Gogol Bordello Comes to Your TV

© Gabrielle Sierra / RumBum.com

Gogol Bordello on tour in 2009.

If you're a Gogol Bordello fan, or caught them last year on the fest circuit and dug what they were doing, then today is your day. Today is the day Gogol Bordello Non-Stop, the film that follows the dynamic and ever enthusiastic gypsy-punk rock band (and the intense party culture that follows them), is finally released. Thankfully, Gogol Bordello Non-Stop was worth the wait.

Gogol Bordello was originally formed in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1999. Since then the group has maintained a steady place in the New York music scene, bringing their unique blend of rock, punk, and Middle Eastern beats to stages small and large. Their sound is feverish and unusual, combining Klezmer music with rock in an incredibly contagious way. Gogol Bordello’s concerts spark frenetic jumping, dancing, and singing from every attendee from the very beginning to the end, which is an unusual and impressive ability. In this documentary, filmmaker Margarita Jimeno tracks the band’s raucous gigs from 2001 through 2006, capturing their growth both in popularity and the band as a cohesive unit.

The primary narrator and star of the film is lead singer Eugene Hutz. Awkwardly tall and thin with a thick twisted moustache and an endless amount of energy, Hutz tells of his journey to America and of the difficulties he faced as a refugee. Early in the film there is some fabulous footage of a 1988 Ukrainian New Years Eve party, during which Hutz’s family toasts to a new life outside of their country. Hutz’s narrations are laden with anger and hostility for what he and his family had to struggle against, and we are reminded that although Gogol Bordello’s songs are awesome to jump around and dance to, the lyrics revolve around some seriously heavy political sentiments.

When listening to Hutz speak or sing it is impossible not to be drawn in. Footage of the singer in his NYC apartment simply cements the notion that he truly lives his wacky on stage persona all of the time. (Clearly there would be no better person to party with.) Musicians such as Manu Chao make brief appearances in spontaneous jam sessions and performances, and the joy that they take from Hutz’s constant passion is downright heart warming.

Jimeno allows each band member to tell the story of how they came to join Gogol Bordello, providing viewers with a realism that is lost during their large stage shows. With such diverse backgrounds and age ranges it is inevitable that there are some hilarious and/or unusual dialogues and stories (their current drummer came on after their first drummer was deported, and one of their dancers met Hutz in a Brighton Beach cafe after which they put on a spontaneous song and dance show.) Few bands have such immigrant heritage, and it is interesting and important to see this melting pot of performers come together as one. The documentary also touches upon the idea of “Gypsy” music and how the Romani community has reacted to the band.

The film hits a universal chord by exposing viewers to a small slice of a musician’s life in New York. It's that element that makes it more than a film about Gogol Bordello, and turns it into an essential piece of indie music culture.