The experience of attending a Molchat Doma performance varies person to person. For some, it’s the chance to see a band from a country they’d have probably never heard of before, while for others, it’s just a regular Tuesday, and for a select few, it’s an otherworldly experience. This disparity in viewership largely depends on a fan’s ability to comprehend lead singer and lyricist Egor Skhutko’s native language of Russian, which is what all of Molchat Doma’s songs are written and performed in. To put it simply, listening to Molchat Doma—and properly enjoying it—requires a sufficient knowledge of Soviet culture and the Russian language. Such knowledge can be rather challenging to acquire due to myriad geopolitical issues which won’t be discussed here, of course. Regardless of one’s understanding of politics, slavic languages, and culture, though, everyone can agree that the band is impressively dedicated to their artistry. Moreover, they put on a show like no other.
As usual, Skhutko is supported by his fellow bandmates: Roman Komogortsev, who plays lead guitar, synthesizers, drums, and Pavel Kozlov, who plays bass guitar and synthesizers. It is Molchat Doma’s third world tour; this tour in particular focused on promoting their fourth studio album, Belaya Polosa (White Stripe). The album’s release itself had an overall positive reception amongst its global audience, and seasoned listeners were able to take notice of its palpable homage to revered Soviet rock artists like Kino and Alisa. Granted, there is always the risk that a band can continuously take inspiration from its predecessors and potentially become an unoriginal, obsolete group within a season, but such will not be the case for Molchat Doma. The reason why they are immune to irrelevance is that their production quality continues to improve in all aspects.
With each tour, small details are slightly adjusted to perfection: Their stage lighting is more dynamic, their sound design more layered, their stage dress now features a uniform. Gone are the days of a hoodie, joggers, and vans; Komogortsev and Kozlov now wear custom-made garb for the stage, reminiscent of the clean, yet slouchy silhouettes pioneered by fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. Kozlov dons a slate grey, kilt-like wrap skirt layered over a white long sleeved shirt. Komogortsev, dressed in the same fabric and colors as Kozlov, wears the same collared white long sleeve beneath a draped cardigan and stacked trousers. Shkutko, as per usual, dons his tried and true combination of a monochromatic black tank top layered over cropped black trousers with suspenders, stacked white socks, and Doc Martens loafers. Some argue that the stacked white socks and loafers are a fashion choice dedicated to emulate the late Michael Jackson, but aside from Skhutko’s equally-impressive, graceful falsetto, the similarities end there.
When Molchat Doma performs, the atmosphere is nothing short of Lynchian—it is captivatingly trancelike, moody, and highly memorable. Even during instrumental breaks, Skhutko dances similarly to that of the Little Man in Twin Peaks, basking in the rich, crimson red stage lighting. The experience is akin to being in a Dream Sequence. The hour and fifteen minute set, even with a fully fleshed-out encore, felt eternal yet brief at the same time. The crowd was markedly calm and satisfied with the performance by its conclusion, marked by Skhutko, Kozlov, and Komogortsev bowing and thanking everyone after playing their most famous track, “Sudno.”
