elvises’ originally from russia and eastern eur., now out of l.a., who i believe are still touring with a different backing duo. kind of a rusky surf-punk aesthetic. either act is a must see live! roknrol comrades!
They were on the Henry Rollins show last year, and it was pretty great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJz-T9GabjY
I saw them in Dallas, and the show was an absolute riot. It was a funky, diverse audience, too. I highly recommend checking them out if you have a chance.
I was there in 1974 at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart started up his first band.
I told him, “Don’t do it that way. You’ll never make a dime.”
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Daft Punk to the rock kids.
I played it at CBGB’s.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I’ve never been wrong.
I used to work in a record store.
I had everything before anyone.
Scraps @36 and RogerNiner @82 get an ear apiece, RJ @86 gets the tail, and Takuan @87 gets to barf half-digested worms on the ungodly.
Icky @54, if online conversations could reliably “talk their way out of stupidity,” this would be a better world.
Takuan @55, thank you.
Antinous @56:
All that and more. If reading comments at The Huffington Post isn’t enough to get the idea across to Icky, he should try reading the comments at Consumerist when some consumer has been badly screwed over and is coming across as vulnerable.
Antinous @58: Esmerilemelo is gone now. Sorry about that — I was AFK for eighteen hours or so.
Wow! It’s like The Red Elvises meet Flogging Molly. Amazing! Too bad they’re not in my neck of the woods any time soon…
“‘I speak as a lifetime failure’
He turned down the makers of Seinfeld, didn’t return Janet Jackson’s calls and argued with Britney….”
“When I screw I don’t care for the beauty”
GB are gods :D
Gogol Bordello are amazing! My ma even went to see them at Brixton academy a few months before she got her hip relpacement operation, and then recently, and somewhat tragically, sung start wearing purple at her mothers funeral.
One of my favourite quotes ever has come from Eugene. “We have saying in Ukraine. Man without mustache is like woman with one.”
#23- I didn’t bring her for that reason, but it may require a sitter next time. And my kid seems to have a strong sense of language and appropriateness. She sometimes scolds me for cursing. I’ve noticed that she doesn’t just parrot what she hears around her, she is good about taking things in and evaluating them before spouting them back. We did take her to TMBGs and that was a good time.
And yeah, the Pogues parallel I think is apt. It’s the way I described them to a friend.
“God damn, Next rounds on me… nobody learns no nothing from no history”
Mindy
bless u teresa, u rock! keep up the wonderful work.
The cinematic equivalent of Gogol Bordello, especially the “Underdog World Strike” album, is Emir Kusturica’s “Underground.” It won the 1995 Palme d’Or and, after many years of internal debate, I’ve decided this is one of the best films, all time. Few films feed your soul like this.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114787/
if you like GB, maybe you might like the Dead Brothers (international outfit based in Switzerland), too:
http://thedeadbrothers.com/
Aparently they have (sort of) disbanded and are pursuing different solo-projects – they have about four albums out though, with some amazing music. If you clickon “Movies” you can watch a video for their song “Trust in me”.
(I am not affiliated with them, but I saw them live and really enjoyed them!)
Thanks to all of you for the additional info on Gogol Bordello and links to other cool music. That’s why I love BB’s community. Anything I might find out about, there are always BB folks who know more about that thing and are happy to share the knowledge.
Well, I was referring to how every major music mag in north america was shitting themselves over the band in the summer.
personally don’t care for them, but oh well.
Wait a minute, Baldhead. What compelled you to inform David that he is “late” by mentioning a burgeoning enthusiasm for something to new to him? Why was that necessary? I would honestly like to know. And especially if you don’t even care about the band in the first place. Why did you have to log in, spend time commenting on the post, and be dismissive and insulting in the first place, if you don’t even care about the band? What is the damn obsession with being the “first to know, last to care”? Please enlighten us.
What is the damn obsession with being the first to know, last to care?
I think it’s called ‘adolescence’.
I’m late to this comment party, but I wanted to toss in my vote for how awesome Gogol Bordello is.
Aw, I sympathise with Baldhead in some ways. bordello is hegemonic in some scenes and its somewhat frustrating for people like me who aren’t all that into them. I couldn’t care less about authenticity, mind, but even so they sound gimmicky to me. I keep an open mind tho. Like i didn’t like metal until about a month back when for some reason i suddenly got it.
I know from certain friends that there are better artists in this sort of genre, but I never remember their names. sorry.
Yes, everyone should see this band live. The shows are very high-energy and the girls in the band WILL steal your stuff. Eugene even hit me in the face. It was great.
there is also archive footage of them on later with Jools Holland, the Dixie chicks have to follow them and you can see the look on their faces ‘how in the hell can we top that?”
oh! shameless plug: for anyone who receives Link TV (Dish Network ch9410 or Direct TV ch375), we’re showing a doc about Gogol Bordello called ‘The Pied Piper of Hutzovina’ this Sunday at 8, and a few other times in April.
see here: http://www.linktv.org/programs/pied
See also Everything Is Illuminated with Eugene Hutz – the front man! He also does some of the soundtrack!
Hooray!
These guys are amazing live! They played here in New Orleans last year to standing room only at Tipitina’s.
If you like them, you might also consider a local group called the Zydepunks (New Orleans’ Cajun Irish Breton Slavic Zydeco band). You can’t beat an evening of songs in eight different languages from one band http://www.zydepunks.com/
Yeah, these guys are wild. Eugene Hütz, their lead vocalist, represents, for me, everything that is right with Eastern Europe, though the band members aren’t all of Eastern European decent (I think the line up currently stands at one Ukrainian, two Russians, one Israeli, an Ethiopian, two Americans, and one Scott). They are the only band I know to ever make use of Trubas. I highly recommend their latest album, Super Taranta!, to anyone who likes different/quirky/quality music.
To everyone who logs on solely to complain or be otherwise obnoxious:
Being fussy without making an actual contribution is something babies do. Think of a nest of baby birds, screaming like mad for the parents to feed them. They spend their infancy split between sleeping and complaining.
What do you whiners do with your life? Wake up, get online and complain awhile? Find something constructive to do; don’t sit back and fuss like a baby, because you’re not being entertained sufficiently by a COMPLETELY FREE WEBSITE.
I saw these guys at the Black Cat in DC a few years back. By far, the loudest, most insane concert experience I have ever attended.
I’d also like to recommend Man Man and the Real Tuesday Weld, which make me think of the circus and flickering silent movies, respectively.
Hm. you’re only about six or seven months behind everyone else on this one.
MarignyMohican – I was at that show! It was fantastic, and we were watching from the awkward corner of the balcony. Funny enough, I saw a student at the school I work at wearing the “Start Wearing Purple” shirt just two days ago. She was like 9 maybe. Awesome band, awesome time.
Hmm. I had not heard of them. Perhaps you should revisit your definition of “everyone else.”
Or perhaps you meant to say “everyone who matters.”
mmmm,lovely image…. you! you there with the fretful look, c’mere, I’ve got something for you!
BWAAAAAULP! Ah, there ya go lil’ baby boid!
Baldhead, don’t be such a downer.
I’m almost certain that I read a post about a similar band, with a reference to Gogol Bordello even, here, a while back. But I can’t seem to find it. Meh. Wikipedia has a few other bands under the “Gypsy punk” banner. I’ve heard that dvotchka is quite good but have yet to get a chance to hear them. Viva gogol bordello.
Hm. you’re only about six or seven months behind everyone else on this one.
Hmm. I had not heard of them. Perhaps you should revisit your definition of “everyone else.” Or perhaps you meant to say “everyone who matters.”
no. he’s right. sorry.
I feel compelled to mention Gogol Bordello’s buddies the Balkan Beat Box.
I adore these guys! I really dig Eugene’s lyrics… My daughters a big fan, too. Thought from what everyone describes, it’s probably best to wait awhile to take her to a show (she’s 5). I like Super Taranta, but Underdog World Strike is great too.
Mindy
I think Baldhead has suffered enough now.
Re: GB – heard them on CD and thought “nah” but… all this talk and some video does make me think they ought to be seen live. Balkan Beat Box look fab too.
You also should check out J.U.F., which grew out of frontman Eugene Hutz’s side gig as a DJ. It sounds like Eastern European dancehall.
Someone beat me to the “Everything is Illuminated” reference – BTW, that’s the rest of the band at the train, and they also did the music for this movie.
I was able to see Gogol Bordello play at the Roseland here in Portland about a month ago – they put on the best show I have seen in a very long time. The band has great energy, the crowd really gets into it, and I think they played over two hours! Absolutely Fantastic, highly recommended, if you can see these guys play live DO IT. I would follow these guys from show to show if I could afford it.
“See also Everything Is Illuminated with Eugene Hutz – the front man! He also does some of the soundtrack!
Hooray!”
That was an amazing movie. And Gogol Bordello plays wonderful music. The video “Wanderlust King” has gypsies in it. The song makes you want to dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jv3b0VKec8
I was listening to Gogol Bordello before I saw Everything is Illuminated. It was a bit jarring to see Eugene without his power ‘stache; he looks a lot less badass.
I feel compelled to mention Gogol Bordello’s buddies the Balkan Beat Box.
Balkan Beat Box is so very much better than Gogol Bordello, who I think has too much mediocre punk and too little eastern European weirdness. My reaction to Gogol Bordello was to turn it off and listen to either ‘standard’ eastern European music or ‘standard’ punk.
Here’s another voice pointing out that yes, Pesco’s late to this party. Super Taranta! came out something like 9 months ago and was widely blogged and praised. Personally I’m not a fan. But if you like it, hey, good for you, and even better if the story of your discovery is as unique as this one is.
They were at Bonnaroo in 2007 and are on the lineup again for 2008. Excellent stuff. I’m glad to see them getting some lovin’ and attention.
@BALDHEAD
“Hm. you’re only about six or seven months behind everyone else on this one.”
6 or 7 months?
Try 6 years.
ditto Volcanodust.
Check out “Start Wearing Purple,” my favorite of their songs – it rocks and it’s fun!
Re: #9, #13 – I saw them live over two years ago, does this mean I can take your lunch money now? Honestly, novelty is relative, and the basic premise of the site is that they post things that they find interesting, when they want to.
And yeah, re: #15… a five year old may enjoy the music at home, but parroting Hutz’s exertions to “Think locally, fuck globally” may get her in trouble in kindergarten. That is, if the crazed cossack mob doesn’t accidentally step on her. Fun show, though, I love stunt Hutz occasionally pulls where he throws the drum to the crowd then hops in the drum to crowdsurf. It looks cool, and results in fewer boot-to-the-face moments for the fans.
My reaction to Gogol Bordello was to turn it off and listen to either ‘standard’ eastern European music or ‘standard’ punk.
Both standard punk and standard eastern European music are pretty predictable, at least musically. I like my genres blended, like Gogol Bordello, Sonic Boom Six (ska, punk, hiphop) and Mischief Brew (folk, punk).
Also, second those who prefer Balkan Beat Box. For more stuff in that sonic vein, check out rai music, which is always played before Gogol Bordello shows. The GB frontman, Eugene Hutz, is well-known in NYC for his DJ activities featuring this music. Other bands you should check out are Taraf de Haidouks, and Farmer’s Market – especially Farmer’s Market!
didn’t they often dj / play @ the bulgarian disco in chinatown?
They’re one of those bands that can immediately put a smile on my face.
Hehe, you guys are soooo late on this. They have been popular in NYC for a long time – and for good reason. Amazing music, amazing concerts, amazing people!
Also, Sergey (violinist) is a personal friend of mine, and I can’t tell you guys what an incredible and inspirational human being he is. He used to be an artistic director of a theater in Moscow (or something like that), and is definitely one of the reasons why their live shows kick so much ass.
As to the above question, Eugene used to DJ there without the rest of the band.
The irony is that if I wanted to post ala baldhead, I’d point out that baldhead himself is several years behind. But, I’m too old for music snobbery, I checked that about the age of 30.
That said, these guys are great. Pescovitz’s comment comparing them to the Pogues mixed w/ circus music really hit me because I’m a huge Pogues fan and I always saw these guys in a similar light.
I was introduced to the Bordello only a few weeks ago by way of watching the movie “Wristcutters” (available to the less-scrupulous on Usenet, take note), which prominently features “Through The Roof And Underground” in the soundtrack, as well as a role played by Tom Waits. I’d highly recommend it to this crowd.
Check this out:
RotFront – Emigrantski Raggamuffin Kollektiv
http://www.myspace.com/rotfrontberlin
At the beginning of a five-hour bus ride to Boston last year, my sister put on the first song of a really huge Gogol Bordello playlist and handed me her iPod. God only knows how the woman next to me interpreted my reaction :)
#4– Thanks. I did not know the frontman was in Everything Is Illuminated (or in fact that they’d made a movie out of it). *snuffles off to investigate*
I picked up on Gogol Bordello via NPR’s “All Songs Considered” podcast. They have a show from the 9:30 Club in D.C.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11907007
Never heard of them until they came out with Super Taranta last Summer. Great album. I’ve listened to it many times and would like to hear some of their other stuff. I also had a renewed interest when I saw Wristcutters A Love Story a few months ago.
@19 noahpoah, the key phrase for me is “turn it off”, which means you were listening to the band’s cd. if you’d seen ‘em live first, i guarantee you’d have a different and more favorable reaction. if we could bottle eugene’s charisma, chutzpah and unflagging energy, we most likely have a solution to our other energy crises.
also, i saw devotchka live a few weeks ago. highly recommended but much more subdued.
and thanks to everyone else for all the documentary/film links i’d previously not been aware of.
Living in SF, you just missed them. They played here last month. What a show! They are too much fun live.
Living in SF, you just missed them. They played here last month. What a show! They are too much fun live. Also, Amnesia, on Valencia has a weekly live music night, featuring Bulgarian and other eastern european music.
Gogol Bordello are amazingly awesome, and I second the recommendation for Super Taranta, though any of their albums are a good introduction.
Baldhead and Elguapostrikes, aww, you guys are so cute. “Six or seven months”? I’m afraid you missed the cooler-than-thou train by a few years on this one.
Ha, baldhead. Try 6 or 7 YEARS too late. I was at the record release party for their second CD, which was released in 2002. And given that it was already their second CD, I guess that means I was a bit late to the game, too.
Perhaps somebody needs to buy baldhead one of those t-shirts with the funny Venn diagram of faulty logic?
Bottom line: if you have not already, GO SEE GOGOL BORDELLO LIVE! Honestly, what other band has dancing girls who sometimes come out dressed as border patrol and proceed to hog tie the lead singer with his own microphone cord?
I like that this band seems to be an international culture mix! Great!
Like cshepherd, I just saw Wristcutters (a very enjoyable movie) last week and that’s when I went and bought some Gogol Bordello’s music. Plus, ‘Gogol’ reminds me of Gobo from the Fraggles.
Yeah you all are like 6 months behind on this music thing. I totally got into music like 6 months ago. I’m bored of it now, music sucks.
You all are soooo 6 months ago, listening to music.
There’s a slideshow with a few pics here:
The Rise of Gypsy Punkers
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/02/arts/music/02gyps.html
Add another vote for Wristcutters: A Love Story. That was my introduction too, and I love the “Through the Roof & Underground” song!
@87 Takuan
I’ve been eating party mix. Everybody likes party mix, right? So don’t be fretful! There’s enough for… *hurk* enough for everyone! *hurk hurk* C’mere…
They are amazing! But fair warning to people who will first experience them on CD: It’s cliche, but it doesn’t come close to seeing them live.
If you can go see them live, you should.
see what gypsy music leads to?
@3: That’s 8pm Pacific time on Sunday…10pm here in the midwest, and I assume 11pm on the east coast.
@6: Thanks for the lolz. At least you didn’t call him Scotch!
Hegemonic?!?
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
BTW, I think Baldhead is actually Indie Rock Pete’s posting pseudonym.
I lost my big toenail as a direct result of the insane crowd at a Gogol Bordello show. The tiny chick in front of me kept pogo-ing directly on my sneakered foot in boots with, like, wooden heels.
But watching Eugene Hutz crowd-surf while standing on a big bass drum made the toe grossness more than worth it.
Eugene Hutz as co-star, and the wall to wall Gogol Bordello soundtrack, is the only reason to watch “Everything Is Illuminated”.
Oh god, I’ve loved them forever. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, including crowd surfing on top of a bass drum. Makes me proud to be of eastern european extraction.
Homework for everyone: read Svetlana Boym’s History of Nostaglia. It’ll help you understand why they are so damn popular with children of children of eastern european immigrants like myself.
I’ve been following Eugene’s musical career for many years — I don’t say this to make myself sound like I’m really hip to the new cool bands (“You guys are just learning about Gogol Bordello? Well I listen to bands that haven’t even formed yet!”), in fact, I’m reasonably square when it comes to new music — But I live in Burlington, VT where Eugene spent the 1990s and I used to see his band, The Fags, play here regularly. I even have some never-released tracks from a pre-Gogol project he did in Vermont called The Cossacks — great stuff.
Anyway, I echo the calls to check out the film Wristcutters: a Love Story. There is music by Gogol Bordello and a Russian (perhaps Ukrainian?) character who is a rocker named “Eugene” with a big mustache. I imagine the producers of the film wanted to actually cast Hutz, but couldn’t for some reason and cast another guy instead. It’s a good film with some great music.
@Baldhead (#9), What you said is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve read in BB’s comments yet.
What you said is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve read in BB’s comments yet.
I’m sure that the lovely Teresa has a special prize waiting for our winner! Teresa…
Hmmm! Hearing never tasted so good!
ANYWAY, sorry about the mini-rant. Just get tired of the posturing.
I am sooooo excited to finally ride on the SF carousel, especially if they are playing Gogol. I wonder if I could slip the guy a Tom Waits mix tape to ride to. THAT would be awesome… I love it when people who are given some freedom to effect a public space, choose to mix it up a bit and expose others to something wonderful, and in the case of the carnival atmosphere of a carousel, somehow appropriate.
lousy gypsies! Their 2008 tour schedule omits the center of the known universe!. Maybe, maybe I kidnap their child…ja, then ze come……
My niece (who’s much cooler than me; she’s squatted in Barcelona, raised hell in Oaxaca, fights for the homeless in Portland and helps out at Steampunk Magazine) turned me on to them about three years ago. I saw them live in SF a couple of years back, though I missed their most recent show.
If you haven’t seen them live, and they come to your town, don’t miss them.
In regards to the Madonna connection, frontman Eugene Hutz starred in her directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, which I haven’t seen for myself but have heard fairly good things about.
#3 “The Pied Piper of Hutzovina” is actually being released on DVD in the US on 4/15 and pre-orders are on sale now:
http://www.hartsharpvideo.shoppingcartsplus.com/catalog/item/4321710/5499571.htm
The girl who made it has a pretty neat website for it as well:
http://www.thepiedpiperofhutzovina.com/
yaaaaa! no wonder Gypsies have been hounded throughout the ages! I visited the Pied Piper site just now and was twitching and bobbing in less than a minute! Witches! (but oh-so-good!)
Anyone into Gogol Bordello might also want to check out World Inferno Friendship Society, another great NYC band that mixes eastern european music with punk.
Another nod to Zydepunks if you like Gogol Bordello. Not as spastic but similar musically. (They play in the Hattiesburg, MS area a whole lot these days. College town like this eats them up.)
offspring of Queen Ida?
I wonder if the comments here, especially David’s succinct and perfect reply in #46, aren’t good evidence of why it’s better to talk our way out of stupidity instead of rely on the frustrating antics of a sometimes too involved moderator.
keep wondering. Having Teresa do the disagreeable but necessary task of keeping the joint orderly frees up time for Dave and company to be creative. I also think calling someone else work “antics” is being lippy. Don’t look to me for sympathy if the bouncer thinks so too.
I wonder if the comments here, especially David’s succinct and perfect reply in #46, aren’t good evidence of why it’s better to talk our way out of stupidity instead of rely on the frustrating antics of a sometimes too involved moderator.
Because some of us would rather have a discussion without having to listen to howler monkeys shrieking at us all the time. If Teresa weren’t lopping heads off left and right, there would be hundreds of comments far worse than that. Go to HuffPo, pick any article and read the comments, if you don’t believe me. And they’re actually moderated!
And because David and the other BBers shouldn’t have to be subjected to that kind of bullshit. Imagine if your mailbox were full of e-mails every day reading: “You bore me”, “Get over yourself”, “You’re a sell-out”. That’s what unmoderated comments were like for the BBers. That’s why comments were disabled before. I sure as hell wouldn’t put up with that shit. Bravo to the BBers for hiring someone who can kick ass so effectively.
furthermore,Icky, did you do the good citizen thing of reporting that goddamned spam before your post? Or were you too busy dropping lit matches?
Speaking of which, Esmerilemelo really needs a stiletto heel applied to his nuts. I flagged it, but is anybody awake?
Icky has a long history of good comments, for which he or she deserves full credit. Slip your shuriken back in your sash.
shuriken? try sleeve entanglers
http://www.tenshukaku.de/mitsu.jpg
http://www.funnypicturesofdogs.info/wp-content/uploads/funny-pictures-of-dogs-dog-mad.jpg
sleeve entanglers
Yeah, but are they made of hypoallergenic silicone?
http://www.ugo.com/images/articles/000903600/903558_big.jpg
(he’s actually a nice guy, but jeebus! he hates tobacco!)
awsome stuff! In melbourne australia we have a band called ‘vulgargrad’ (www.vulgrad.com), similar but different, but i’m thinking just as awesome to see live!!
Gogol Bordello have been on Jimmy Kimmel Live twice, the first time in March 22, 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8eURkYkeLw
And DeVotchka are great too!
These guys are really funny!
They kinda remind me of NETO, though not as manic. I used to watch them play in the subway in NYC in the late 90’s. I just found a bunch of their tracks. http://martoon.tumblr.com/post/30527591
yaaahyy! another thumbs up from a former Hattiesburg MS person. My first exposure to these guys was opening for Manu Chao last year at Red Rocks. Definitely a hard act to follow.