Girl at the Rock Shows

Minneapolis needed Wednesday night. No matter what the news tells you, things are still a bit messy up here. I know I sound like a broken record at this place, but there are still federal agents disappearing our neighbors and community. There’s still this feeling of tension and fear in the air all over town, and although we definitely got a small victory about two weeks ago when it was announced that the “surge” was over, it’s clear that the war is far from done. That’s why we needed Wednesday night. We needed a reminder that people are still thinking of us, people still see us, and that they acknowledge everything that we’ve put into this fight. To say that Gogol Bordello, Puzzled Panther, and Boris and the Joy gave us that acknowledgement and that love would be an understatement, and that was what made Wednesday night the kind of night that the Twin Cities needed.

I instantly recognized the opening act, Boris and the Joy, as being the guitarist of Gogol Bordello. Although Boris, a Ukrainian/Russian singer, composer, and guitarist, is no longer with Gogol Bordello, the feeling of his opening set was very similar to what the sold-out audience at First Avenue would be treated to later in the night. Joined on stage by one of the current drummers of Gogol Bordello (clearly, this is a family thing, but more on that later), I instantly fell in love with the quirkiness and the heart that this duo put into everything they do. Sonically, Boris and the Joy had a cool, psychedelic influence that seemed to layer everything from folk to pop. It created an infectious energy that could go from insanity to peace in the blink of an eye. I loved how this act wasn’t afraid to show a more laid-back side of emotion when playing with two powerhouse bands. Although it was a different flavor for the night, it was lovely and one I hope to get more of in the future.

Following Boris and the Joy was a quick set from Puzzled Panther. The last time I saw this New York City-based band was when they opened for Gogol Bordello back in 2023. Back then, Puzzled Panther came in the form of a duo. I remember liking their vibe but feeling it was a bit hollow compared to the rest of that night. This time, Puzzled Panther came in the form of a full band, and I feel like I really got to see this band in the brilliant light that they deserved to be under. Again, like Boris and the Joy, there was a vibe that felt very “Gogol” about Puzzled Panther. This makes sense since the band features Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz on guitar and keys (and he also does some work behind the scenes for them). This goes back to the whole family thing, but again, I’ll expand on that later.

Puzzled Panther was full of energy and an undeniable NYC-styled punk feeling. The way this band electrified the stage and the way that electrification radiated into the audience was unreal. This entire band was full of life, but it was frontwoman Victoria Espinoza who really commanded my attention throughout the set. There was just something about her aura that screamed positivity at the same time as it drenched a punk energy. She’s one of those people that you watch and just pray that you can be half as cool as her at one point in your life. Although you could definitely feel a sense of anticipation in the air, I feel that Puzzled Panther did an exquisite job of capturing the hearts and minds of the sold-out crowd, and I hope that means that we may get a headlining show from this group in the near future.

I have covered Gogol Bordello eight times. I have seen them well over a dozen times. I keep coming back. Why? Because this is one of those bands that just makes me happy. There’s something so genuine and so beautiful about this band but, at the same time, there’s something painfully chaotic and insane about them at the same time. All of these things swirl around during a Gogol Bordello set to create this undeniable sense of community and love that you never want to leave, and that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night at First Avenue.

I wasn’t really keeping track of their set, but Gogol Bordello must have played about twenty songs. Personally, I loved the old-school throwbacks like “Wonderlust King” and “I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again.” I loved being able to jump and sing along to those Eastern European-styled gypsy punk anthems. I also really loved hearing some new music from their new album, ‘We Mean It, Man!’ which just dropped a couple of days ago. Although these were new to me songs, as I have not had a chance to check the album out yet, I loved that they still had that signature Gogol Bordello energy, which made it so easy to fall in love and relate to the new tracks.

Gogol Bordello is a band of immigrants. They are truly an international band in every sense of the word as they have members in the band that are from all over the world. This gives them their unique sound. Much like America is supposedly a melting pot of sorts, Gogol Bordello’s song is also a melting pot of different energies, sounds, and tones. That’s what leads to the chaos behind this band as well as the perfection. You never know what’s going to come next. Will it be a Celtic-leaning punk song? Or maybe one of my personal favorite klezmer-induced frenzies. What you do know is that you are going to get a taste of a little bit of everything when watching and listening to this band. This is what made their performance on Wednesday night feel especially special. From the “Fuck Ice” chants that broke out randomly during the set to them playing songs like “Immigrant Punk” and “Immigraniada (We Comin’ Rougher),” things just seemed to hit a bit harder when it came to this band and the way they talk about immigration and immigrants so freely.

This isn’t a band, this is a family. I’ve mentioned that a couple of times now. I hate to say that it’s like a cult, but truthfully, it is. I feel like from the members of the band to the fans, there’s something just so powerful about Gogol Bordello and their message (and the way they live and stand for said message) that draws you in and captures you. You can’t escape, but this is not a place you want to escape. In a world that can be so ugly, so divisive, it’s truly just spectacular to get lost in Gogol Bordello’s world, where it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter what your skin color is, your sexual orientation, your sexual preference, the color of your hair— nothing. Nothing matters other than the fact that you are a person with a heart and a soul, and you honor those two things in the best way you know how. Okay, I’m getting deep, so I’ll go ahead and get back to the shallow end here and wrap things up, but, truly, there’s just something so liberating and beautiful about Gogol Bordello and the world that they have created. If you haven’t dipped your toes in yet, I highly suggest you do.

Minneapolis may be out of the thick of it, but we are still under siege. We are tired. We are exhausted. We are sick of fighting and sick of the bullshit (if I can be quite frank). This whole span of time has been trying to say the least, but we are getting by, and nights like Wednesday night spent with Gogol Bordello and friends at a sold-out First Avenue were a good reminder to keep on going. The fight isn’t done, and we aren’t done, but thankfully, we aren’t alone, and that was the feeling that reigned supreme throughout Wednesday night’s show.

Line Up:

Boris & The Joy

Puzzled Panther

Gogol Bordello

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Weed and Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- Lost count at 14 (I honestly wasn’t paying super close attention)

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 11 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bodies

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 3

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Boris & The Joy – 0

Puzzled Panther – 1

Gogol Bordello – at least 8

Show on Deck —Dave Hause & The Mermaid / William Elliott Whitmore / Adeem the Artist

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