If you don't know much about the contemporary Russian music scene, this weekend you're in luck: You can experience the whole spectrum in just a couple of days.
Tesla Boy is arguably Russia's leading English-language indie-pop act. Playing a mix of synth-pop and new wave, Tesla Boy has worked with such international heavyweights as Mark Ronson and has successfully toured abroad. On Thursday night the band will present their first single from their upcoming album. Tesla Boy announced that the new album's sound will be quite different from their latest one, which had a nostalgic 1980s vibe.
*16 Tons. 6/1 Ulitsa Presnensky Val. Metro 1905 Goda. Thurs. at 8 p.m.
Valentin Strykalo
Valentin Strykalo, another Ukrainian export on the Moscow scene, is the stage name of Yury Kaplan, who started out doing comic sketches about pop stars on YouTube. Then he put together a real band and has been churning out one hit after another ever since. Catchy pop-rock tunes with lots of expletives brought him real fame, and now Strykalo is accustomed to packed concert venues and teenage girls screaming his name at the top of their lungs.
16 Tons 6/1 Ulitsa Presnensky Val. Metro 1905 Goda. Fri. at 8 p.m.
Aquarium
On Sunday night you can enjoy Aquarium, real Russian rock veterans who have been playing together since 1972. In the last 40 years or so, pretty much everything and everyone has changed at Aquarium except for its founder and lead singer, Boris Grebenshchikov, aka BG. At Aquarium's concerts the age range is truly spectacular — from the Soviet intellectuals to today's young people who could easily be their grandchildren. After playing with various musical genres, last year BG released his latest album that is very reminiscent of his perestroika era works, with a raw guitar sound and pointed lyrics.
Crocus City Hall. Crocus City, MKAD 65-66 km. Metro Myakinino. Sun. at 7 p.m.
Obe Dve
Obe Dve is a band from Yekaterinburg led by the versatile Katya Pavlova, who is also part of two other projects — OQJAV and Alpha Beta. Obe Dve's successful debut album was followed by a long hiatus, and their second effort only saw the light last spring, after Pavlova found new musicians to work with. This Sunday Obe Dve will play a new interpretation of songs from both albums, plus covers of such Russian greats as Vertinsky and Kino.
Meyerhold Theater Center. 23 Ulitsa Novoslobodskaya. Metro Novoslobodskaya, Mendeleyevskaya. Sun. at 8 p.m.
Contact the author at? artsreporter@imedia.ru
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