Back to the Bordello

There are some bands in this world that really demand they perform in a venue where they can get close enough to the audience to sweat on them. Gogol Bordello is definitely among them, so a daylight show at Bluesfest's Rogers Stage wasn't a good a venue as Barrymore's to catch them live, but they still had the crowd shaking their stuff (and if they didn't, the massive bass sound would shake it for them).

Eugen Hutz, manic frontman.



Sergey Ryabtsev tries out the basic black.



Accordion player Yury Lemenshev and his main squeeze.



Guitarist Oren Kaplan is still on board, but they have a newish bassist, Thomas "Tommy T" Gobena, who hails from Ethiopia.



Aren't you glad they also still have dancing percussionists and washboard players Pamela Racine and Elizabeth Sun with them? Eugene certainly is.



Elizabeth grabs the mic.



Tommy T brings the noise.



I think Sergey is trying to put the moves on Elizabeth.



Bordello action!





There was a bit of stage-climbing from Eugene.





Guitarist Oren Kaplan moves in for some of that singalong action.



The red bucket: Percussion instrument ...



... and stylish fashion accessory.



No surfing the crowds on the big drum ... Pamela can still give it a few whacks, though.



Just like last time, I didn't get any good pictures of drummer Elliot. Apologies to Elliot and all Elliot fanciers.

• Show reminder: The Format, The Honorary Title, Limbeck, Steel Train and Ruben's Accomplice play Babylon.

Jump around

Friday was the first day that I didn't have to make any decisions about which band I was going to see when: First I went to see Gogol Bordello, then I went to see Sebastien Grainger et les Montagnes, followed by Built to Spill and Metric. The only other possibility on my to-do list was Tokyo Police Club, but their slot overlapped too much with Built To Spill. There was already a healthy collection of people at the Rogers Stage when I arrived for my second Gogol Bordello show. The bass was really thundering, and the band was just as active as it was at Barrymore's. The barrier did prevent the more personal forms of audience interaction (at least while I was there), but a good time was had by all regardless.

I think Eugene Hutz should put out an exercise tape.



A few minutes before the end I went off to the River Stage to grab a good spot for Sebastien Grainger et les Montagnes. I've seen Sebastien before as part of DFA 1979. His Montagnes are a thumping rhythm section, while he's bringing the rock and various grimaces.



There was a brief wait for Built To Spill, spent photographing rainbows and flags, then it was time for Doug Martsch and his merry crew. Well, his not-very-merry crew. as stage performers go they're fairly low-key. I've been enjoying Built To Spill's work since 1993. I was actually trying to find a Treepeople album, had to settle for Ultimate Alternative Wavers and have been an on-and off admirer since. The three-guitar lineup can really rock out the tunes. I believe that's Jim Roth at right. Netson is much hairier, and has more writing on his guitar.



Last time I saw Metric was at the old Capital Music Hall opening for Broken Social Scene on June 12, 2003 (I'm not counting a previous Bluesfest performance where I only stayed for a couple of songs). I admired that show (though BSS did gull me by saying they were about to break up). The crowd was enthusiastic during Metric's set four years ago; last night they were going bananas. While I was watching Built To Spill several thousand teenagers and 20somethings sneaked up behind me (one industrious young lady actually inveigled herself between me and the barrier). The band test-ran a new song called Up In Flames on the audience and played a bunch of favourites like Dead Disco that had the fans sloshing back and forth.



The crowd up front was an incredible crush and by the end I was feeling a bit compressed.

• Show reminder: A History Of, Medium Mood and Good Night Knights perform at End Hits as part of the Yo Rodeo art show; Flow 14, Rockets Away and Machine Gun Dolly rock Zaphod Beeblebrox; The Warriors, First Blood, Too Pure To Die and Daggermouth do the same at Mavericks. The Jason Kent Band and Eric Vieweg perform at Irene's.

Bordello a-go-go

I while back I received a copy of Gogol Bordello's latest CD, Gypsy Punks, thanks to my job as a music reviewer at the Ottawa Sun. I thought it was good, but not year-end list material. Nonetheless, I dropped all plans for Friday, March 17, when I heard the band was playing Barrymore's, because they have a hard-earned reputation as one of the best live acts on the planet. It's well deserved: They had the house moving from the word go with their Gypsy-Slavic folk-rock hybrid. Barring a brief pre-encore intermission they had the crowd in the palms of their hands for a good hour and three-quarters.

The crowd started moshing almost as soon as frontman Eugene Hutz hit the stage and yelled "Let's party!"



Violinist Sergey Ryabtsev.



Yury Lemeshev squeezes it out.



There wasn't a whole lot of lateral movement allowed - this is the closest I got to a good shot of drummer Eliot Ferguson.



Bass player Rea Mochiach in his Clash chic.



I may have a better picture of Oren Kaplan - at right with the groovy pants - somewhere, but this is the one I like most. Like Rea, he's originally from Israel.



Accordion action from Yury.



After a couple of songs Pamela Jintana Racine and Elizabeth Sun zipped onto stage in their ragamuffin chic to scream the screams in I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again. Incidentally, that's a Slayer T-shirt Eugene is wearing.



You can tell which is which thanks to their monogrammed washboards.



Washboard action!



More washboard action!



Sergei eyes Pamela! And who can blame him?



Eugene tried to crowd surf ... he must have been a bit slippery by that point because I don't think the crowd managed to keep him aloft. Barrymore's security was quick to stop any audience shenanigans, anyway. Anyway, here he is getting back on stage, ready to kick things up a notch!







Pamela sings!



Elizabeth breaks out the cymbals while Eugene strums.



Pamela gets a big drum (which proved handy later).



What the heck, everyone deserves some percussion action. I should mention that in addition to his industrial strength stand, Hutz had one of the most battered microphones I've ever seen. Care to wonder why?



My favourite Hutz shot ...



Some singing along with Pamela and Yury.



Rea grabs some front stage action.



Sure, they could just toss a few shirts into the crowd, but a slingshot is so much niftier.



And one last shot of Eugene working the kinks out ...



As you can see, I shot a bunch of pictures - in fact, I shot so many pictures that I ran out of film: Double drat, since I missed the chance to get a picture of the audience holding up Pamela's marching drum so that first she, and then Hutz could perch on top of it (to the displeasure of Barrymore's security). An amazing show ... there was just one strange thing. I was right up at the stage, and was dancing around between shots. There were two guys right beside me just leaning on the stage, drinking. I don't think they so much as wiggled a foot. I almost wanted to check them for a pulse. As for Hutz, as the gig came to an end he asked "Okay, where's the aftershow party?"

• Show reminder: Magneta Lane and Golden Bulldozer play Zaphod's.