Gogol Bordello Is “Undestructable” at Minneapolis’s First Avenue
On February 25, Gogol Bordello brought their decades-long music history to a sold-out First Avenue crowd. Yours truly was thrilled to be invited to the party, partly because I have been a slacker fan of theirs for many years and also because I recently discovered my connection to Ukraine wasn’t just a shared spiritual opposition to the oppressive ghosts of the Soviet Union. And the Minneapolis crowd was more than eager to get down with some serious anti-imperialist antifascist Slavic punk rock.
The show was kinetic and inspiring and only let up for an occasional foray into a handful of slower songs, such as “Alcohol.” The set list was a perfect mixture of past bangers and songs off their new album, We Mean It, Man! Band and audience were very much in sync in their desire to rage, rock, and dance. There wasn’t a specific protest theme to this show, but there didn’t need to be—almost everyone present was clearly hip to the sonic anarchy at the heart and soul of Gogol Bordello. Rebel loon gear alternated with shirts old and new that sported the iconic slingshot logo long associated with the band.
Not surprisingly, spontaneous chants of “Fuck ICE!” filled the Mainroom during a couple of breaks between songs, a sentiment that frontman Eugene Hütz and vocalist Pedro Erazo were happy to echo from the stage. Likewise, when Mr. Hütz waved a Ukrainian flag at the end of “Life Is Possible Again,” shouts of “Slava Ukraini!” emerged from the darkened room. While performative resistance and punk rock shows often go hand in hand, the vibe of love and rage at this gig was palpable and immediate. We mean it man, indeed.
The end of the evening brought a surprise guest: Shannon Selberg, legendary vocalist for the Cows, joined the band on stage for a searing cover of the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye.” According to Hütz, he and Selberg spent a lot of time together in the hazy psych-punk days of yore. As a longtime Cows fan myself, it was a thrill to see the underground legends on the First Ave. stage together.
Punk rock isn’t known for it subtlety, of course, but Hütz took the curtain call to make a gentle but obvious point, maybe for the members of the audience who needed the vibe spelled out to them. He made a point of introducing each band member (including the impressive supporting acts, Puzzled Panther and Boris and the Joy) by name and their geographic background. This was demonstrably a multiethnic event and something that certain powers would prefer not happen. Certainly not in Minneapolis.
Gogol Bordello is one of those bands that you absolutely need to see live to “get,” and I was happy to have been part of this special night. As the crowd emerged onto the icy streets of downtown 7th Street, it was clear that none of us were alone in that feeling.
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About the Author
Todd Wardrope
Todd has been a passionate fan of the Twin Cities music scene since Hüsker Dü was still playing together as a band. While we are a long way off from the all-ages exuberance of the late-’80s punk scene, he is dedicated to capturing and telling the stories of the vibrant music scene of today.
