As this issue has the honor of covering not one but two silly holidays, it is "important." You have free time, three-day weekends, and for whatever reason you didn’t travel somewhere warm. So, the best way to spend Men’s Day is probably at the WOMEN AT WORK party (February 23, Gaudi Arena, 23:00), a party celebrating the contributions of women to electronic music. Yes, that’s right: it’s not just dudes in tight shirts with obnoxiously shaved heads spinning records anymore. Headlining the party is LADY MISS KIER, who you might remember from DEE-LITE.
As Russia recovers from it’s Men’s Day hangover, Moscow promoters have provided a troika of metal(ish) gigs to keep your headache raging and your zapoi going strong. First off is Swiss black metal band SAMAEL (February 25, Tochka, 19:00). The band has been around for twenty years and has become a bit more ambient on recent releases.
Part two is Swedish progressive metal band PAIN OF SALVATION (February 25, Apelsin, 20:00). They like to write concept albums about social, environmental, philosophical and emotional issues. I don’t really see how that fits in the metal rubric, but fuck it, they’re Swedes.
Your Men’s Day zapoi can end with Finnish symphonic metal band APOCALYPTICA (February 26, B1 Maximum, 21:30), who are not associated with the MEL GIBSON Aztec movie. This novelty act has been around for a dozen years, playing orchestral covers of METALLICA, PANTERA, SEPULTURA and anyone else famous enough to get on Headbanger’s Ball. Probably the perfect thing to get your head back to normal after drinking enough vodka to create a death porn story, if you weren’t such a well-balanced individual.
Ten years or so ago, when I was still in high school, I went to a party at one of the local universities. After an obscure 90s alt-rock band rocked the house, headliners LIQUID SOUL (February 28, B1 Maximum, 20:00) took the stage to play acid jazz. I hadn’t heard anything like it before, and it was just so out of place with what had just gone on, I had no idea who was responsible for the creative booking. In any case, this Chicago party band ingratiated itself with me, although that could be just because the girl I was on a date with liked them. Ultimately, I don’t know which is more surprising: that they are still together ten years later, or that they’re playing in Moscow.
Those that don’t want to go to a gig, but still want to feel like a hipster, can go to the YUM YUM - LABELFUCKER Party (February 28, Solaynka, 22:00). I’ve never been, but supposedly they corral a bunch of expats into one of the club’s smaller rooms, close the doors, and turn up IDM (that’s Intellgent Dance Music) remixes of ABBA hits.
The history of BI-2 (February 29, B1 Maximum, 20:00) makes it clear that they shouldn’t suck. Originally formed twenty years ago in Belarus, the two core members quickly moved apart, with one ending up in Australia, playing in darkwave bands. In the late 90s, the band blew up in Russia, primarily by being on the uber-successful Brat 2 soundtrack. While their music is alright, I can’t get over the press photos of these guys looking like total cockknockers, which is why I wouldn’t usually recommend you hitting their gig. The key here is that our favorite local dance-punk band DOT DASH is opening, which should be pretty fucking weird.
The first gig of import as Ikra enters its third year of existence is Canadian indie rocker CARIBOU (March 1, Ikra, 21:00). Originally known as MANITOBA until old-school punk HANDSOME DICK MANITOBA sued him, Caribou plays experimental electronic indie, creating a Krautrock-inspired soundscape of prog and drugscapes. His live performances are renowned for being particularly eclectic and utilizing many drummers.
Pages:
Previous 1 2 Next
Print Share article
|