Photo by Lauren Dukoff
Gogol Bordello, above, plays a sold-out show at the Commodore Ballroom on Sunday night. Meanwhile, Geoff Berner is set to play the Railway Club on Sept. 15.
Punks turn up in the strangest places.
For example, Vancouver-based ‘Klezmer Punk’ accordion-player Geoff Berner met some raw, aggressive local musicians during a visit to rural Romania in 2004.
“I realized these old Gypsy guys were way more punk rock than any of us,” he said. “The guys play violins and their … strings are made of copper wire they got out of an old telephone.”
Gogol Bordello, an eight-person gang of ‘Gypsy Punks’ come from a more standard punk stronghold: New York City. Founder Eugene Hütz migrated from the Ukraine, and united other ex-pat musicians interested in both punk and Romany music. Known for their raucous shows, the resulting group is an Eastern-European version of the Clash, complete with sing-along choruses and ska rhythms. Bassist Thomas Gobena, a recent addition to the band, said the first time he heard the music, he was immediately impressed.
“They have an energy not understood anywhere in the music industry,” he said. “Creatively, there are no limits and boundaries with their music … Right away I wanted to try (and play with them).”
Berner also said capturing the raw energy of Eastern-European music is a focus in his work. His use of the accordion, violin, percussion and singing are designed to reflect the spirit of the energy and the stories he found in Romania.
“I got a little tired of the sound of that ‘ga ga ga’ electric guitar,” said Berner. “For me, punk is more about ideas and emotions than the technical perfection of the music.”
Along with sheer energy, punk typically has had political overtones. Gobena said that Bordello is not an overtly political band, but rather a “socially conscious” one.
“Eugene writes songs based on his experiences in the Ukraine and the U.S.,” he said. “There’s more inspiration from daily influences … (though) these days you can take any subject and make it political.”
