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Renegade Rock Review Vol 4: Gogol Bordello (09/09/10 & 09/10/09 – Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, B.C) *Double Feature*

Due to unforseen delays, the Gogol Bordello review is here later than anticipated.  To make up for it, we’re offering two reviews; one of each night at Vogue Theatre.  West Coast Weasel presents his review on the left.  Guest writer Resident Rat presents hers on the right.  Please check out her blog online here.

09/09/10 – Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, B.C

Checking out a show at a venue you’ve never been to always ads to the flavor of the evening. When the main act is a band that you’ve also never seen but have heard nothing but the highest of praise for, it’s even better. That act was Gogol Bordello, our gypsy friends from afar. While the Vogue theatre may not be the first place I’d pick for such a rambunctious show, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. The assigned seating arrangement was constricting to some degree, but everyone was guaranteed a decent view of the multi genre, multi ethnic, multi talented ensemble that came before him or her. Apostle of the Hustle was just finishing their set when I sat down in my upper balcony seat. The group is normally a quartet, though what I caught was simply a duo. The pair of musicians, one guitarist/vocalist and drummer had a Spanish tone and style about them. Though my intake was brief, it was an intriguing one indeed.

Seven of nine members of Gogol Bordello took their places and wasted no time before cracking out the hopeful tune “Ultimate” (free streaming MP3 in new tab/window) as the starting point for their set. Utilizing accordion, violin and congas combined with a typical arrangement of standard live instruments—the dynamics were full tilt. Gypsy punk is the term used to describe the hybrid genre, encompassing traditional Roma music with other styles of “rebel” music. In this case, dub and punk rock are two commonly favored. The two remaining members appeared, to dance for our viewing pleasure. The two girls rounded out the wealth of talent to perform a personal favorite, “Wonderlust King.”(free streaming MP3 in new tab/window) Eugene Hutz, front man and true showman switched his guitar to a banjo, and let his reverberated voice ring out for my favorite, though unknown song of the evening. The guitar solo had amazing soul, and topped the song off nicely. Hutz stopped to address the crowd, introducing a new song about the tearing down of a thousand year old church in Turkey. He called on us to educate our neighbours in the appropriately titled “Educate Thy Neighbour.”

A healthy tension between instruments could be heard throughout. One piece had a moving dub feel, reminiscent of “Land Down Under” but Men at Work. While dub styling’s set the tone one minute, arrangements quickly shifted to ska-punk the next. Even beautiful, acoustic mariachi melodies were heard.  The brawling crowd erupted when the raucous “Start Wearing Purple”(free streaming MP3 in new tab/window) commenced.  They kept up with Huts, never missing a single note. Security’s attempt to remove a singing fan from the stage that had her arm around Hutz was ineffective as it was clear the two were in cahoots.

Mr. Hutz returned to the stage, solo, to begin an acoustic number “Illumination”, only to be later joined by the rest. “Punk Rock Parranda” was the second song of what may have been the longest winded encore I’ve witnessed in ages. The extended rendition of “Undestructable” was wonderful but the length slightly abused. Once again, reintroducing the dancers, one with a marching band drum, the other clapping symbols were perfect for an evening closer.  Hearing “this is my life and freedom is my profession” left us all with a grin, nodding with optimism

…Weasel Was Here

For your own intimate experience of two sold-out shows at New York City’s Irving Plaza, pickup Live From Axis Mundi CD/DVD.  CD includes BBC sessions, demos and more. Samples of audio and purchase here. Preview video of the DVD below courtesy of SideOneDummy Records.

09/10/10 – Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, B.C

Autumn is upon us here in Vancouver, and along with the falling leaves comes a storm of bands blowing through the city.  My wallet feeling skinny as it is these days, my two shows for October were Gogol Bordello last week and Flogging Molly later this month.  When it comes to a show like Gogol Bordello however, I can’t help but want to share it here.  I took no notes during the show, just got drunk with the flask of spiced rum I snuck in and danced with Ryan in our seats in the upper balcony of the Vogue Theatre.

We missed the opening band, which our seat neighbors informed us sounded like “they were jamming in a friends’ living room,” so no harm done.  Eugene Hütz, the bands’ mustachioed front man came on stage first to start off the show with the politically charged “Illumination,” with the other band members soon following suit. Hütz sings “realization number one: you are the only light there is for yourself, my friend,” and they’re off! The band barely paused for a breath between songs, leaving me to wonder if I could hack it at one of the Russian weddings they first started playing at.  They were certainly skilled at keeping us enthralled, as I have never been to a show where the audience was so unified.  Everyone around us (even up in the nosebleeds) was clapping and dancing along, often out of their own volition.

The cabaret like atmosphere of the show with its level of variety propelled everyone forward through the hour plus set, including the forty five minute encore and then the impromptu jam session the drummer and percussionist started afterward.

The percussionist, Pedro Erazo brought his Ecuadorian flavor to songs like “Not a Crime,”(free streaming MP3 in new tab/window) with bells and whistles (literally) and dub-like vocalizing.  His set up on stage also included a set of timbales and a sample pad which Hutz also played at one point.  One of the high points of the show for me was during “Immigrant Punk,”(free streaming MP3 in new tab/window) when Hütz put a garbage can over the mic and wailed on it.  The percussive elements of the show in general where amazing, held up by the solid rock beats of drummer Eliot Ferguson, who also sang some minor very Eastern vocal accompaniment. Both Pamela Jintana Racine and Elizabeth Sun added to this milieu with their big bass drum, cymbals, choreographed dancing, and vocalizing on songs like “Go Revolutions” (most of the songs played were from the bands’ latest album, Gypsy Punks).

The band members that stood out the most besides Hutz however, were violinist Sergey Ryabtsev and accordion player Yuri Lemeshev, if not for their talent then at least for their novelty. Ryabstevs’ powerful vocals have him sounding like an opera singer on “Start Wearing Purple.”  The part of that song which really gets me excited however, was when Hütz sings “I’ve known you since you were a twenty, I was twenty,” because it reminds me of Ryan and I, and how insane we both are (Hutz wrote the song for a girlfriend). I can’t forget to mention bassist Thomas Gobena, whose lines on “Undestructable” coupled with Lemeshev’s accordion makes for a truly great song. This was one of the last and most epic numbers of the show (with every member of the group on stage), and the line “all his hardcore when made with love,” to me at least, really sums up the message that Hütz tries to convey with Gogol Bordello.

Overall, this was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. The nature of the conglomeration itself is significant, with many of its members coming from different Diasporas coming together to form a force of resistance and joy. Hütz himself was a refugee for many years, first displaced by the Chernobyl meltdown, which he references in “Sally,” when he sings  “and I survived even fucking radiation.”  A punk band with gypsy hearts, not only is Gogol Bordello the most fun to watch, but they actually have something real to say in a world that grows smaller by the day.

Here’s a couple vids for your enjoyment:

Start Wearing Purple

American Wedding

Wonderlust King (David Letterman)

Category : Renegade Rock Review | | Date : October 17, 2009

Renegade Rock Review Vol. 3 – Deathlok w/ Mastodon, Converge, & High On Fire

Venue: The Orpheum, Vancouver BC.

Date: October 4th, 2009

Heavy metal bands love to cluster together, travel the globe and advertise their tour as the “Heaviest Fucking Tour Ever” in attempts to outdo every other “Heaviest Tour of All Time” lineup.  These shows are successful for the most part, and usually a ton of fun, but sometimes it can be tough to keep the interest of the audience for the duration of the show.  The key is to get the perfect mix of bands whose styles blend, but clash just enough to draw a diverse enough audience and meet the expectations of the majority.  Tonight’s concert had me down for all four bands, which is rare.  The lineup was promising and a show of this magnitude was definitely going to be worth the $60 ticket price.

The Orpheum, home to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, is also famous for showcasing such low energy events as Tony Bennett and Monsters of Folk.  In other words, it’s not exactly known for hosting metal concerts.  Incidentally, the only buzzkill of the evening came from the permanent seating fixtures covering the entire floor area, preventing rowdy behavior and mosh-pits. Seating issues aside, the Orpheum is amazing in stature, the sound is pristine, and the stage is of ample size for bands to move around and interact with the crowd.  Tonight it was about to get a visit from four of the heaviest bands on the planet.
Due to an extremely early starting time (6:30pm) and quite the lengthy lineup to enter, we missed the entire High On Fire set. 0/1(!!)   Fast-forward to mere minutes after our arrival, and Converge had already started, only two songs into their set.  Our tickets had us seated in row 18, but due to the lax security, we were able to wander directly to the front of the stage without incident.  It was amazing to finally see a band that I’d waited for years to see in the flesh.
For those unfamiliar with Converge, they are a four-piece metal/punk/hardcore hybrid famous for pioneering said genre in the mid-late 90s underground Massachusetts scene.  Their live show is one-of-a-kind: they are known for having one of the most rabid audiences in metal, with stage diving from all directions being the staple.  Due to the restrictive arrangement (mainly the floor/pit area being non-existent due to theatre seats) the crowd at the Orpheum was limited to rocking out while standing in one place.  I found this pretty sad—even though I don’t usually venture into the pits too often anymore, tonight would have been a good reason to receive a bruise or ten.  Regardless, Converge played a short but fucking sweet set with intensity as if the crowd were killing it in front of their eyes.  I was stoked to hear some of my favorite songs including “Last Light,” “Eagles Become Vultures” (2005’s You Fail Me), “Heartache” (2007’s No Heroes), and my personal highlight of the set, a brand new, ferocious track called “Axe To Fall” from their upcoming new album of the same title.  Their choice to close the set with “Concubine” was a perfect way to showcase their destructive ability within their final minute and a half.  I was especially impressed with drummer Ben Koller’s live performance, as he tore his kit to shreds for 25 minutes straight.  One of the best and most intense drummers I’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing.  It was a top-notch performance by one of my favorite bands, and definitely the best part of the night.
Muskrat Money Shots: “Axe to Fall” (free MP3 courtesy of Spin.com) & “Last Light” (scroll up/down to stream track below)
Mastodon was up next.  This would be the third time I’d seen the band within a two-year span, two of which were within the last six months. I first saw the band as an opening act for Slayer and Lamb of God in 2007, and I was impressed with their stage presence and musical dedication.  With each album Mastodon has taken their unique progressive rock-metal style to greater heights and with 2009’s Crack the Skye the band once again revamped their sound, adding even more psychedelic textures, veering away from traditional metal.
A lot has changed since 2007.  The band has now includes a live keyboard player and an accompanying video montage that plays throughout the show, putting a visual concept to the journey that is the Mastodon album and concert.  It was no surprise that the set was almost identical to their show in Vancouver this past April, which included the entire new album, Crack the Skye, followed by a few older gems like “Mother Puncher,” “Aqua Dementia,” and “Cycle Of Cysquatch” from albums past as encore material.  I’ve been to quite a few shows in my lifetime and I must say that any band that is willing to play an entire hour long album and extra tracks is all about giving the audience their money’s worth, and for the second time in a row I was definitely impressed.
Muskrat Money Shots: “Oblivion” & “Mother Puncher” (scroll up/down to stream tracks below)
After a brief intermission, it was finally time for Dethklok, who seemed to be the most anticipated band amongst the majority of the audience.  For those who are unfamiliar with Dethklok, they are the invention of Brendan Small, the artist/musician/brainchild behind the animated TV show, Metalocapypse.
The show is a satirical look at the most powerful Scand American Death Metal band in the world, with each episode ten minutes in length, featuring a music video relating to the story.   Metalocalypse has become such a cult phenomenon that Small decided to assemble a band of touring musicians in order to bring Dethklok to the masses. Brendan, co-guitarist Mike Keneally, bassist Bryan Beller and human-drum machine Gene Hoglan emerged after a 5 minute animated Dethklok video to give the crowd a 45 minute shred-fest of classic cuts from Dethalbum I and Dethalbum II. Accompanying the band were the original music videos from the TV show, with new footage and skits added between each song made especially for the tour.  In between the set and encore, we were treated to a short video of the band attempting to coerce their bassist William “Murderface” from getting off the toilet to go out and finish the remainder of the gig. Definitely a nice touch!  The encore included “Thunderhorse,” a personal favorite, complete with a more sexually graphic video than originally shown on the Adult Swim channel.
The Dethklok band was flawless, and the musicianship is top notch. Brendan Small uses his TV show to take potshots at the music industry, heavy metal and music fans in general, but deep down his respect and love for metal shines through.  Small has some of the best riffs and chops in recent memory and he picked the right group of thrashers to get his vision across.  Hoglan was also a treat to watch, as his reputation supersedes him.  The man is a virtual metronome.  It’s no wonder his services have been used by the likes of Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Opeth, and now, Dethklok.
Final Thoughts: Definitely worth the $60 price of admission and all bands were nothing short of amazing.  The only flaw in the evening was the choice of venue as it really seemed to rob the crowd of its potential intensity.  A better venue for the show such as the Commodore Ballroom would have made this concert a ten out of ten.

- Mr. Metal Muskrat

Category : Renegade Rock Review | | Date : October 12, 2009