It was nothing short of one big party when Gogol Bordello brought their We Mean It, Man! Tour to Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.
Former Gogol Bordello member Boris Pelekh opened the evening with his side project Boris & The Joy. After eight years in Gogol Bordello, Pelekh has been working on his solo project for the last three years, even officially moving to Nashville. He joked with the crowd, “Now that I’m here, you’re stuck with me.”
During his 30-minute performance, Pelekh put on a fun set with plenty of fun, yet poignant songs. The most important moment of the set came when he spoke about politics, specifically referring to immigration.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant; I wasn’t born here. All of you are some kind of a generation immigrant as well, and we are all guests on this beautiful planet,” Pelekh stated to thunderous applause. “Nobody in this room is standing for the s*** that is happening across the country. The remedy is what is happening in this room. We are a community, and your love for art and for each other is the greatest foe of racism, oppression, and all the other bulls*** that is happening. Thank you, Nashville, for bringing that power and energy tonight.”
Puzzled Panther followed by raising the energy, performing a fun-filled 40-minute performance. It was clear that the Nashville crowd wasn’t too familiar with their songs, but it still made for a good way to set the tone before Gogol Bordello took the stage. In fact, Gogol Bordello’s lead singer Eugene Hütz joined Puzzled Panther on stage for their final five songs of the evening. Hütz is producing the band’s debut album, which is scheduled to be released later this year.
One of the more fun moments during the set came during a cover of Sonic Youth’s “Dirty Boots.” Puzzled Panther put their own unique twist on the cover, which made for a good way to wrap up their time on stage.
Gogol Bordello wasted little time getting the energy going, immediately engaging fans in the performance. Throughout the majority of the show, band members play toward the front of the stage, engaging fans to get the party going. “You think I’m going to do all the work? F*** that!” Hütz exclaimed early into the group’s set.
For nearly 90 minutes, there were hardly any down moments during Gogol Bordello’s performance, which in some ways was a shocker. Hütz mentioned it early in the group’s set, but the majority of the songs came from their new album We Mean It, Man!, which was released in February. “This is the deal we offer, you take five of the new ones, and you get the one free from the back-in-the-day catalog,” Hütz stated.
Fans did get to hear some of their favorite tracks, though, as the band incorporated “Immigraniada (We Comin’ Rougher)” and “Start Wearing Purple” late into the performance. Even with most of the songs being new, the Nashville crowd embraced them. Hütz offered a heartfelt appreciation to the Music City audience because, as he noted, the love hadn’t been the same in every city.
There were also some fun little moments throughout the performance, including Puzzled Panther coming back to the stage to join in for a few songs. While the songs may have been newer, the traditional Gogol Bordello atmosphere stayed the same, with plenty of sing-alongs, political references, and dancing. With that atmosphere, it’s easy to tell why Gogol Bordello puts on a can’t-miss show, and Nashville was no different.
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PUZZLED PANTHER
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