Gogol Bordello Concert Report

Gogol Bordello at Danforth Music Hall August 19

Gogol Bordello returns to Canada following their solid sixth album Pura Vida Conspiracy. This was my third time seeing Gogol Bordello, the previous two times following their best album, Super Taranta. I was somewhat less enthusiastic about going this time since their last two albums, while good, seem to have toned down the crazy energy that characterized their earlier work. While the show was front-loaded with my favourite songs, Gogol still captivated the crowd for almost two hours.

This was my first concert at the Danforth Music Hall and I was impressed by the venue and the sound. It is larger inside than it initially seemed, offering good line of sight and crisp sound. The band opened with the excellent opening track from their new album, "We Rise Again". They followed with an amazing trio of songs: "Ultimate", "Not a Crime" and my favourite, "Wanderlust King". The crowd was going crazy pretty much right from the start, with intense moshing and a few crowd-surfers. They continued with a mix of new and old songs but the energy level never fully abated, even during the slower songs. They played their signature track, "Stop Wearing Purple", surprisingly early in the show. For the encore, they played four songs, ending with a furious rendition of Gypsy Punks' "Undestructable".

The band was in excellent form, despite a few lineup changes since I last saw them. They have a new drummer and accordionist, as well as losing one of their female backup singers. Singer Eugene Hutz seems entirely unchanged, yelling every line like his life depends on it and regaling the crowd with various anecdotes. Ecuadorian percussionist and rapper Pedro Erazo has a more prominent role in the band, adding raps and call-and-response interludes to a number of songs. Violinist Sergey Ryabtsev came across as an elderly but virile Russian punk rocker. His violin parts often provide the melodic anchor for the songs while his heavily-accented backing vocals add a unique character, especially for "Stop Wearing Purple". The only complaint I have is that they are a little too willing to drag out the climax for every song. Overall, while Gogol Bordello the studio band has lost some steam, Gogol Bordello the live band more than make up for it.

Akron/Family Concert Report

Akron/Family July 28 at Sonic Boom

This was the latest in Sonic Boom's series of excellent free concert. Over the years I have seen many artists perform at Sonic Boom, including Coeur de Pirate, Broken Social Scene, Thunderheist, Buck 65, Lioness and Courtney Taylor-Taylor from the Dandy Warhols. Typically, these are short, impromptu performances and are often acoustic. The mascot for the recent shows is a small baby who was rocking some stylish headphones to protect his ears from the onslaught. Akron/Family brought a full-on, jam-rock concert to Sonic Boom.

Akron/Family started a little late but delivered over an hour of psych-rock excellence. This was the longest, most complete concert that I have seen at Sonic Boom to date. As they were not playing a proper show in Toronto, they passed on the appetizer and moved straight into the main course. Based on my limited prior knowledge, I believed the band to be a freak-folk ensemble with at least eight members. Instead, this four-piece delivered focused, heavy psych reminiscent of Deep Purple and early King Crimson. While the bassist and guitarist both sang, the bassist Miles Seaton had the strongest voice and sang the best songs. The keyboardist alternated between Deep Purple-ish organ solos and experimental, free-form noise. Their songs mixed psych-rock standbys with loops and chanting to create a trance-like effect.

Despite commenting that they didn't have a chance to sound check, the band was very tight and the sound was loud, crisp and full-bodied. Akron/Family pushed the limits of Sonic Boom's sound system more than any other act I've seen, often reaching punishing volume.