Currently on their first North American tour:
When they announced this monster 33-date tour, I assumed there was at least a 50% chance the whole thing would crash-and-burn 10 days in. All of the venues are well downmarket from the standard Euro-touring band circuit, and even if 100% of the Negură Bunget fans in Halifax, NS or Albuquerque, NM turned out for the concert, that would still only be like 5 fans in attendance. I figured the band had no idea what they were getting into, and were sold down the river by some unscrupulous/overoptimistic booking agent/promoters. Six people in the band, driving more than 10,000 miles, to play for what could only be peanuts? Yikes.
But now, more than halfway through, it appears they knew exactly what they were getting into. It looks like their whole approach was to do a month-long Griswald Family Vacation through Canada and the US, seeing all the sights and wonders (Niagara Falls, giant sequoias, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, etc.), and as a bonus, they'd impress the fuck out of a few people in each town with their music, laying the groundwork for better numbers if they ever decide to come back.
There's something awesome about seeing people who make music as deep and otherworldly as this having fun seeing our country. Apparently Negură Bunget are people too! Their full tour/vacation gallery is here. I guess their music should have told me that they'd have a strong connection and interest in the wonders of the natural world, but I wasn't predicting the swan-dives into swimming pools.
But most importantly, their performance totally exceeded my expectations. Their sound on record is so distinct and specific, I figured there was little chance they would be able to generate the same sonic atmospheres in a live environment. Not least because they are essentially now a Negură Bunget cover band. Of the three who created their masterpiece 'Om' from 2006, only one, the drummer Negru (in the green hat) remains. Surely you can't just find random musicians on the streets of Romania who you can drop into such a band and have any hope of retaining the sound and spirit and soul. Or can you? Negru is either a master of finding talent, or Timişoara, Romania is filled with musicians born to play epic, earthy black metal. Not only was the sound a perfect reproduction, including the vocalist, but the presence and the spirit of the musicians was also right on as well, with various members playing the haunting wooden percussion or wooden pipes.
I was actually surprised that they were able to draw about 70 in Chicago on a Sunday night (including some Romanian transplants who knew how to chant "Negură Bunget" a lot better than I!) And tickets were only 12 fucking dollars. The band posted a glowing comment about that show on their Facebook page, which they've only done for a handful of other shows, so I'm guessing not all cities have been as good.
They're currently heading across the south from west to east, and then up the east coast. See 'em. This shit doesn't happen every day.
19/05/2012 - San Antonio, TX (USA) - Bonds 007 Rock Club
20/05/2012 - Houston, TX (USA) - White Swan Live
21/05/2012 - New Orleans, LA (USA) - Siberia
22/05/2012 - Tampa, FL (USA) - The Brass Mug
23/05/2012 - Atlanta, GA (USA) - The Masquerade
24/05/2012 - Charlotte, NC (USA) - Tremont
25/05/2012 - Baltimore, MD (USA) - Maryland Deathfest
26/05/2012 - Poughkeepsie, NY (USA) - The Loft
27/05/2012 - Worcester, MA (USA) - Ralphs Diner
28/05/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (USA) / Kung Fu Necktie
29/05/2012 - Pittsburgh, PA (USA) - The Royal Place
30/05/2012 - Columbus, OH (USA) - Kobo Live
When they announced this monster 33-date tour, I assumed there was at least a 50% chance the whole thing would crash-and-burn 10 days in. All of the venues are well downmarket from the standard Euro-touring band circuit, and even if 100% of the Negură Bunget fans in Halifax, NS or Albuquerque, NM turned out for the concert, that would still only be like 5 fans in attendance. I figured the band had no idea what they were getting into, and were sold down the river by some unscrupulous/overoptimistic booking agent/promoters. Six people in the band, driving more than 10,000 miles, to play for what could only be peanuts? Yikes.
But now, more than halfway through, it appears they knew exactly what they were getting into. It looks like their whole approach was to do a month-long Griswald Family Vacation through Canada and the US, seeing all the sights and wonders (Niagara Falls, giant sequoias, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, etc.), and as a bonus, they'd impress the fuck out of a few people in each town with their music, laying the groundwork for better numbers if they ever decide to come back.
There's something awesome about seeing people who make music as deep and otherworldly as this having fun seeing our country. Apparently Negură Bunget are people too! Their full tour/vacation gallery is here. I guess their music should have told me that they'd have a strong connection and interest in the wonders of the natural world, but I wasn't predicting the swan-dives into swimming pools.
But most importantly, their performance totally exceeded my expectations. Their sound on record is so distinct and specific, I figured there was little chance they would be able to generate the same sonic atmospheres in a live environment. Not least because they are essentially now a Negură Bunget cover band. Of the three who created their masterpiece 'Om' from 2006, only one, the drummer Negru (in the green hat) remains. Surely you can't just find random musicians on the streets of Romania who you can drop into such a band and have any hope of retaining the sound and spirit and soul. Or can you? Negru is either a master of finding talent, or Timişoara, Romania is filled with musicians born to play epic, earthy black metal. Not only was the sound a perfect reproduction, including the vocalist, but the presence and the spirit of the musicians was also right on as well, with various members playing the haunting wooden percussion or wooden pipes.
I was actually surprised that they were able to draw about 70 in Chicago on a Sunday night (including some Romanian transplants who knew how to chant "Negură Bunget" a lot better than I!) And tickets were only 12 fucking dollars. The band posted a glowing comment about that show on their Facebook page, which they've only done for a handful of other shows, so I'm guessing not all cities have been as good.
They're currently heading across the south from west to east, and then up the east coast. See 'em. This shit doesn't happen every day.
19/05/2012 - San Antonio, TX (USA) - Bonds 007 Rock Club
20/05/2012 - Houston, TX (USA) - White Swan Live
21/05/2012 - New Orleans, LA (USA) - Siberia
22/05/2012 - Tampa, FL (USA) - The Brass Mug
23/05/2012 - Atlanta, GA (USA) - The Masquerade
24/05/2012 - Charlotte, NC (USA) - Tremont
25/05/2012 - Baltimore, MD (USA) - Maryland Deathfest
26/05/2012 - Poughkeepsie, NY (USA) - The Loft
27/05/2012 - Worcester, MA (USA) - Ralphs Diner
28/05/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (USA) / Kung Fu Necktie
29/05/2012 - Pittsburgh, PA (USA) - The Royal Place
30/05/2012 - Columbus, OH (USA) - Kobo Live
