Gogol Bordello | Vermont College Gymnasium | Oct 12

Well, it was a spectacle. Their music isn't really my thing and I'm glad I only had to travel about a mile to see the show. However, it was certainly a site to see. 650 people jumping up and down in an old Vermont gym to what would be best described as a theatrical production of a cartoonish depiction of Eastern European music.

Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello is clearly a rock star or at least a guy behaving how he would expect a rock star to behave. He kept the energy in the room bouncing from the moment the band hit the stage until the last note rang out. However, it felt too choreographed for me. Too staged for punk. I prefer a healthy dose of improvisation and authenticity in my concerts. Plus, it's weird to see a show with lavish costumes when the outfits aren't meant to be ironic.

The crowd loved it though. They seemed to pogo and mosh all night long. There were times when I began to think about the old boards holding the floor up as it trampolined from everyone's activity. Then a friend pointed out that the floor is actually meant to hold up to a game of basketball. However, there's only ten people on a basketball court at a time. This would be the equivalent of two teams of 325 players going at it full court for 90 minutes.

The sound in this video is horrible as expected. However, I still filmed and posted it to show the crowd's reaction to Gogol Bordello's music. The kids loved it. I'd occasionally see one or two of them stagger out of the pit with a dazed look on their face. Certainly not something you see in Montpelier very often.