Gogol Bordello

Show: Gogol Bordello
Headliner: Gogol Bordello
Openers: Kultur Shock, Zox
Location: Slim's in San Francisco, CA
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2006
2006 Show #: 5

This will be pretty lame as far as show reports go. Part of the problem was getting there late. The other part was that I took BART into the city. To make it back for the last train back to east bay, we had to leave the show early. As a result, I didn't see Zox at all, and only caught about half of the sets of each of the other two bands. I will not be taking public transit to see a late show in the city again.

Both Kultur Shock and Gogol Bordello are very similar bands. Ensembles with very Eastern European sounds and immigrant front men. Both bands include violins (or where they violas), and only Gogol Bordello varies it up by including an accordion. Both play their music with a good bit of a punk ethos. Both put on wild fun sets that are definitely worth seeing. Kultur Shock's frontman had an interesting hair style though, shaving everything but a narrow strip in the center of his head and having the rest of it grown down super long.

On the positive side, it's hard not to want to move your backside when the music gets going. Jump around, be a fool. Good times. I'd like to learn more about these bands and follow how they progress.