City Winery, Gogol Bordello To Host Ukraine Benefit; Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Matisyahu Among Performers

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Eugene Hütz & Gogol Bordello headline a benefit to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces at City Winery in New York City on Thursday. The show, also featuring Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Matisyahu, Craig Finn & Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady), Jesse Malin, Lady Lamb, Marc Robert (O.A.R.), and Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), will be live as well as streamed online.

Tickets ($50 to $75) go on sale to the public on Monday, March 7 at 3 p.m. EST. Additional donations may be made at the time of purchase. Get tickets for the benefit event HERE. Tickets for live streaming are available HERE.

City Winery will produce a limited edition, custom labeled wine which will be available for purchase online and at the benefit concert. 

Proceeds from both ticket sales and wine sales will benefit the Come Back Alive foundation. Since its birth in 2014, Come Back Alive has become the largest foundation providing support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

It’s a fitting endeavor from Ukrainian-born Hütz and Gogol Bordello, which takes the name “Gogol” from Nikolai Gogol, a classical Ukrainian writer. Hütz has also co-starred with actor Elijah Wood in the film “Everything Is Illuminated,” which focuses on the Nazi purges in Ukraine during World War II.

“Ukraine belongs to Ukrainians! We are an ancient independent nation distinctly and forever different from this criminally insane neighbor,” Hütz stated. “The proof you all see now in the fierce mind-blowing battle that the world is witnessing, a battle of Ukrainian people’s choice of freedom and democracy against psychotic totalitarian regime next door. Please help us to win this battle, help us to end this catastrophe immediately and bring the intruder to justice. Please stand with Ukraine in the battle for its democracy and freedom. Please Donate and Fundraise with us. Ukraine needs all of you. All your support counts.”

The mission of Come Back Alive is to support Ukrainian Armed Forces by funding purely defensive initiatives including technology, training, and ammunition – no funds are used to buy weapons. Come Back Alive also conducts training to give Ukrainian troops broader skill sets, according to a statement. 

“Since 2015, we’ve introduced courses for medical care workers, artillerymen, snipers, sappers, and defense analysts. After arriving home from the front line of defense, our troops receive support with sports rehabilitation and the development of veteran-run businesses. Our organization does not use funds to buy weaponry. Our mission is purely to supply technology, training, and ammunition to help save the lives of Ukrainians and help our soldiers defend Ukraine,” Come Back Alive states.