Saturday, April 16. 2011
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
To experience a set by Gogol Bordello must be a lot like getting like getting swept out to sea by the gypsy pirate version of the Black Eyed Peas. A whirling dervish of sight sound and movement that never stops for two straight hours, engulfs the audience, assimilates them, and turns them into an extension of the living, breathing mass of energy radiating from the stage.
Formed in New York in 1999, the bands sound is a melange of flavors that includes the gypsy spices of eastern Europe, the peppery kick of Brazil, combined with an east coast punk, west coast hip hop base that invites dancing and audience participation. With a road show as engaging and entertaining as Parliament/Funkadelic it's hard not to walk away a fan of the band. This is my second time covering them, both at Stubb's, and I'm look forward to their next Austin stop already. Lucky for us, Gogol Bordello's Austin stop was just a warm up for their gig at Coachella on Saturday, so it was great to see them without having to join the multitudes in the desert.
Unfortunately fans of Gogol won't be able to see the remainder of their current tour. The band has had to cancel it's last 4 dates, all on the east coast, due to a death in the family of one of the band members. For more information please check out the Gogol Bordello web site for more details.
Click here for the rest of the Gogol Bordello pics.
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