FOLIO
Call it Siberian surf rock, Baltic rockabilly, Ukrainian reggae, or a disco-fueled rejuvenation of Russian folk music-there’s no resisting the primal power of Igor & The Red Elvises’ music. Frenetic and catchy, ferocious and crowd-pleasing, the unique blend was first concocted in 1995 by Russian émigrés Igor Yuzov, Oleg Bernov and Zhenya “Rock” Kolykhanov, all of whom had grown up in the Soviet Union before moving to the U.S. to pursue
their dreams.
The Red Elvises earned their stripes performing Balkanized versions of early American rock ‘n’ roll on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, and blew up even more around Y2K, thanks to some well-timed TV opportunities (Melrose Place, a Penn & Teller special, Beverly Hills, 90210) and a marathon work ethic (10 full-length albums in eight years). But from the very beginning, The Red Elvises shone brightest on stage, where they lived up to their rapidly growing reputation as the ultimate party band.
“There’s something about the vibe-it makes you jump up and down and dance around,” Igor Yuzov tells Folio Weekly. “That was my first impression of rock ‘n’ roll, the energy. We’re trying to keep that energy alive and give people a chance to enjoy their life.” And why Elvis, who Yuzov jokingly claims came to him in a dream, urging him to devote his life to rock ‘n’ roll? “He had this young energy,” Yuzov says. “He was a symbol of early rock ‘n’ roll, when it had a certain naïveté and freedom; it wasn’t stuffy. Everyone could see the power of Elvis.”
After 10 years of nonstop touring, across America and also throughout Russia, the grueling pace caused several lineup changes: longtime touring drummer Avi Stills departed, whittling the band back to its core all-Russian trio of Yuzov, Bernov and Kolykhanov. In 2002, Kolykhanov announced his departure; in 2009, Bernov left to join the circus (for real-he played a clown in the traveling revue Slava’s Snowshow). That led to more additions, subtractions, shifts and reboots, with Bernov returning from time to time, Sarah Johnson joining on saxophone, Jasmin Guevara providing a steady beat on drums, and other talented musicians like Tim Hayn, Beth Garner, Oleg Gorbunov and Elena Shemankova, coming in and out of the fold.
“I think this is our best lineup ever,” Yuzov says. “We’ve been together for a year or so, and hopefully we’ll stay like this. I love touring. That’s what life is about: enjoying life, playing music, and bringing joy to people who come to our shows. Also, you have to stay in shape. If you take time off, it’s hard to get back into it. That’s why we try to tour as much
as possible.”
That’s no joke: Yuzov and crew will play 26 shows in March’s 31 days, including 15 shows in Florida and eight in the Keys alone. “We love it here,” Yuzov says. “We have a very strong following of supporters and love coming back to Florida. Especially to the Keys. In St. Augustine, we’ve only played a drive-in party at a boatyard; this will be our first club show. So hopefully people will come!”
When you do go, Northeast Florida, make sure you chip in a few extra dollars toward the crowdfunding campaign for Igor & The Red Elvises’ next album, She Works for the KGB. “It’s our first project done like this, where we raise money from our fans,” Yuzov admits. “But they have helped us so much over the years that it’s really a thank you to them. I’m very glad that so many have already helped out.”
And what of the whole KGB connection-what of the fact that Americans are talking about Russia and its complicated political relationship with the U.S. more than ever in 2017? “I’m not a politician,” Yuzov says bluntly. “For me, it’s really hard to say. Whatever happens, I hope the relationship will improve and be better for both sides.”
Yuzov will get plenty of chances to explore the intricacies this year: He played a couple of shows in Moscow in February and will return to Kostroma and Safonovo for a week in May, followed by a jazz festival in Voronezi in July. “Russians love rokenrol,” Yuzov says, using the slang term he’s given to an album recorded entirely in Russian and the ongoing International Rokenrol Party Touring 8 Days a Week. “They love American music. What’s funny is that to them, we’re an American band, where here in America, people think we’re a Russian band. I guess we’re something in between.” Laughing, he adds, “There are lots of Western musicians touring in Russia these days-it’s not forbidden fruit like it was in the ’80s. I’ll probably see bigger American bands in Moscow this year than I will in Los Angeles.”
Follow FOLIO!