The Red Elvises in Arlington

I received an e-mail from my friend, Karyn, last week entitled "krasnie elvisi" letting me know that the Red Elvises would be playing at a small club in Arlington, VA. I don't go to many concerts but got the impression from Karyn and her husband, who have both seen the Red Elvises before, that this would be fun. The Red Elvises were, on Saturday night, made up of four members, though I believe the founders are Igor and Oleg. Igor (lead singer) is from Odesa and Oleg (bassist) from Moscow. Lena is also from Moscow, and the drummer, who's name I can't remember, was introduced as the band's lone "American" from Minnesota. Considering the band seems to be based out of California, on the one hand having a drummer from Minnesota seems unlikely, though on the other he may be able to identify well with such songs as "Siberia" and "Winter Reggae." The Red Elvises are a unique experience and a lot of fun. They match their music's energy and youthfulness with their own, though they've been around for a number of years. Highlights include: an over-sized red balalaika-shaped bass guitar, grotesque fashion statements (see below), leading the audience in much clapping and disco-pointing, and one the of awesomest drum solos ever.