Kino Proby, SPACE Gallery, December 30, 2006
By IAN PAIGE | January 3, 2007
The well-coifed, largely Russian-speaking crowd was perhaps the finest smelling audience ever to walk through the doors of SPACE Gallery. Amid the wafts of perfume and cologne were smiling faces with their eyes fixed on Viktor 1, Viktor 2, and Viktor 3, the power trio reunited as Kino Proby for one last Portland bout of high-energy performance in honor of the well-regarded Soviet ’80s group, Kino.
After a little field research it’s very clear that Russians rock harder. Kino Proby’s loyal following was so overjoyed to see the group together again on stage (Viktor 1 has been in Russia for some time now) that each body was dancing, every voice singing along to songs that inspired recognition of their shared culture.
The band gave the audience way more than nostalgia. Kino Proby take already danceable songs and throw hard beats and insane guitar solos to get the vodka and cranberry coursing through your bloodstream a little faster. These black-clad gentlemen turn into animals onstage, banging guitars together, solos-on-knees, and raucous singing-in-unison, all with giant shit-eating grins on their faces. Chances are they had more fun than anyone else in Portland that night, except for maybe their fans.
You’ve got one more chance to catch Kino Proby before Viktor 1 heads back to Mother Russia, but you’ll have to trek down to Cambridge. The group will play the All Asia Cafe on January 6.
Topics:
Live Reviews
, Kino Proby Viktor
