Gypsy Punk NYC
There are always too many things to see and do in New York at any given moment. It’s one of the most exciting places in the world, and every generation lives up to its name and continues to contribute to the city through their works, thoughts, and deeds. It’s a wonderful place to get out of the usual routine and get caught up in another one. The city has an energy that’s contagious, and it’s possible to do dozens of things in one day. There are always interesting things happening on any one city block, but for when your time is short, and you need to be able to get around quickly in New York City, car hire is simply a very sensible idea.
It’s fantastic to be able to get around on your own terms, and your own timetable. Of course, driving here isn’t for the timid, and you’ll need to have a good understanding of how the bridges connect to the boroughs, but once you have a few basics down, it can be easy, and even fun. Having your own transportation means you can begin your morning at a Brooklyn café, and visit a friend in Astoria before noon. For those who are simply wanting to see as much as they can of the city, it’s a great way to get around and see fantastic events that you can only find in New York. If you like Gypsy music from the Carpathian mountains in the Ukraine, but feel that its old world sensibilities could use a heavy dose of punk rock fusion, then you’re not alone in New York City.
The spectacular band, Gogol Bordello formed here in 1999. Its front man Eugene Hütz hails from the Ukraine, and left as a refuge from Chernobyl. He works with Russian violinist Sergey Ryabtsev, and Yuri Lemeshev on the accordion, with a host of other musicians to play a kind of music they call Gypsy Punk. It mixes the Romany roots with reggae, ska, flamenco, and anything else they feel like to make a kind of musical alchemy. Their shows have all the surface gloss of any good punk show, but underneath this there a shamanic energy that drives crowds into states of trance, driving out their demons without them knowing about it, in a spectacle not seen since Dionysus wondered if the wine was any good.