Gogol Bordello at First Avenue

Gogol Bordello brings gypsy punk caravan to Minneapolis

You’re getting a Ph. D. on what the fuck is going on with gypsy jazz man!

Somewhere in between a sweaty mosh pit full of hardcore fans, bottles of vodka and red wine being spilled all over the stage, and the opening band Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas absolutely flooring me, Gogol Bordello lead man Eugene Hutz exclaimed, “You’re getting a Ph. D. on what the fuck is going on with gypsy jazz man!” That summarized quite well one of the best shows I’ve seen this year.

Gogol Bordello hammered First Avenue on Saturday, November 14 with a hard hitting mix of gypsy punk played by a carnival of smiling lunatics. Before their set, purple shirts were thrown into the crowd, and by the end many in the pit had lost their shirts all together. The song “Start Wearing Purple” hit especially hard, with Hutz tossing in references to the Minnesota Vikings and Minneapolis. Even the quieter songs had a bounce, like the acoustic “Alcohol” that Hutz played sitting on speaker stack stage right. Gogol Bordello at First Avenue was an incredible amount of fun!

Photos taken for Reviler. Check it out.