Winter is here: it’s been snowing for days now. This weekend will be no different, except that perhaps it will because several great bands and musicians are coming to town and you can fight the cold at their concerts. Here are our picks.
John Grant has never been at the top charts, but he is famous for collaborations with some of the people who have, like Sinead O’Connor, Hercules & Love Affair and Goldfrapp. Hailing from Denver, he now lives in Iceland where he works with Biggi Veira, one of GusGus members, recording a mix of synth-pop and indie-rock. John was nominated for the prestigious Brit Awards in 2014. He is open about his HIV positive status and wrote the song "Pale Green Ghosts" about it, which was released on his album last year.
16 Tons. 6/1 Ulitsa Presnensky Val. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tickets from 2,000 rubles ($31). Thursday, November 10, at 8 p.m.
The Toy Dolls have been around since 1979. This London band plays Oi! — a sub-genre of punk music popular among the working youth. They are most famous for a punk-rock cover of children’s song "Nellie the Elephant." The Toy Dolls have been touring and recording new albums for almost 40 years and their Moscow stop is to support their 2015 album “Olgacoustic.”
Yotaspace. 11 Ulitsa Ordzhonikidze. Metro Leninsky Prospekt. Tickets from 1,500 rubles ($23). Saturday, November 12, at 8 p.m.
Rocky Leon is originally from Austria, but he went on to become a street musician in San Francisco,where he recorded his video “Quit Your Whining,” making him an instant internet sensation. Rocky Leon is a one-man show, combining beatboxing, playing on various instruments and looping the sound. The resulting style is hard to describe, but there are elements of ska, reggae and indie rock.
16 Tons. 6/1 Ulitsa Presnensky Val. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tickets from 700 rubles ($11). Sunday, November 13, at 8 p.m.
Sound Up is a series of concerts of new academic and electronic music, juxtaposing European and Russian musicians on the same stage. Each concert is played at an unusual venue and the seventh edition will be hosted at the Moscow’s Planetarium. Greg Haines from the U.K. will be playing the piano, while simultaneously mixing it with electronic sound. Dmitry Yevgrafov will play his neo-classical pieces and interactive media group Sila Sveta will provide a unique video projection on the dome of the Planetarium.
Moskovsky Planetary. 5 Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa, bldg. 1. Metro Barrikadnaya.Tickets from 2,500 rubles ($39). Tuesday, November 15, at 7 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.
