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Muchnik's Picks: Placebo, Yann Tiersen and More Music in Moscow on the Weekend

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Halloween is almost here. This weekend almost every bar and club in Moscow will hold its version of a pre-Halloween party, but if you're not in a mood for trick or treating, there’s plenty of awesome gigs you can go to instead. From one of the most popular British bands in Russia to a great French composer, here are our top picks.

Placebo, one of the U.K's best known bands, needs no introduction. They usually don’t play their old songs at their concerts so this is a special treat as their Moscow concert is part of “20 Years of Placebo” tour devoted to their greatest hits. Even if you’ve been to one of their recent concerts in Moscow, this time you will have an opportunity to sing along to “Pure Morning” and “Every You Every Me.”

Olimpisky. 16 Olimpisky Prospekt. Metro Prospekt Mira. Tickets from 2,500 rubles ($40). Wednesday Oct.26 at 7 p.m.

Vera Polozkova started as an Internet sensation and quickly became one of the most read poets in contemporary Russia. As well as publishing several books, Vera has also recorded a few albums where she reads her poetry to the music. This is exactly what she’ll be doing at 16 Tons this coming Saturday.

16 Tons. 6/1 Ulitsa Presnensky Val. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tickets from 1,500 rubles ($24). Saturday, at 8 p.m.

Triagrutrika is a rap group from Chelyabinsk that became popular all over Russia after signing up with the Gazgolder label founded by Basta. Triagrutrika raps about life in a big city, something a lot of young people can relate to. АК-47, known for their ironic lyrics hail from the town of Berezovsky of Sverdlovsk Oblast. AK-47 also releases albums on Gazgolder, so their collaboration with Triagrutrika is no surprise. These two bands from the Urals recorded an album together and will present it at their Moscow concert.

Yotaspace. 11 Ulitsa Ordzhonikidze. Metro Leninsky Prospekt. Tickets from 600 rubles ($10). Sunday, at 8 p.m.

Jah Khalib is the stage name of Bakhtiyar Mamedov, a musician from Almaty, Kazakhstan. He's been immensely popular without ever releasing a record but Jah Khalib’s debut album is scheduled to come out sometime this year and at he will present it at his Saturday concert in Moscow. Jah’s music is a mix of pop and trap, a sub-genre of hip-hop.

Bud Arena. 31/4 Prospect Leningradskiy. Metro Dinamo. Tickets from 1,500 rubles ($24). Saturday, at 8 p.m.

Yann Tiersen, the French musician and composer best known for his soundtrack to the cult film Amelie, visits Moscow quite often. This time he will present his new album EUSA, which accompanies a book by the same name devoted to the island of Ushant in the English Channel, where the artist resides. Each track from EUSA is devoted to a corner of Tiersen’s beloved island and together they form a musical map of the place.

Crocus City Hall. Crocus City, MKAD 65-66 km. Metro Myakinino. Tickets from 2,000 rubles ($32). Tuesday, at 8 p.m.

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