Tom Morello jumped on stage with Gogol Bordello on Saturday (3/7) at the Novo in downtown Los Angeles to sing the title track from the group's We Mean It, Man! Tour 2026.
The lovable gypsy punks are supporting their ninth studio album, We Mean It, Man!, which dropped last month on frontman Eugene Hütz’s Casa Gogol Records.
The disc was co-produced by Nick Launay and Adam “Atom” Greenspan and continues the band’s long-running blend of punk rock with Eastern European folk, cabaret, and hardcore sensibilities. Several songs from the album appeared during the 20-song set, including “No Time for Idiots,” “Boiling Point,” and “Life Is Possible Again.”
Typically it's a soulless venue with very little character, but Gogol Bordello could turn the most sterile room into a lively, funky sweatbox oozing with charm and unexpected magic.
The show kicked off with what should be the third single from the album, "Ignition." The video stars the famous actor Liev Schreiber and if that seems unusual, it isn't.
Schreiber and Hütz's have collaborated on other creative works like "Everything Is Illuminated" and a Vice documentary, as well as political activism, most recently aiding Ukrainian refugees and orphans in the wake of the ongoing war.
Shreiber recently described Hütz as “my brother from another mother. Ridiculously insane with the heart, mind, and voice of a poet.”
The singer explained that “‘Ignition’ is about the hardest currency there is: lifelong friendships and trust—the people who will come pull you out of a ditch at 5 a.m. I didn’t want musicians’ faulty acting to obscure that, so I called my friend Liev, who is exactly the kind of actor who embodies it effortlessly and powerfully, because he’s exactly that kind of person. I value our friendship tremendously, and with the 20th anniversary of ‘Everything Is Illuminated,’ it felt like the right time for a meaningful celebration.”
That meaningful celebration is the epitome of Gogol Bordello: super fun music you can dance to, but at its heart it's also about social justice, social change, and the beautiful contributions immigrants bring to society.
"Immigraniada" held a special meaning at the Novo because LA has been one of the cities that have seen its immigrants targeted for months on end.
Likewise, who knows better how to mix important dialogue, activism, and solid music together than Tom Morello.
The guitar hero joined the party for the title track of the album and tour in his adopted hometown of LA.
Afterwards he wrote on his IG feed how happy he was to play with the group again.
“'GOGOL MORELLO'!! ALWAYS a pleasure to join the wild rumpus that is @gogolbordello and share good times with pals @eugene_hutz & @leo_minimum_tek !
"@romanmorello1 and I were stirring the mosh pit to one of the best live bands ever," Morello wrote, while mentioning his son.
Earlier in the evening opening act Puzzled Panther played an energetic set that concluded with a cover of Sonic Youth's "Dirty Boots."
Sadly no one uploaded their video of it so above you can see when the group did it in Detroit.
Gogol Bordello are at the halfway point of their North American Tour. They'll be at four different spots in Texas before heading to the south and then up to New York.
