Gogol Bordello with Jon Spencer and Grace Bergere at The Capitol Theatre (A Photo Gallery)

Photo Credit: Dino Perrucci

On Saturday, December 28th, Port Chester, N.Y.’s The Capitol Theatre welcomed a performance from Gogol Bordello, NYC’s shapeshifting, pathbreaking folk-punk unit fronted by Eugene Hütz. For the second show in its five-stop holiday run, the multi-cultural outfit with strong Ukrainian roots brought the famously festive energy of its live performances to new heights; through 20 tracks, the ensemble broached such unwieldy topics as the immigrant experience, refugee crises and conflict in Ukraine with explosive, unwavering excitement and stage-spanning dances.

Gogol Bordello’s set pulled out a range of highlights from its 25-year career, highlighted by such trademark entries as “Start Wearing Purple,” “Wonderlust King,” “My Companjera” and the set closer of “Pala Tute.” After the main portion of the show had concluded, the band stepped into the spotlight once more for a four-song encore, racing through “Think Locally, Fuck Globally,” “Victim in Pain” and “Sun Is on My Side” before the grand finale of “Bara Foro / Undestructable.” While finding supportig acts capable of matching their idiosyncratic sound and energy was surely no easy feat, the band primed its performance perfectly with opening sets from singer-songwriter Grace Bergere, who recently released her haunting debut album A Little Blood via Casa Gogol Records, and tireless garage rock innovator Jon Spencer.

Get an inside look at Gogol Bordello’s performance in the gallery below, courtesy of photographer Dino Perrucci. For more information on the band, visit gogolbordello.com. Gogol Bordello was recently booked to return to Carnegie Hall for the 2025 Tibet House Benefit Concert after performing at the esteemed charity show for the first time in 2024; read more about the upcoming event here.