Pussy Riot at Elsewhere
photo by Amanda Hatfield

Pussy Riot played Elsewhere (pics) +++ Nadya spoke with Marina Abramovic (watch)

Pussy Riot shows aren’t concerts in a traditional sense, which fits in with the intention of the Russian feminist punk collective. As members have said, “Pussy Riot has never done normal concerts in usual sense of this word, and we intend to continue this tradition. Events that we organize are political rallies, not concerts. We intend to make the audience leave the venue or the festival, and to go out and act.” At their show at Elsewhere on Thursday (5/17), music was the medium for delivering their staunchly pro freedom and equality message, but it was also a means of connection and joy. Audience members danced along with the masked figures onstage, and shouted back the lyrics of songs like the very catchy “Straight Outta Vagina,” whose chorus, “don’t play stupid, don’t play dumb, vagina’s where you’re really from,” reverberated throughout the hall.

Dorian Electra opened Thursday night’s show, and made for an excellent pairing. The Charli XCX-affiliated artist brought along a pair of backup dancers and played songs focusing on the history of gender and sexuality, including one about the clitoris and another about vibrators (complete with Hitachi Magic Wands as props). Dorian has been on tour with Pussy Riot, and was one of the masked dancers during Thursday night’s set. Check out pictures from the Elsewhere show in the gallery above, and a few fan-taken video clips below.

Pussy Riot go on to perform at some festivals, including Boston Calling and Hangout. Earlier this week, member Nadya Tolokonnikova appeared in a TimesTalk at Florence Gould Hall with performance artist Marina Abramovic. Watch that talk below.

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