The Red Elvises, hailing from the desolate expanse of ice and snow known as Siberia, are bringing their self-described “kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll” to the WOW Hall this Halloween.
The band is returning to Eugene with their outrageous costumes, oversized guitars and a notoriously raucous live show in support of their seventh album, “Shake Your Pelvis.”
If last year’s show is any indication, the band will bring the same sweaty, sequined party rock to the WOW Hall, and perhaps bring along a few Halloween surprises as well.
The band formed in 1996, when Oleg Bernov, Zhenya Kolykhanov and Igor Yuzov all met up with a Texas drummer and started cranking out their unique blend of Russian influences and elements of surf music.
The combination of surf music, traditional Russian music, and rock ‘n’ roll is not supposed to be taken all that seriously.
“It’s a joke, to make the music sound happy,” said Kolykhanov, the Red Elvises’ lead vocalist. “It’s like Dr. Zhivago on steroids.”
Bernov, who plays a giant, triangular bass based on the balalayka, a traditional Russian instrument, said that the Red Elvises play “happy, party music.”
“It’s music you play when you learn how to play music,” Bernov said. “We get out and have a good time, and it’s infectious.”
He said the band enjoys playing in Eugene because the crowds are “always very, very happy and responsive.”
Avi Sills, a former resident of Eugene and the band’s current drummer, said, “It’s really fun music; we take everything fun about music and put it in our shows.
“We’re all about takin’ it back to the origins of music — having fun,” he said. “It’s not about standing on stage and looking cool. We’re not cool at all; we’re a bunch of idiots.”
Sills played the WOW Hall as a drummer many times before he hooked up with the band, and said he enjoys playing in Eugene.
With their new album, the Red Elvises have tried to take their music in a new direction, adding some electronic influences to their traditional rock.
“It’s kind of disco-ey, and it’s got some samples and electronic drumming,” Kolykhanov said. “The vibe is different, but it’s still a party album.”
The Red Elvises play the WOW Hall tonight. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door and are available at the WOW Hall, the EMU ticket office, Face the Music, House of Records and Taco Loco. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m. Costumes are strongly encouraged. For more information, call 687-2764.