GOGOL BORDELLO @ Club Soda

By Josh Mocle - The Kids Are So-So - 10/10/2007

I’m not gonna lie -- writing this review was pretty difficult for me. The first concert review I ever wrote for CJLO was for Gogol Bordello’s last Montreal show almost two years ago, and when thinking of things to say about their most recent visit, I began to realize that I said them already. Focusing mostly on tracks from their 2007 release, Super Taranta, the band once again performed their now-trademarked brand of “Gypsy-Punk” with a level of intensity not seen by bands even half their age. The crowd was still more diverse than the average rock show and Eugene Hutz (and his crazy moustache) remains one of the most brilliant (visually and lyrically) front men I have ever witnessed. Hell, I even managed to attend this show with a family member over the age of 45. A good time was had by all and my mind was blown once again. Let’s face it though, as a band they haven’t really changed all that much in the last six years, let alone the last two; however, this show wasn’t exactly a re-run, and it certainly wasn’t boring.

The first and most notable change was the fact that last time around, the band was unable to fill even half of Le National, a noticeably smaller venue, whereas this time they completely sold out Club Soda weeks in advance. As Hutz himself declared at the beginning of their set: “there’s a few more of you here this time…I bet most of you motherfuckers just found out about us though.” Whether that is actually the case remains to be seen, but what is obvious is that the band has seen an immense surge in popularity in the past two years and I’d imagine that it’s tied directly to the surge of publicity they’ve received since signing to semi-respected independent label SideOneDummy in 2005. But hey, a decent chunk of the crowd was aged 55 or above (and clearly not there because the band is the flavour-of-the-week amongst the snotty music critic illuminati), so that certainly says something.

Another thing I noticed was the band’s increased focus on their gypsy heritage while on stage (even though, if I’m not mistaken, Hutz is the only one of Romany descent). It has been apparent in their music since day one, but this was the first time I’d seen the Romany flag painted on the bass drum head, and the closest thing I’ve seen to Hutz being outright preachy about his people, who remain largely under the radar to most of the world. Perhaps this patriotism is due to their rise in popularity, or maybe they feel they can be more opinionated on stage now that they’re better established. If the latter is true, though, it’s saddening; people shouldn’t have to stifle themselves when it comes to supporting their own people, but maybe I’m alone in thinking that.

One of the most obvious changes, however, was the introduction of bassist Thomas Gobena to the mix. Previously, I was unimpressed with the band’s rhythm section in terms of their presence on stage. While my mind hasn’t been changed in regard to guitarist Oren Kaplan and drummer Eliot Fergusen, I found Gobena’s presence to be bold, often rivaling that of Hutz himself. While musically, the bass lines are still relatively simplistic, I never would have thought that replacing their short, Israeli bassist with a rather large Ethiopian man would change the entire on-stage persona of the band as much as it did, but I apparently stand corrected.

So there you have it; not really a new review, but more of a set a footnotes for the previous review (which you should also read). Go see this band, people. I don’t care who you are, you’ll enjoy it. I promise.

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