Primus and Gogol Bordello on the Waterfront ...
Eric Shapiro - NY Press 8/2/2010
Gogol Bordello and Primus don’t exactly go together like cheese and pork soda. Perhaps that’s why they’re touring together; nothing’s bound to turn on a band that refuses to be pigeonholed like another band that refuses to be pigeonholed. Fortunately, the crowd, a hodgepodge of hipsters, punks and metal heads with a slightly higher concentration of the latter, wasn’t put off by the two drastically different musical offerings.
The diverse array of T-shirts at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Friday (you’d be just as likely to see Black Flag as Metallica) showed just how far removed we are from the days when genres were sharply defined, when fans of punk and heavy metal were sworn enemies. The throngs of merrily intoxicated attendees, ranging in age from 15 to 50 (not to mention some outliers, like a group of old women in wheelchairs and a small squad of rugrats chasing each other in circles) seemed equally happy hopping and chanting along with Gogol Bordello’s unique Gypsy punk and listening in comparative silence to Primus’ alt-metal jamming.
So was I, up to a point. As thrilling as it was to experience two highly individualistic bands playing to an enthusiastic crowd, a little bit of Gogol and little bit of Primus go a long way. I wasn’t looking at my watch, but I’d say each played for at least one-and-a-half hours. I couldn’t help but notice that Gogol Bordello’s songs started to sound the same after a while and it was somewhat trying to endure some of Primus’ lengthier jams. Still, the good definitely outweighed the bad. Gogol Bordello’s songwriting is formulaic, but it’s a fresh, catchy formula.
Primus is a bit self-indulgent live, but they’re musicians of such high caliber that it’s enjoyable to just hear them play. With Les Claypool’s bass at the forefront, it’s easy to forget that Larry LaLande’s guitar racket and drummer Jay Lane’s (no replacement for Tim Alexander, but more than competent nonetheless) highly technical, jazzy drumming are key parts of what makes Primus so distinctive. Plus, for every overlong wankfest there’s a taught, oddly hooky song like “Jerry is a Racecar Driver” or “Tommy the Cat.” And you could always take a gander at the two oversized spacesuits whose helmets served as screens displaying all manner of trippy, psychedelic visions.
The Williamsburg Waterfront wasn’t the ideal venue for such a big crowd; the view of the East River and Manhattan were stunning, as Les pointed out in between songs. But the view of the stage? Not so much. A glorified pier has its limitations as a venue, although a high quality sound system ensures that you can hear the music even if you can’t always see it being played. It’s safe to say that Primus and Gogol fans weren’t too put off by the venue’s limitations. Their energy, far greater than that on display at the recent Weezer concert, also on the Waterfront, was contagious. It’s safe to say even those like myself who aren’t diehard fans of either band felt lucky to be there.
Gogol Bordello and Primus don’t exactly go together like cheese and pork soda. Perhaps that’s why they’re touring together; nothing’s bound to turn on a band that refuses to be pigeonholed like another band that refuses to be pigeonholed. Fortunately, the crowd, a hodgepodge of hipsters, punks and metal heads with a slightly higher concentration of the latter, wasn’t put off by the two drastically different musical offerings.
The diverse array of T-shirts at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Friday (you’d be just as likely to see Black Flag as Metallica) showed just how far removed we are from the days when genres were sharply defined, when fans of punk and heavy metal were sworn enemies. The throngs of merrily intoxicated attendees, ranging in age from 15 to 50 (not to mention some outliers, like a group of old women in wheelchairs and a small squad of rugrats chasing each other in circles) seemed equally happy hopping and chanting along with Gogol Bordello’s unique Gypsy punk and listening in comparative silence to Primus’ alt-metal jamming.
So was I, up to a point. As thrilling as it was to experience two highly individualistic bands playing to an enthusiastic crowd, a little bit of Gogol and little bit of Primus go a long way. I wasn’t looking at my watch, but I’d say each played for at least one-and-a-half hours. I couldn’t help but notice that Gogol Bordello’s songs started to sound the same after a while and it was somewhat trying to endure some of Primus’ lengthier jams. Still, the good definitely outweighed the bad. Gogol Bordello’s songwriting is formulaic, but it’s a fresh, catchy formula.
Primus is a bit self-indulgent live, but they’re musicians of such high caliber that it’s enjoyable to just hear them play. With Les Claypool’s bass at the forefront, it’s easy to forget that Larry LaLande’s guitar racket and drummer Jay Lane’s (no replacement for Tim Alexander, but more than competent nonetheless) highly technical, jazzy drumming are key parts of what makes Primus so distinctive. Plus, for every overlong wankfest there’s a taught, oddly hooky song like “Jerry is a Racecar Driver” or “Tommy the Cat.” And you could always take a gander at the two oversized spacesuits whose helmets served as screens displaying all manner of trippy, psychedelic visions.
The Williamsburg Waterfront wasn’t the ideal venue for such a big crowd; the view of the East River and Manhattan were stunning, as Les pointed out in between songs. But the view of the stage? Not so much. A glorified pier has its limitations as a venue, although a high quality sound system ensures that you can hear the music even if you can’t always see it being played. It’s safe to say that Primus and Gogol fans weren’t too put off by the venue’s limitations. Their energy, far greater than that on display at the recent Weezer concert, also on the Waterfront, was contagious. It’s safe to say even those like myself who aren’t diehard fans of either band felt lucky to be there.