Bands like The Clash and Rage Against the Machine made their names through political agitation and songs about social upheaval. Midnight Oil did the same, and frontman Peter Garrett even gained public office to try changing the system from within.
Russian performance activists Pussy Riot, however, have followed their convictions to the point of personal risk and imprisonment. The anarchist stance is no stunt. There’s little doubt that the group’s members are devoted to the feminist and anti-establishment messages they’re spreading. Attend the band’s upcoming shows at Subterranean, and you’ll see that it’s a message they relish delivering at maximum intensity.
Less than three months following a rare trio of appearances in the United States, the proto-punk collective’s first North American brings two nights of art and uproar to Subterranean. Pussy Riot’s rallying point is Nadya Tolokonnikova, who makes a point of bringing everyone within earshot into the action. The group’s fervor and the force of its progressive ideas are undoubtedly infectious, even if the totality of Pussy Riot’s resolve sets an extremely high bar. The collective’s famous arrest for “hooliganism” occurred in 2012. Tolokonnikova and two of her collaborators were imprisoned after daring to publicly demonstrate against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During the two-year imprisonment, Pussy Riot were championed by the public and top musical figures including Madonna and Paul McCartney. Even Barack Obama spoke in support of the group. Upon release, Tolokonnikova helped to establish an organization called Mediazona to advocate for prison reform and provide legal services to women mistreated in the Russian system.
Pussy Riot’s recent music includes “Police State,” released in Fall 2017. The song’s sugar-sweet pop delivers a blistering attack on Donald Trump and Putin, describing an eagerness to smile for the cameras while kicking problems under the rug. “No problems in paradise, we’ll lock them up,” sings Tolokonnikova, echoing her own experience. 2016’s “Make America Great Again” combines carefree Latin pop and hip-hop with pointed criticism of walls and xenophobia. Whether or not Pussy Riot take the stage in balaclavas or body bags, the evening will provoke. The proceedings may galvanize or alienate, but they are as certain to ignite the mind as the feet.
* Pussy Riot, with Nikki Lynette, 8 p.m. Mar. 6-7, Subterranean, 2011 W. North. $25 (ages 17+); subt.net.
Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.
