07/25 Gogol Bordello with Puzzled Panther
at First Avenue
Gogol Bordello Setlist
Tour Dates 7/27 Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
7/28 Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue 7/29 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues 7/31 Toronto, ON - History 8/1 Montreal, QC - MTELUS 8/2 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground 8/4 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live 8/5 Washington, DC - The Atlantis Read More
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Opening up was New York’s Puzzled Panther, with a very brief 25-min set, which included the very first song they wrote called “Non e vero, ma ci credo”, which translate from Italian to mean ‘it’s not true, but I believe it’.
Highlight was seeing Gogol Bordello’s frontman, Eugene Hutz, joining the band for the song “Fake Ass Freedom Fighters.” The song was written for the Stronger Together Vol.1 compilation, a record which promotes women to the front of hardcore punk music shows.
Gogol Bordello (30 Oct 2017) |
We did run into a few people, who was seeing the New York band for the first time on Tuesday night. They decided to buy a ticket based on word-of-mouth recommendation.
The large international group is lead by singer/guitarist Eugene Hütz (Ukraine), with violinist Sergey Ryabtsev (Russia), percussionist Pedro Erazo (Ecuador), guitarist Boris Pelekh (Russia), drummer Korey Kingston (USA), bassist Gil Alexandre (Brazil), and accordion Erica Mancini (Argentina). They also used to have two backup singers, Vanessa Walters and Ashley Tobias, but they were absent for this tour… instead for their part, especially in “Dance Around the Fire” and “United Strike Back”, the two girls from Puzzled Panther came on stage to help sing on these songs.
My new favorite Gogol Bordello song is “My Companjera”, which was played incredibly well to an audience, especially hearing the fans sing back the lyrics.
I was somewhat disappointed to seeing that “Trans-Continental Hustle” was shortened, but medley with the chorus of “American Wedding”, to create a new hybrid song. I suppose the band wants to keep that hit song fresh, but personally speaking, I just want to hear more “hey hey hey hey, hali hali ho”.
They played “Start Wearing Purple” near the end of the set. The song appeared in the Everything Is Illuminated in 2005, and has become Gogol Bordello’s signature song.
Before the song was played, I could have sworn that violinist Sergey Ryabtsev played notes from Prince’s “When Doves Cry” (a nod to the purple one?). Still the little doodle yiddle led to “Start Wearing Purple”. The song, of course, went over incredibly well with the audience.
There was a double encore… yes, stick around after the first encore, and you get a special solo Eugene (who would be joined on stage by the band by the end of his mini-set).
Of the encore song, the most important song is a cover of Angelic Upstarts’ “Solidarity”. This 1983 song was originally written to stand with the Polish people against authoritarian and communist authority… but is still very relevant in light of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking of which, the audience pulled out the Ukrainian flag during the encore, and helping singing the lyrics of “give them hope, give them strength, give them life, like a candle burning in the black of night”.
The new Gogol Bordello’s album, Solidaritine, was put together specifically to support the Ukrainian people in the Russo-Ukraine War. The album is a deeply personal album from Ukrainian-born Eugene Hütz… who still has friends and family stuck in Ukraine.
If the band is playing in your area, go see them! The 2023 tour will end in Washington DC on August 5th.
Puzzled Panther |
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Gogol Bordello |
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Gogol Bordello at First Avenue, Minneapolis (25 July 2023) |
vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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