Photo recap: Gogol Bordello at the Roxy

Gogol Bordello
Saturuday, April 15 at the Roxy
Photos and words by Melissa Ostrow

Dreads and heads of primary-colored hair bounced in the crowd, fists were pumped in their air, dances were danced, and song parts were sung along with, as hippies and punks found something to agree on: Gogol Bordello and the group's manic lead singer, Eugene Hütz. (Also, it's unlikely that any metal kid on earth can resist a grizzled old violin-playing coot in a Slayer t-shirt.) It was a circus on speed as the world's most famous gypsy-punk sprang around the stage, his musicians got down, and his sexy punk-rock backup singers brought the heat. Their energy was magnetic, and yours truly even found herself moving feet and body while protecting the same (not to mention the camera) from the crowd. Without a photographers cage, I found myself fighting it out, throwing elbows, and straining to take photo upon photo -- and still managing to become part of the circus.

As for the opening band -- Providence's Zox, who just signed to SideOneDummy, thereby becoming Bordello labelmates -- I've never seen anyone rock so hard on violin as this dude: