Blues Fest picks for Friday

[bradm]

I think the one I'm looking forward to most tonight is Built To Spill (8:15pm, River Stage). I'd like to catch the start of Edie Brickell's set (8:00pm, Rogers Stage), too.

Aside from that, Gogol Bordello (6:00pm, Rogers Stage) sounds intersting ("Combining elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brecht-ian cabaret, Gogol Bordello tells the story of New York's immigrant diaspora through debauchery, humor, and surreal costumes."). I might also stick around long enough to catch Metric (9:30pm, River Stage).

Aloha,

Brad

[AD]

Gogol Bordello, while best suited for a smaller stage, will be awesome. I think people will be talking about this set for a long time, if it lives up to the hype i've been hearing from friends.

Looking forward to Sebastian Grainger, Tokyo Police Club (for a few minutes, they didn't impress at Sasquatch but I'll give them another chance) and the highlight of the night will be Built to Spill.

[AD]

Damian from Ukrainia interviewed Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello. It's a great interview and will shed some light on what to expect tonight. I have bolded a couple sections too.

The Band of Gypsies

Eugene Hutz brings the punk history of Gogol Bordello to Bluesfest

The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Friday, July 13, 2007

Editor's note: Bluesfest promises to see (and hear) one of its more raucous moments tonight, when the New York City-based "Ukrainian gypsy punk" band Gogol Bordello takes to the Rogers state at 6 p.m.

Gogol leader Eugene Hutz is a man of many interests and talents. He was co-star of the film Everything is Illuminated, with Elijah Wood. We asked Damian Sawka, of the Ottawa rock band Ukrainia, to interview Hutz. Sawka, whose band played Bluesfest earlier this week, tracked Hutz down on tour in Europe. Following is an edited transcript.

What languages do you speak? The ones I sing in are the ones I speak, so that would be Ukrainian, Russian, English, Romanese, and a little bit of Italian.

With whom do you speak Roma? Mostly with my friends. I have a lot of Roma friends in different countries. In Switzerland, England ... So Roma is widespread? There are many different dialects. That's why it makes it so hard to settle in with one particular way (laughs). But for the most part, we understand each other and it's a joy to speak it because it's a special culture.

Every time you say a meaningful word, it means twice as much.

When did you start identifying with your gypsy roots? Not until I was a teenager. I thought originally that my family just really likes that stuff and that basically, we're Ukrainians. That was the way to handle living back in Ukraine (laughs) -- the less people know about your gypsiness, the better.

What is the perception of gypsies in the Ukraine? It depends what tribe and where. It was great for some accomplished artists to be fully outspoken gypsy: they took a special pride and they were like icons. But the dichotomy of that society is that they would love and respect the gypsy music and these iconic gypsy artists, but at the same time chase old Roma on the street with a stick. In the village, some dumb-ass locals would go down with a raid on a village in Karpaty (the Carpathian region of Ukraine.) ... In the past years, I've been there several times and the sh-t that goes down there is unbelievable.

Do you ever talk to the Roma kids about it? I went there with a film crew from England to make a documentary about it and that's gonna come out Sept. 3, and that's about Roma camps in Karpaty. Karpaty is like my spiritual home.

I've been there. It's beautiful. My family lives in a village right outside of Lviv.

Mine are from Mukacheva and Strij. That's magic sh-t (laughs). When it comes to scattering ashes, that's the place, you know what I mean? How much of a debt do you feel European folk music -- especially Ukrainian/ Slavic stuff -- owes to the gypsy population? For me Karpaty was always the magic land because as a kid to go there in the summer was like ... coming to New York in a weird way. It was a total culture smash because Kiev is so Russified and so bland. It is the capital of Ukraine and it's a beautiful town but I felt like there's nothing there for me. When I go to Karpaty, I feel like people speak like Hungarian, and Ukrainian, and Russian, and Romanian, and Ruthenian, and gypsy. It was so much more exciting.

So you associate more with western Ukraine? It's all about western Ukraine. From childhood I just loved the Hutsul music. Even when I got into punk rock I would buy records of Hutsul music and try to play in a high school or in a discotheque where I would DJ. People would be like, "Dude, this is so not cool" and I would be like, "One day, you will understand 'cool,' and how beyond 'cool' this is." This is the punk rock and metal and everything you've ever wanted, done on a handmade instrument.

I grew up here: as young Ukrainian I was always exposed to Ukrainian folk music, and there was always singing involved in what we did. You grew up in Soviet Ukraine, right? For me it was the same (laughs). My dad was pretty much a guitar hero of the town. He was one of the few guys who could play songs on actual electric guitar in actual English. The other day I asked him to write a set list of what they played back then, back when he was in a band in 1971, 1972. I have all these photos of him on all the parties, with a guitar and his friends with guitars ... So I was asking him to write a set list, right? He was like, Break On Through To The Other Side and Teche Voda Kalamytna (Troubled Water Is Flowing) on to like Ruby Tuesday and like Chervona Ruta (Red Rue).

That's crazy! Are you going to bust out a set list like that at the ol' Bluesfest? Ha-ha-ha! I simply must! What do you think of the pop music situation in Ukraine? It's terrible. It's terrible everywhere you go (laughs).

Do you find they're trying to imitate the West? That's the disease of eastern Europe. It's "let's make an immediate and cheap copy of the west," and I wish that that is gonna end. The cultural potential of its own is immense, and people need to get over that copycat stage to get on with their own program. But in some ways it makes them more versatile, because it's like the whole idea of culture for me is your ability to understand another culture.

What's your favourite country to play in? Italy, Turkey, U.K., and Sweden.

Ukraine's not on the list.

I also love playing Russia and Ukraine and Finland and Czech Republic, and Germany. But you asked me for the top -- it's Italy, Turkey and the U.K. Our band is really big in those countries. I really love playing the States too: I almost take it for granted, because that's our home base.

Ottawa's typically viewed as a stuffy town, being the capital of Canada. People here are said to not know how to have fun.

We're a pretty good doctor for that (laughs). It's been tested ... There's been a big issue of people bringing lawn chairs to this festival and sitting to watch the show, taking up the space of people wanting to dance. What do you think is going to happen to them? If they still want to own those lawn chairs afterwards, they better not bring them. Just move the tables aside, unless you use it as a dance floor.

At our last Ukrainia show this guy rushed the stage and tried to fight our drummer because the music was really offending him -- it was too loud. Has anything like that ever happened to you guys? Many times! If you're getting somebody offended, you're doing something right. The people that are cultured will never get offended because they know culture survives on rejuvenation and turning standards upside down. There was somebody in Czech Republic at a show, some kind of a mental case. The guy was demanding ... to see me in person because he has to talk about cultural purity

Did you meet him? I met him for five or 10 minutes and I tried to listen to what he was saying and told him to f--k off and went on about my party (laughs). I don't have time for this. I would get a speech once in a while from some old gypsies ... I would take out my guitar and sit down and play with them and we'd end up being friends for life (laughing) ... Other leading Russian and Ukrainian gypsy artists have always supported me ... There's a lot of gypsy friends I have in other countries -- Switzerland, Germany, U.K., Canada ... Canada has gypsies? Canada has a lot of gypsies. Toronto is one of the biggest community centres for Roma.

Are there any in Ottawa? I'm sure there are, but I don't know anybody.

What's the worst injury you've sustained during a performance? Tons of sprained ankles and pulled muscles, but I'm quite lucky considering. I fainted on stage a couple of times, just in the middle of the show. Suddenly the microphone weighed 50 kilograms and I just passed out.

Did you stop the show? That was it. I went into what's called circulatory collapse ... I basically tie up all my joints before the show at this point. It's high-intensity gypsy rock 'n' roll -- no tricks, just raw power.

The title of the festival is the Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest. How do you feel about the corporate sponsorship thing? I don't feel anything about it. I play music. The less corporate signs I see, the better I feel, but ... if that's the only vehicle for the music in that area, you have to get on with it. The most fun I have is in a festival like Roskilde, and Sziget, and Bestival in U.K., which are volunteer-run.

They actually do get a lot of volunteers to work this festival.

If it brings good music, that's great.

You're playing on Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I'm pretty fearless, actually. I'm not superstitious about sh-t like that, but I believe in the supernatural. But it's not about numbers. I believe in Supernatural power, for sure.

Like what? Like Gogol Bordello. How can I not when I do it every day?

[ollie]

Hello? INXS!

[Northern Wish]

Also I think that Cat Empire will be top notch.....

[Ms Zimmy]

Built to Spill and Metric...I can't make it earlier, and I will be kicking it outside the gates again tonight, we've had some fun parties out there...no one brings lawnchairs and we drink good beer!

[ollie]

...and we drink good beer!

I'm definitely envious about that. With Molson running the show you think they'd have Creemore available. But no.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

ollie said 'creemore', i'm going out for a beer

[SmoothedShredder]

Somewhere... Michael Frianti is wondering "How you feeling?"

[Rob Not Bob]

Hello? INXS!

Ummmm, no ... it's Rock Star : INXS

[Northern Wish]

Zimmy if you want to come inside tonight, my bracelet is really loose and I can slide it on and off no problem.

[Booche]

I can slide it on and off no problem.

That's what she said.

[AD]

I can slide it on and off no problem.

That's what she said.

Booche, I've changed your post so it is correct

[Ms Zimmy]

Zimmy if you want to come inside tonight, my bracelet is really loose and I can slide it on and off no problem.

Keep your fascist bluefest

I really like hanging out on the outskirts, but, I might take you up on that on the weekend if that is cool. I'll PM you. Thanks

[ollie]

I exited the main stage area briefly during Steve Miller and noticed how good a view you can get from outside the main gate.

[Ms Zimmy]

Yeah, and there are usually people dancing, with all their ticket money spent on good drugs, who wouldn't love it out there

[Booche]

Booche, I've changed your post so it is correct

You obviously have not watched enough episodes of the Office.

[AD]

I am happy and Booche is awesome!

[AD]

[Northern Wish]

TV Forum Please.

[LJFH]

Michael: Look, since you have the machine up and running, can I just stick my foot in? We can take a look....

Doctor: Well...for a burn, you really just need to look at the outside of the foot.

Michael: Okay, what kind of machine is that?

Doctor: Does the skin look red and swollen?

Dwight: That's what she said.

(Dwight looks slyly at the camera, the doctor laughs)

Michael: That's my joke. Damn it, Dwight.

[Booche]

Well, I just learned a valuable lesson.

AD = Michael Scott

[AD]

Well, I just learned a valuable lesson.

AD = Michael Scott

hahaha i'm just in a bad mood today. but thank you for the compliment. I will cast you in my sequel to Threat Level Midnight. You will be the assistant to Scarne.

[Douglas]

Hi Pan

[LJFH]

I enjoy having breakfast in bed. I like waking up to the smell of bacon. Sue me. And since I don't have a butler, I have to do it myself. So, most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Foreman grill. Then I go to sleep. When I wake up, I plug in the grill. I go back to sleep again. Then I wake up to the smell of crackling bacon. It is delicious, it's good for me. It's a perfect way to start the day. Today I got up, I stepped onto the grill (uncovers his foot for the camera) and it clamped down on my foot, that's it. I don't see what's so hard to believe about that.