Ventura Harbor, Ventura, CA
December 14, 2002
Written by Jon Pergl

Oh to live in good ole “sunny California.” The weather, most of the country seems to think, is sunny, bright and warm all year round. Well ya, it is. but when you lived here all your life, sixty degrees is almost too cold to go sit around outside. But hey, I got: “THE NEWS” the other day that made this trip to Ventura a must. The “tour” section gave the vague location of the Dec. 14th show at the Ventura Shopping Village and a phone number. So at 10:00 PM the night prior, with the aid of Mapquest, the link provided and Kayt’s email address I figured out the gig is approximately one hundred fifteen miles from my house. Rusty’s is sixty-eight and the Blue Café is ninety-eight by comparison. Another thing Southern California is known for, besides the weather, is the traffic. It’s not like Nebraska where a trip to the corner market is twenty miles away and “no big.” So this was going to be “an Adventure” But a VERY necessary one.

A little personal history before I continue (I’ll try to keep it short). In the last year I’ve had THREE minor “heart procedures” and three years ago I had a stroke that left me with all but ten percent of normal use of my left side. I’m on a bunch of meds and really should be watched over as much as possible. After the last procedure I’m doing MUCH MUCH better though. My wife (Patty) LOVES the Red Elvises ALMOST as much as I do but can’t quite make “the later” shows. So she’s up for the daytime gigs whenever possible. My daughter, Brittany (12) likes them too (but she can’t go to the bars where they play of course).

So on Saturday around 4:10 PM we (Patty, Brittany, and I) got to the exit off the 101 [freeway] and after only two wrong turns we entered Ventura Harbor. This night Ventura Harbor was also having their Holiday Lighted Boat Parade so the place had A LOT of people. Knowing that they’d be playing “on the lawn,” the first grassy area we came to had a band stand filled with some drummers in kilts so we kept going. Then Brittany exclaimed from the back seat, “There’s the van, sweet!!!!” We found it. Our windows were down just to see if we could hear if they had started yet or not. It was now 4:20 PM (they were supposed to start at 4:00). As we got out of the car they started with “Three Alley Cats.” By the time we reached this football sized chunk of grass with a 12x20ft concrete pad on a mound of dirt (the stage) in the corner at one end and a petting zoo in the middle, next to a dock filled with brightly decorated boats, they finished with the first song, so I guess we weren’t too late. Being a lawn-seating situation we came prepared with folding lounge chairs, jackets (Patty brought gloves too) and beverages. We quickly set up our spot before the next song. I can’t quite remember the set or playlist exactly, but Igor was doing his best to get the twenty-five or so people to move in and “Dance to this one, come on!”

The amount of people grew while waiting for night to fall and the crowd seemed to grow to nearly one hundred by the time “Sad Cowboy Song” was played (complete with the three drummer boys). Zhenya in his “big fuzzy hat” pretty much ended most songs with a traditional Christmas lick. It was a joyful time. Vlad even had a smile on his face 99% of the time. Igor was looking good, sporting jeans and a sweater. Oleg, with his not so red hair anymore, was on drums, smiling his head off as usual. The Family and I were happy to hear MOST of our favorites in the first set. “Voodoo Doll,” “Gypsy Heart,” “Boogie on the Beach,” and “Love Pipe.” The weird thing about “Love Pipe” was that it seemed no one knew to throw in the “LOVE-PIPE” & “Whoooooooooo’s” except for the few “fans” that were there. The first set also included “Belly Dance.” Bubbles. Kids love bubbles. I think “Surfing in Siberia” was also in the set, as was “Harriet.”

Then at intermission it was like my early Christmas. I got a handful of bumper stickers, “Better than Sex,” “Slave,” and my picture taken with all three of the guys all together (that will ALWAYS be VERY special to me). I also picked up a ticket to a “special show” at the Whisky a-go-go. Igor hung around Vlad and Oleg disappeared for a bit. I chatted with Zhenya and went over to the petting zoo and got some pix with Zhenya and a llama. I got my “Better than Sex” CD signed by the guys and as it got dark the size of the crowd doubled and they started the second set.

The set started with “Red Lips, Red Eyes, Red Stockings.” They then went on with “Wild Man,” and a couple of ZeeRok songs (“California Sun” and “Let It Rain,” I think). The Bubbles then got turned on. By that time there must have been about fifty kids (around six to ten years old). I think they were all part of a choir that was scheduled to be on at six o’clock. They dug the bubbles and that kept them all in a bunch over to the right side of the “stage” where the wind was taking the bubbles. As the kids played in the bubbles the band ended with “Rocket Man” and “Closet Disco Dancer.”

As always everybody within earshot of the band had a bounce in their step and a smile on their face and this group of now four to five hundred strong ranged in age from four to eighty. It’s the smiles and happiness, like that, that this band inspires, that makes the THREE hour drive back home IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC on a SATURDAY well worth the trip.

I was truly a wreck the day before this show hearing “the news” [Zhenya’s exit from the band], but to be able to see them play a tight, upbeat, happy couple of sets in the cold (well cold for us Californians) REALLY did me good. I don’t know what will become of our favorite band but I’ll ALWAYS remember the times like these when a group of talented musicians had us all Grooving to the Moscow beat. GOOD LUCK ZEEROK YOU WILL BE MISSED.

Happy Holidays All!
See you at Rusty's for the New Year!