Gogol Bordello came to The Grove in Anaheim on Oct. 18 and our writer Taylor Hamby was there to experience the awesome gypsy punk ruckus caused by frontman Eugene Hutz and his crew of ragtag Eastern Europeans.
Read Taylor's review of Gogol Bordello live at The Grove in Anaheim after the jump.
What can I say? Gogol Bordello live is quite a spectacle. Their Sunday, Oct. 18 show at the Grove in Anaheim was a prefect example of how well a high energy band and charismatic front man, Eugene Hutz, go together.
They are a nine piece outfit with highly influenced Eastern European influences. Their cornucopia of instruments is refreshing, compared to the traditional four piece; singer, bassist, guitarist, and drummer ensemble. Despite their wide use of instruments that are considered obscure by modern music standards, the band still remains harmonious.
Besides two guitars, a bass, and drums, Gogol Bordello is also comprised of an accordion, a violin, bongos, and two lovely dancers. The band together on stage can only be described as mildly organized chaos.
The highlight of the evening was arguably during “Start Wearing Purple.” It seemed as if the whole venue was dancing and singing with double the enthusiasm of every other song played that night. It was wonderful to see the performers and audience dance with the same level of excitement.
Pedro Erazo was spectacular on bongos, an instrument which is typically overpowered by a band, and also as an M.C. from time to time.
The only other person with more energy on stage was, naturally, Hutz, who is the vocalist, and played acoustic guitar for the evening. Though he was a man of few words that evening, Hutz successfully got the crowd excited through his dancing and vocals.
He did have one piece of advice for the audience. Hutz prefaced the song “Educate Thy Neighbor” with this. “This next song is called ‘Educate Thy Neighbor.’ That is the only thing that can be done if you want to take control of this fucking situation.”
The evening ended with a near 20 minute encore, which had even more energy than the preceding set. The encore began with an acoustic song, “Alcohol.” The band proceeded to play a few more songs.
They were like fishermen during the encore. They held on to the audience with a hook, and wouldn’t release. They had several false endings, in which you would think, ‘It can’t get any bigger than that.” And then they would top it with even more intensity in the next song.
If you are looking for a unique musical experience, a Gogol show is the show to go to.
They are a nine piece outfit with highly influenced Eastern European influences. Their cornucopia of instruments is refreshing, compared to the traditional four piece; singer, bassist, guitarist, and drummer ensemble. Despite their wide use of instruments that are considered obscure by modern music standards, the band still remains harmonious.
Besides two guitars, a bass, and drums, Gogol Bordello is also comprised of an accordion, a violin, bongos, and two lovely dancers. The band together on stage can only be described as mildly organized chaos.
The highlight of the evening was arguably during “Start Wearing Purple.” It seemed as if the whole venue was dancing and singing with double the enthusiasm of every other song played that night. It was wonderful to see the performers and audience dance with the same level of excitement.
Pedro Erazo was spectacular on bongos, an instrument which is typically overpowered by a band, and also as an M.C. from time to time.
The only other person with more energy on stage was, naturally, Hutz, who is the vocalist, and played acoustic guitar for the evening. Though he was a man of few words that evening, Hutz successfully got the crowd excited through his dancing and vocals.
He did have one piece of advice for the audience. Hutz prefaced the song “Educate Thy Neighbor” with this. “This next song is called ‘Educate Thy Neighbor.’ That is the only thing that can be done if you want to take control of this fucking situation.”
The evening ended with a near 20 minute encore, which had even more energy than the preceding set. The encore began with an acoustic song, “Alcohol.” The band proceeded to play a few more songs.
They were like fishermen during the encore. They held on to the audience with a hook, and wouldn’t release. They had several false endings, in which you would think, ‘It can’t get any bigger than that.” And then they would top it with even more intensity in the next song.
If you are looking for a unique musical experience, a Gogol show is the show to go to.
To view more photos of Gogol Bordello taken by Taylor, check her Photobucket album.
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