Photos and Review by Sarah Smith
Show photos HERE
The State Theatre was packed for Gogol Bordello’s much anticipated performance. I had some time to kill in between sets so I stood back and watched the most interesting, excited and diverse people conversing back and forth. I saw costumes, crazy hair styles, and beers spilling all over the floor. I knew this would be interesting.
Gogol Bordello’s eight member band finally took the stage in front of the stage’s back drop which spelt “GYPSY PUNKS.” The band is currently on tour for the ten year anniversary of the Gypsy Punks album. Gogol’s frontman, Eugene Hutz welcomed his crowd with open arms and wasted no time getting right into jamming hard. He was practically on top of the crowd with his mic pointed outwards as everyone in the house sang along. He had everyone dancing hard and banging their heads. As they began to play “Start Wearing Purple,” the crowd went ballistic. As I watched from a distance, the entire crowd was stomping up and down, so much excitement was intoxicating as it filled the atmosphere around me.
I was completely fascinated by this band’s high energy performance. Absolutely everyone in that room was dancing hard, as sweat poured down their cheeks. I had listened to Gogol quite a lot in the past, but to be honest the only way to truly experience this band’s energy is to see them live. This band has such a diverse, ethical background and I’m not sure I have ever seen a group so excited to be playing music. There was a constant feeling of serenity throughout the entire show that was shared between both the band and the audience. No other band could pull off the weird combination of folk and gypsy style into a high strung punk rock band. Simply put, this was an absolutely amazing time.
Gogol Bordello at the State Theatre – Portland, ME
