A Weekend of Music in Moscow

November is upon us, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and then Christmas and New Year not long after that! But before we all turn to dinners at home with friends and family, or start frantically running around town trying to buy gifts, there is still plenty of time to enjoy Moscow and its fantastic concert lineups. This weekend brings us some rock from Tennessee, some alternative rock from Finland and some good ole Russian rock 'n' roll — so let's get right to it!

Friday is "Poets of The Fall" day in Moscow  The Finnish rockers are regulars in the city, and they are always well-received. These Helsinki natives been criticized for sticking with the same American-mainstream-style-rock format for a while, but you know what they say — if it ain't broke … And the guys really are very popular in Russia, with all of their concerts selling out pretty quickly. They have sold more than 100,000 albums in Finland alone, and are currently touring in support of their fifth studio album, "Temple of Thought." And for those of you who saw "Poets of The Fall" back in March, here is something else to be excited about: the band has released their very first live DVD, filmed at their show in Moscow! So if you were at that concert, go check it out — you might have made the cut. The guys are performing at Arena Moscow on Friday at 9pm, so if you want to start your weekend off on a rock-y note, that is where you need to be!

Now, Saturday night is THE night for clubbers all over the world, and Moscow is no different. If that is your scene, there are a myriad of places for you to choose from, but if the club scene is not your thing, do not despair! Go and rock out with four great guys from Nashville, Tennessee, more commonly known as "RED." The band formed back in 2004 and have since released four studio albums and gathered a good few music awards and nominations, including a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album. Their music is an interesting mix of alternative rock, Christian rock and post-grunge, so they are definitely worth checking out! They are touring with their 2013 album, "Release The Panic" — which picked up the best rock album awards at the most recent GMA Dove Awards in the U.S., and debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboards chart. ''RED'' will be performing at the Moskva Concert Hall, which is located on Triumfalnaya Square, 1, and the closest station is Mayakovskaya. The show starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, so plan accordingly!

Seeing as its only going to get darker and gloomier in the city from now on, I thought you might want to recharge with some good old Russian rock 'n' roll because "Bravo" is celebrating their 30th anniversary! One of the most prominent Russian bands, they rose to fame back in the 1980s and drew inspiration from Western music of the '50s. During their 30 years, ''Bravo'' released 15 studio albums and tickets for their live shows sell out like hotcakes. The lineup has changed over the years, with original vocalist Zhanna Aguzarova leaving the band in 1988, but they remain very popular, especially if you have a soft spot for rock 'n' roll, swing and rockabilly! And this concert promises to be incredible, with the band celebrating such a huge milestone, so do not miss your chance to be part of something very special. ''Bravo'' take to the stage at 7 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Live, which is on 89, Leningradsky Prospekt. It might be a good idea to buy tickets in advance, as well, so that you do not miss out, just log on to www.stadium-live.ru to book. And remember, music is a universal language — so do not worry if you do not speak Russian — just go, enjoy the show and dance!

So, that is just a few ideas about what you could do this weekend — of course, if you choose to stay in, read or watch films and mentally prepare for winter, that is fine too — but remember, you are in Russia; you are going to have a lot of winter time to do that in. Right now, it is still time to enjoy the fall and take advantage of everything Moscow has to offer!