The Clash reincarnated as a roguish Romany pirate crew? The Pogues on a bender of absinthe and steroids? Springsteen circa ’73 with a major in Russian Lit? Forget the comparisons: Careening-pinball frontman Eugene Hutz and his scurvy coalition of the willing make beer-drinking, crotch-thrusting, hell-raising fight-the-power music that’ll incite you to either the front of a picket line or the depths of public indecency. Powered by swaggering pan-cultural anthems such as “Start Wearing Purple,” “Wonderlust King” and the immortal “Think Globally Fuck Locally,” packing a now-legendary stage show that makes the Flying Karamazov Brothers look like couch potatoes, they’re a strong contender for the best live act of the Aughts. Their unheralded previous Nashville show probably had more people on stage than in the audience, but appearances at Bonnaroo and on Letterman should guarantee them the main thing they need for an unforgettable night: a big, boisterous, well-oiled crowd one shove away from spontaneous revolt.
Sat., July 25, 8 p.m., 2009
