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Concert Preview
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Time Out New York, Concert Preview >>
An Auktyon concert begins like this: The Russian band vamps wildly-an agitated burst of guitar, tuba, sax-as an oafish man, Oleg Garkusha, saunters onstage. Wearing the garish suit of an old-time huckster and carrying a briefcase, he begins to dance and yelp into his microphone, which sits center stage. In the course of a show, he loosens his tie, shakes a tambourine, jumps about and recites Russian poetry. It's difficult to take one's eyes off of him-which is notable, as he is not Auktyon's true leader, but rather the group's hype man. Look closer and spot the true top dog: Leonid Fedorov, a humdrum-looking guy who performs in Cheney-esque shadows, singing lead and playing guitar while a veritable circus erupts around him.
This overt showbiz con epitomizes Auktyon, a nine-member act that formed in the late '70s or early '80s - on Stalin's former turf, history still evidently depends on who's keeping track - and enjoys a sizable cult following at home.Auktyon's musicis something of a ruse, too. The busy, horn-fueled songs may share elements with stereotypical Russian sound, but they sharply diverge into an eccentric melange of punk and jazz. Like many of their countrymen, the musicians have been making inroads in the States: After playing a frenetic set in January at the Public Theater's globalFEST, the hardened pros return a few months older and doubtlessly none the tamer.
by Jay Ruttenberg
03/23/06
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