20 October 2010

Gogol Bordello, 15 Oct. 2010

The crowd at The Senator Theatre in Chico was about one-third the size of an audience at The Fillmore, but the energy was beyond anything I had seen before.

I don't know if it was the type of crowd that Gogol Bordello draws, of if it was a difference due to the locations, but it was the oddest amalgamation of people I had seen in one place.

At times I could hardly pay attention to the show because I was intently people-watching.

I saw two separate incidences of top hats. One man in overalls and pigtail buns. Bros. Moms. Goths. Hippies and hipsters.

The fact that all these different people came together for this show was almost too on the nose with the symbolism. 

The audience was incredibly receptive of the opening act, Forro in the Dark. Normally I see opening acts get lukewarm participation, but the audience cheered and danced as if they were the main attraction. 

When Gogol Bordello hit the stage, that energy multiplied. 

Eugene Hütz took off his outer shirt, swung it around and crashed it into a cymbal. As the show progressed, he removed even more clothes, including his shirt emblazoned with "Rio Bazil," a former home of his.

The crowd followed along every time Elizabeth Chi-Wei Sun ran to the front of the stage and pumped her fist in the air to the beat. They shouted the lyrics right back at the band as they played.

Although the energy was impressive for the size of the crowd, the way it was expressed was often off-putting. Obnoxious drunks that are extra loud and energetic isn't something that I consider a positive. Various items were thrown onstage, including cups and glowsticks, some nearly hitting band members. 

Looking back, the performance was great, but the people at the show left me with a bad taste. I can only hope that next time I attend a show at this venue the audience won't ruin it.

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