2003: The Year in Review
By Kayt Owens
Red Elvises played roughly 128 shows in 2003 as they crossed the U.S. numerous times traveling east,
west, north, south and hit the stage in Russia too. I was lucky enough to be in
attendance at eleven of their shows this past year in the Southern California area, so I
can say (and have said – see Archives for my reviews) that every one of the shows I saw was
totally amazing and a huge amount of fun. I’m betting that all the others that many of you
made it to that I couldn’t were also some of the best musical experiences anyone who loves
this band could hope to have.
The beginning of a new year is a time to reflect back on the year that just ended. What went
well, what went wrong, how to learn from it all, what tequila never to drink again, that sort
of thing. What went well, for Red Elvises fans, was that Our Favorite Band added two new
very talented and personable members, Oleg-Schramm on keyboards, accordion and saxophone,
and Adam Gust on drums. There may have been some “wait and see” outlooks on the part of a
few fans at first, but as soon as they started playing gigs again after their winter break,
they started reaffirming the faith of longtime fans and winning over even the faint-hearted.
Red Elvises has always been a kick ass band and we’ll always miss the former members, but as
2003 began to roll out we could see that their new sound really rocked. What else went well
is that later on in the year they began work on a brand new CD that we should see in 2004. It
will be worth the wait, I’m sure.
What went wrong is no different from any other band; they may have lost a few fans here and
there but I can tell from comments on the Guest Book, Forum and even from personally talking
to some “newbies” at shows and in chats, that they gained new fans everywhere this year as
they do each year, everywhere they went. It’s clear that more and more people who appreciate
good music and good times are now getting hooked on kick ass Rokenrol from Siberia! They may
have also had a few broken strings here and there, the drumhead gained a few battle scars and
a ferry strike caused one show’s cancellation, but these things can happen to anyone who plays
music for a living. There was also that near-accident on a slick road that Big Red experienced
in the Midwest, but fortunately everyone involved emerged from that only shaken up but unharmed.
What we can learn from it all is that the Reds are a very hard-working group of guys and
they put their all – hearts, souls and frequently bodies – into entertaining us and making
sure we all have a fun time at their shows. I’ve seen them put on amazing shows whether
well-rested or tired from the road. I've also seen them, as have most of you,
playing their hearts out and hanging out with fans onstage and off, and I think most of us will
agree they are dedicated to their craft, truly appreciate their fans and work as hard as they
play. This shows us that you get out of life what you put into it, and if you love what
you do it shows!
We can also learn that even when something seems like a really bad turn of events, such as
a band member leaving, that other things can happen to make it really good again, such as
the addition of new members who each bring their own special ingredient to the musical blend.
Igor and Oleg just keep reinventing Red Elvises, they hang in there no matter what happens.
So be versatile and don’t despair during times of adversity because it will get better, the
sun will come out again! And remember to take the bad things that come your way and make them
better by using the old phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” Not to be trite
but that’s good advice for any of us, for life in general.
Last and probably at the very least, we can learn a little geography from Red Elvises’ frantic
tour schedule, including the names of possibly every college town of any note in America – or
at least those that are good to get drunk in while enjoying some kick ass Rokenrol. In fact,
my own alma mater is among those college towns, Tallahassee, Florida, home of FSU. Looking at
2003, we see that they kicked off the year in their California home turf of Santa Monica,
headed west across Arizona and Texas, on toward the east through New Orleans to Florida, north
through Georgia, South Carolina and for the first time North Carolina, up to Pennsylvania,
New York and back to Pennsylvania, back to New York and northward, wait…back to Pennsylvania
again, over to Ohio and further points in the midwest, then south, west, back and forth from
California to Tennessee and then up to the Pacific Northwest and after that they pretty much
zigged and zagged and drove and flew when necessary, and did it all over again in other towns and
directions. And that was only the first six months of the year, whew! What we can learn from
this is that it’s not a good idea to put up a huge wall map of the U.S. and look back and
forth across it at all the Red Elvises’ tour dates too quickly because you may hurt your neck.
Those guys travel like maniacs!
Speaking of drinking in college towns, or in your local bar that has the good sense to
book Red Elvises, as far as what tequila or other liquor to never drink again, well, you’re on
your own with that one! You know how you get with alcohol, good or bad. Try drinking beer
instead, it may be a little cheaper and could be easier on your stomach. Maybe. Don’t drink
and drive. But you certainly can drink and dance (as long as the driving is done
much later, sober, or you get a ride with someone who’s only been drinking something like,
say, Red Bull all night.) So as soon as you see the new tour dates appear on Red Elvises’ tour
dates webpage (and let’s hope there are a lot of them, as many as the guys can safely and
happily give us), start making your plans to get to one or more of their shows, and have a
very Happy and Red 2004!
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