Thursday Allison “roped” me (it wasn’t that hard really) into seeing Gogol Bordello at Toad’s place, in Richmond, on a worknight. I in turn “roped” Anna-Claire (also not so hard) into coming along for gypsy times. In my few hours spent there I enjoyed another long and never boring Gogol Bordello performance, a private Hot Lava show (practice), giant PBRs courtesy of AC, and Allison’s new palace in the sky. Bonus: Allison surprised me with my “Fans Only” Belle and Sebastian DVD that I wrote off as lost years ago. This is the only DVD I’ve ever owned with rounded corners.

This past Wednesday Anna-Claire took me to see Gogol Bordello at the 9:30 Club for our birthdays. They played for 2 hours and it was the most energetic event I’ve ever seen. This put me into a Eugene Hutz google frenzy which led to the Pied Piper of Hutzovina and “Music on the Bones”:

At that time, you could only buy Soviet music on vinyl. But the bootleggers had figured out a way to make contraband records by getting old x-ray plates, which were then made of vinyl, through connections at various hospitals. Then they’d get hold of the equipment to cut the record grooves into the x-rays.

These are 2 of many amazing* photos by Corey Arnold. Dan found him for me (fueling my deadliest catch obsession).

*My qualifications for amazing have nothing to do with technique, i don’t know anything about photography, i’m just curious!