A Day at the Movies, A Night at the Surf Ranch:

The Saga of Friday, February 21, 2003
By Kayt

I had been looking forward to the February 21st show at Rusty’s Surf Ranch for the first look at the new band lineup, and of course, the first listen as well. Then we got the emailed invitation to the very first screening of “Mail Order Bride,” featuring “Music by Red Elvises” as the opening credits announce. So I was doubly excited and soon put in my request for some time off work in order to attend. I’ve reviewed the movie in a separate article, but just wanted to tell a little more about the experience here, which was a lot of fun!

Not only was the movie enjoyable but those of us who were lucky enough to be able to make it had the unique experience of watching it with Red Elvises current, old and new: Avi, Zhenya and Schramm were there as well as Oleg, Igor and Vladimir, and it was really great to see everyone. So basically, as people arrived we milled around and talked on the sidewalk on the 3rd Street Promenade just down the street from where Red Elvises used to play on the Promenade a few years ago, then we went inside and found out which theatre it was showing in and found seats. This screening was part of the American Film Market film festival, so when we went into the theatre there were quite a few people in there already.

Do you ever wish you could just go to the movies and not have to sit through what seems like a dozen previews of coming attractions, commercials, public service announcements and those dancing popcorn containers, hot dogs and other junk telling you to keep quiet during the movie and to throw away your trash in the proper receptacles? Well, there was none of that during this film festival! There was also no popcorn but I can usually take or leave that anyway. The movie just kind of suddenly started, catching some of us off guard (Oleg, who missed the beginning and said later that he was coming back to the Monday screening… and Igor and myself, who were looking for better seats and found them as the credits began). People seemed to enjoy it, there was plenty of laughter and other audience reaction. Some of the songs in it are instrumental, some are Igor’s, a couple are Zhenya’s and I think one is Oleg’s. The music sounded very good on the big screen, everyone’s voice sounded great.

Afterwards we came back out into the bright Santa Monica sunshine (it’s apparently only allowed to rain there during very special occasions and I suspect the proper permit must be obtained in triplicate, at least) and mingled around talking to each other and answering questions like “What did you think?” and “Did you like it?” for a little while. There was much happiness in the air. Avi is doing well, playing with a band called Ponticello among other projects, and Zhenya is doing well too, having played several local shows recently with Zeerok. They both looked great and everyone was in good spirits.

And later that same day, nighttime rolled around, as often happens with days, and it was time for the first Rusty’s show of the year as well as the very first performance of the new Red Elvises lineup. I got there just before nine o’clock and saw the red van in the lower parking lot as I walked to the front door. Vans, even big bright red ones that belong to bands, haven’t been allowed to park on the pier behind Rusty’s in a year or longer now. But anyway, the Russians were in the house! Excitement awaited all who entered.

The show, in my opinion, was terrific, especially considering this was the first time these guys had performed in public together and that they hadn’t had very long to rehearse together, only a few weeks. I thought they rocked. I really think someone should check and just make sure that Rusty’s still has a roof!

Big Red, the bass balalaika that everyone has missed so much in the past two years, is back! Igor is back on guitar (and I for one have missed hearing him play that!) and doing well with playing lead, and Oleg is also back out front where he can give us that grin, those eyes and that hip swiveling, and he can flirt with all the girls he wants. The new drummer is Adam Gust, or “Gustav” just for the band, (see his interview elsewhere in this issue) and he is wildly enthusiastic as well as very talented. The other new member is Schramm (whose real name is Oleg and is called Schramm to avoid any confusion) and he kicks ass on keyboards and also plays accordion. Even Oleg treated us to some accordion playing, on a small accordion he was given as a child, later on, during “Strip Joint is Closed.” They were all dressed splendidly in the animal print and red combo outfits shown in the new photo on the main page of the website, complete with tailcoats, for which I have to admit I have always had a weakness. They looked very very handsome in their outfits! The crowd was smallish at first but grew some later and people seemed to be having a good time. Avi Sills, former Red Elvises drummer extraordinaire, came in during the first set and watched from the side.

They played a lot of older songs with a new twist, including “Lovepipe” but no other songs of Zhenya’s. His songs will be missed, that’s for sure, but we do still have tons of other great Red Elvises songs to hear. Some of the songs were, in no particular order, “Rocket Man,” “Sad Cowboy Song,” “Jerry’s Got a Squeezebox,” “Susannah” (sung by Oleg while Igor was off stage changing for “Blue Moon!” – nice job, Oleg!), “Boogie on the Beach,” “Gypsy Heart,” “Scorchi Chorniye,” “I Wanna See You Belly Dance” and others. During “Belly Dance” Avi was invited onstage to play some bongos and soon the remaining space up there was filled up by girls (including me, thanks, Igor!) grooving to the beat of that song, which is why I have no photos of Avi playing bongos.

They also played some newer songs, including one with “psychedelic” sounds in it that was brand new and another never-before-heard song called either “Moonlight” or “Moonshine;” Igor said they hadn’t decided which title yet. I vote for “Moonlight” – please, guys, call it that, it sounds so much better as a title! We were treated to an English-language version of “Natasha Loves Reggae” from the Rokenrol CD! I love that song and had been wanting to hear it played live, so that was really nice. It was also featured in the movie, “Mail Order Bride,” in the original Russian. The aforementioned “Blue Moon” had Igor in his bright gold suit and Elvis type shades. Encores numbered at least four or five and included the hilarious old favorite “My Love is Killing Me,” “Closet Disco Dancer,” the more recent “Juliet” and a Russian version of “Rocket Man” as also featured in “Mail Order Bride.”

Overall, my impressions were that the old energy level was back and that the current lineup brings new vitality to the band. There’s a lot to be said for the major enthusiasm and talent exhibited by the new band members, not to mention the solid talents and warm fuzzies given to us by the founding members Oleg and Igor. This band was great before, with Zhenya and Avi. Then Avi left and they reinvented themselves as an amazing trio and lost the big red balalaika for a while, something that some fans loudly typed words of complaint about on the Forum and the mailing list. Now Zhenya’s gone too but Big Red is back, keyboards are added and a brand new drummer is keeping the beat, and Red Elvises have once again reinvented themselves as a kick ass foursome very worthy of our attention and support. Yes, it does sound different. But “different” does not in any way mean “bad.” There are different sounds that were never there before, provided by the keyboards, including outer space sounds on “Rocket Man” and other unexpected, and mostly delightful, additions. Said keyboards and the accordion were a little loud and maybe a little jarring here and there, but those things happen sometimes. Igor plays his own riffs on lead, so, no, they’re not exactly like we’re used to hearing, but the songs certainly aren’t suffering, in my opinion. I thought it rocked and the music made me want to dance as much as ever. Vladimir asked me after the show if I thought it was better, worse or “just different” than before, and I told him that it was like comparing apples and oranges and it’s just…different right now, at first. I truly am not trying to be diplomatic, just honest…I honestly liked it, thought they sounded pretty damn great, especially given the short amount of time they’ve had to play together, and I’ll be the first to admit I know squat about the technicalities of music but I know what I like and what moves me. Red Elvises in any form have moved me since the first notes I ever heard them play and I believe they always will. I loved the old lineup, of course. I have wonderful memories, along with many many people across America, of happy times when the band consisted of Oleg, Igor, Zhenya and Avi, and also during the past two years since Avi’s departure. But I think the new version has major potential to rock our worlds as well. Go see them when they come to a town near you, and tell us what YOU think. I don’t think you’ll be sorry you went.