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Band on the Run: Gogol Bordello


A band whose members hail from many different countries bring a blend of musical 
traditions and high-powered energy to its music.

By Ed Condran

Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 8, 2012

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His family moved from Poland to Austria before finally settling in Vermont. It didn’t take Hutz long to gravitate toward music.


“It was something that I loved,” Hutz says.


But it wasn’t all that he was enamored of while coming of age in Eastern Europe. Hutz was an elite athlete, which isn’t the norm for musicians. He was a track star.


“I was a long distance runner,” Hutz says. “I was a good runner ever since I was in the second grade. I was on a very serious team. There was talk of going to the Olympics, that serious. I was that good.”


Hutz doesn’t have much time for long-distance runs with Gogol Bordello’s intense schedule. But he certainly covers a lot of ground on the stage every night.


“Someone should put a meter on my leg to see how much I run during the shows,” Hutz says. “I love utilizing that athleticism during the shows. It’s something that not a lot of bands have. It’s a nice weapon to use. I channel that into the show every night and just go with it.”


It’s not surprising that Hutz grew up loving Iggy Pop, who is also all over the stage whenever he performs. “Watching Iggy do what he does has always been inspiring to me,” Hutz says. “When I see him, it’s obvious that it’s about performance and the songs. I appreciate music so much.”


Perhaps that has something to do with the lack of freedom Hutz grew up with behind the Iron Curtain.


“It was a different world,” Hutz says. “My father got into trouble because of rock and roll music. The music was too much for the Soviet government. The Beatles made the government lose control. People would gather around someone’s house and quietly listen to the Beatles. It made you think of that world outside of your own. My father didn’t have it easy, but fortunately he had enough to file for asylum and we left for good. It all worked out for us.”


Who would ever guess that a kid living in a hard-scrabble existence in Europe would make it fronting a band in the States? “It’s an amazing world,” Hutz says. “If you want something bad enough, you can have it, if you put in the work for it. I work so hard at this, but I love it. It’s my passion. There is nothing that I would rather do.”

Gogol Bordello 


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