It's the New Year's Eve weekend, and the great exodus from the capital has already started - just check out the traffic jams on Google maps. But if you chose to stay in Moscow for the longest weekend of the year, here are some great gigs you can go to between skating and visiting museums.
Antoha MC is a unique musician, who raps, plays the trumpet, and goes “juke” dancing. His music can be best described as a blend of hip-hop, acid jazz and reggae. Sometimes he sounds
like Mihey and Jumanji, a reggae act from the 90s with a cult following. Sometimes his
music is like the 80s electronic music and the legendary band Kino.
Kasta is a legendary band from Rostov-on-Don, pioneers of Russian hip hop. Kasta released their last album back in 2008, after which its members launched their solo careers. There have always been rumors about the band's reunification to record a new album. Judging by the fact that Kasta released two new songs in the last couple of months, there might be some truth in these rumors, so expect some new material at their upcoming concert at 16 Tons.
Noize MC, one of the most prolific artists on Russian rap/hip-hop scene, will perform his first show in the New Year at the Red Club. Noize MC emerged in the recent years as the mouthpiece of the young and disenchanted, often performing at opposition rallies. He released his latest album “Tsar Gory” (King of the Mountain) just a month ago, and before that he recorded a couple songs in English, including “Lenin Has Risen,” about resurrection of the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin.
Alpha-Beta is an electronic music project from the capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg. Vitaly Teterin and Ivan Zhbanov (DJ Imago) are responsible for the music, while multi-talented Katya Pavlova, the front woman of the immensely popular band Obe Dve and a member of OQJAV, is responsible for vocals and lyrics. Alpha-Beta just released a new single, “Ya Robot,” and will be presenting it at this free concert at Mumy Troll!
Billy’s Band from St. Petersburg is one of the best blues and jazz bands in the country. Billy Novik’s raspy voice and provocative lyrics constitute a unique style that the band members themselves call “alco-jazz.” Billy’s recently released their seventh album entitled “Slegka” (“Just a little bit”), which sounds like something you can hear at a New York jazz club, only in Russian. Billy's Band will play two concerts, on January 4 and January 5.
