Red Elvises: Changes Ahead - Thoughts for 2003
By Kayt

They say that change is good. I believe it can be good, bad or somewhere in between, depending on the circumstances, the people involved and various other factors. People change over time, they quit jobs, go in different directions…it happens all the time. And it’s a fact that many bands go through, and survive, personnel changes, even though fans generally don’t welcome the news, at least not at first. Such changes can either destroy a band or provide bandmembers a chance to grow and explore new sounds, sometimes gaining or possibly losing, some of their popularity. Up until now, the biggest change Red Elvises fans have had to go through was Avi’s departure two years ago, which brought about several changes: in the way they sounded on certain songs, in the displacement of each of the guys in turn from out-front presences to drummers, and the emotional upset of most fans who could no longer see and talk to a former member of the band who they liked and admired very much. And now we will go through it again, and we, as well as the band in a new formation, will survive, even though at first it may feel a little bit like we’re children whose parents are splitting up, as Zhenya, lead guitarist extraordinaire, moves on to pursue a project that has grown closer to his heart.

I think I can speak for the majority of fans in saying we don’t want anyone we like to be unhappy (including ourselves). It’s probably true that we always expected certain things from Red Elvises, such as all of them to stay together and keep making the great rokenrol music we’ve come to know and love. Some fans have hopes of them eventually becoming massively famous and filling stadiums…others enjoy seeing them in the bars, at festivals and other familiar settings so much that they hope the band continues doing that for as long as possible. There are certain elements of Red Elvises that we love…the familiar smiling faces of these crazy fun-loving Russians, the music – familiar Russian-tinged songs and newer ones alike, always danceable and always fun and of course the accessibility of this band that fans of most bands can’t even hope to have. We can not only enjoy hearing Our Favorite Band but also hang out with them and talk to them, hug them hello and sometimes dance right under the swinging arms of their instruments (and sometimes duck when someone’s guitar or bass swings a little close to one’s head!). We can show our support for them and absolutely know it is appreciated. All that doesn’t look like it’s likely to change in the foreseeable future. But overall, we believe in each guy in the band and know that they can do it for us, can keep us dancing and keep bringing us joy in the form of great music, either as part of Red Elvises or, unthinkably until two years ago and again now, not. We want the best for them all, and we want them to be happy, no matter how shocked or upset we may have been at the sad news of the “I’m leaving” decision.

So we have to adjust our thinking and deal with this major change. We have to look at the bigger picture, at the fact that things, especially good things, it seems, can’t stay the same forever. Without change there is no growth. With change comes a certain amount of fear…what will things be like? Is this the end? What will happen next? Will we see these guys again?

Of course this does not mean the end of Red Elvises! It is a big change but is in no way The Day the Music Died, because this music has touched our hearts and souls and changed us in all sorts of ways. Some apprehension concerning the future of a band when a key member leaves is natural, but no one should underestimate the talents and resourcefulness of Oleg and Igor. They've been doing this a long time and are, as we all know, great at it; they won't let us down. I believe exciting times lie ahead, for Zhenya, in his new band, Zeerok, and for Oleg and Igor as they find new bandmates with whom to groove to the Moscow beat. We know they will use their immense talent and vision to skillfully reinvent, once again, the dynamic that is Red Elvises. It cannot be denied that this change was hard to hear, and we can’t change it, but we can change how we think of it. We will all miss Zhenya and his guitar playing very much, that is true. He’s a nice guy with a terrific playing style and a killer sense of humor and is of course an extremely talented musician. We will treasure our fond memories of songs he wrote and played to perfection, good times he gave us (along with the rest of the band), things he said and did and everything else he brought to the band. I believe the change will be good for him because he will be happier, focused solely on his new band and new sound. We must let Our Favorite Band use this change as an opportunity for growth and creative redirection, focusing on the positive rather than condemning change as only a bad thing. We know that there definitely is a future for this band, and we can be assured that we will see Oleg and Igor again (check the Tour dates page!) and meet the new guys who we will get to know and most likely enjoy seeing and hearing as well. Change may be very hard to take sometimes, and it’s difficult to know you will no longer see or hear someone you admire as part of a band you love, but I think we can be reasonably assured that many many good times still lie ahead.

They say change is good. They also say that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. This will not kill us or the band. There is a lot of good, and a lot of strength, left in Red Elvises. You may also be lucky enough to live near enough a town where Zeerok will play; if so, check it out too. Best of luck to all involved, present, past and future, and may 2003 be a great year!