Gypsy punk, gypsy electronica and other forms of gypsy fusion are the hottest thing on the world music scene these days. Bands like Balkan Beat Box and Gogol Bordello are rocking the world, but Les Yeux Noirs are really the band that started the revolution. They were among the first to blend traditional gypsy sounds with electronic music and rock influences, and their live show is not to be missed!
Les Yeux Noirs at the State Theatre
Les Yeux Noirs played the last stop on their spring tour of the United States in Ithaca, NY at the historic State Theatre, one of those fabulously ornate old theatres that still exist in a few special places. The show came the night after the French Presidential Election, and French politics were the topic of the night among the crowds milling outside the theatre... appropriate, since the band, the promoter and a good percentage of the audience were all French.
Babik Opens
The show was opened by gypsy jazz band Babik, an excellent little ensemble from the Buffalo, NY area who play traditionals and Django-inspired originals. It was a quiet and lovely way to start the evening.
Les Yeux Noirs Take the Stage
Les Yeux Noirs opened the show with a set of horas, foot-stomping intense dance songs designed to rev up the crowd - and it worked! The crowd was quickly joining in, clapping along, dancing in the aisles and swaying in their seats. The band's twin violin-driven sound is highly addictive and eminently danceable, but it's their stage show that really puts them over the top.
Les Yeux Noirs is headed up by two brothers, Eric and Olivier Slabiak, who are both virtuosic violinists but extremely different personalities. Olivier is quiet, focused and intense. Eric is off-the-wall goofy, dancing around the stage and looking hilariously shocked every time the band changes a chord. Together, though, they create seriously exciting and dynamic musical interaction, the kind only seen in people who've been playing music together forever.
Les Yeux Noirs is headed up by two brothers, Eric and Olivier Slabiak, who are both virtuosic violinists but extremely different personalities. Olivier is quiet, focused and intense. Eric is off-the-wall goofy, dancing around the stage and looking hilariously shocked every time the band changes a chord. Together, though, they create seriously exciting and dynamic musical interaction, the kind only seen in people who've been playing music together forever.
Les Yeux Noirs's Sound and Performance
Les Yeux Noirs play a wide variety of styles, from straight-up gypsy jazz to klezmer music to quiet Eastern European lullabies. It makes for a dynamic and exciting night, with frequent shifts between tempos, speeds, languages and genres. What's truly remarkable is their ability to keep the energy levels high, even when playing quietly or slowly. To play with that much stamina and that much excitement even though they've been performing together for over fifteen years... even more impressive. It's easy to see why Les Yeux Noirs remain one of the most popular world music bands touring today. They're pioneers of a genre, and remain fierce innovators. Be sure to catch them if they ever come through your town.
