Watch Craig Finn, Stephin Merritt, Patti Smith, & More Perform At Gogol Bordello’s Ukraine Benefit In NYC
The Love Rocks shindig where Keith Richards reunited with the X-Pensive Winos wasn’t the only big-deal benefit show that went down in New York last night. Gogol Bordello, a band led by the wildly energetic Ukrainian-born Eugene Hutz, put together a bill of heavy hitters who played acoustic sets at the City Winery. All proceeds from the show are going to benefit Come Back Alive, an organization dedicated to aiding the Ukrainians currently fighting against the Russian invasion. The show was livestreamed, too. Up through tomorrow night, you can still buy the stream, and your money will go to Come Back Alive.
Gogol Bordello headlined last night’s show, and it also featured performances from people like Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, and the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn. Magnetic Fields leader Stephin Merrit performed with singer-songwriter Lady Lamb, and Eugene Hutz sang with D Generation’s Jesse Malin. Here’s Patti Smith singing “State Of The Ukraine,” the English-language version of the Ukrainian national anthem, and her own “People Have The Power”:
Here’s Craig Finn covering Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding” and talking about his bandmate Franz Nicolay, who couldn’t make it to the show but who used to live in Kyiv:
Here’s Jesse Malin and Eugene Hutz doing the Pogues’ “If I Should Fall From Grace With God”:
Here’s Stephin Merritt and Lady Lamb performing the Magnetic Fields songs “You Must Be Out Of Your Mind” and “The Day The Politicians Died,” getting big laughs on both:
Here’s Suzanne Vega singing “Rock In This Pocket,” her song about David and Goliath:
And here’s headliners Gogol Bordello playing a passionate “Undestructible”:
You can still get the replay of the whole show here.