The Bolshoi Brothers: Closing the Circle in a Cloud of Smoke and Synth

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Concert Review

Artist: The Bolshoi Brothers

Date: April 5 2026

Venue: The Star Theater

City: Portland, Oregon

Supporting: Theater of Hate

If any band ever dragged one long, twisted chapter of my life full circle and slammed the door with a distorted guitar chord, it was finally crossing off the sacred concert bucket list item: The Bolshoi Brothers.

If you don’t know The Bolshoi — those madmen who stormed into the darkwave underworld in ’86-’87 — then you’ve been hiding under a very large, very boring rock. They hit us with a strange, beautiful hybrid: folk-laced darkwave soaked in melodic, moody keyboard strings and Trevor Tanner’s razor-sharp guitar. Albums like Friends, the absolute masterpiece Lindy’s Party, and the long-lost Country Life (finally exhumed in 2015) left generations of us starving for more.

Last year, Trevor Tanner and Paul Clark rose again under the banner of “The Bolshoi Brothers”— injecting a fresh prog-rock edge into their classic English dark-folk DNA. I had them on the show and it was pure electricity. Then, after 36 goddamn years (I fell hard for them in ’88), I finally nailed it: April 5th at Portland’s Star Theater.

The second I stumbled into the smoking area, there they were — sitting on a bench like darkwave royalty. I blurted “Hi Paul” and he hit me with, “Now there’s a voice I recognize.” Handshakes with both of them. I told them how long I’d been waiting for this night. Paul immediately brought up our interview chat about their gloriously unconventional songwriting — those off-meter poetic shifts mid-verse that I fucking “adore”. He actually appreciated that I got it. Beautiful.

They signed my Lindy’s Party LP. That moment alone was worth the decades.

I asked about the opening act, Theater of Hate, after watching their sax player wander off. They pointed out that drummer Chris Bell had also just stepped away. “Is that the Chris Bell from Gene Loves Jezebel?” I asked. Hell yes it was. When he came back we dialed my old high school friend — whose favorite band on earth is Gene Loves Jezebel — and let wish her happy birthday on her voice mail. Chris Bell is an absolute champ.

Then Trevor leaned in and mentioned something at the merch table: a single about David Bowie. Minutes later, some guy walked straight up to me in the hall and said, “Hey Jeremy, I got a present for ya from Trevor.” I asked how the hell he knew who I was. “Trevor described you — guy with a camera and a New Model Army t-shirt.” He handed me Trevor Tanner’s limited 10” single “Goodbye Ziggy Stardust” (a.k.a. “The Day That Bowie Died”). It’s a gut-punch tribute that hits like a velvet hammer. Go buy it. Seriously. I also grabbed the double LP of Trevor’s Bolshoi Jazz versions — and yeah, it’s got extra tracks the streaming services don’t. Buy the vinyl, you won’t regret it.

Theater of Hate came out swinging like a post-punk wrecking ball.

These legends — the same band that gave Billy Duffy his first TV appearance on Top of the Pops with “Westworld” — opened for ChameleonsVox back in 2019 and nearly blew the roof off. Stand them next to early U2 in 1980 and you’d swear they were twins, except Theater of Hate had a sax ripping through the guitar lines like a switchblade. Kirk Brandon on vocals and guitar, Stan Stammers on bass, Clive Osbourne on sax, and Chris Bell on drums — a four-piece this night, but they still hit like a goddamn freight train.

They opened with “Judgement Hymn,” tore through “Nero” and “Original Sin,” and closed with the immortal “Do You Believe In The Westworld.” Kirk’s voice cut through like a broken cathedral bell — intense, aggressive, melodramatic, operatic. If you’ve never seen them, fix that immediately. If you’ve never heard them, fire up YouTube right now. You’re welcome.

Then the lights dropped low. The Bolshoi Brothers took the stage in near darkness, exactly as they should — obscure, shadowy, ready to drag you through sonic wastelands.

They opened with “Beautiful Creature,” pulling us deep into the new darkwave-prog-rock beast. Classic Bolshoi guitar and lyrics riding on a sci-fi undercurrent that made you wonder if Trevor had a cute little space alien chained up somewhere. “Built in Obsolescence” came next with a nasty Killing Joke snarl, minor-key piano, and Paul Clark’s signature unsettling synths straight out of the old days.

Trevor grinned and said the next song was written for its time, but if they wrote it today it’d be called “iPhone Man.” Then they launched into the *Lindy’s Party* classic “T.V. Man,” with the whole room counting off “1, 2, 3 — Hail TV!” while grinning like idiots. For a few glorious minutes I was 13 again, sitting in my buddy’s basement, imagining this exact moment.

From there they took us on a full journey — new material that sits somewhere between The Bolshoi, King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and a Pink Floyd fever dream. Paul’s synths and Trevor’s guitar wove pure magic. “Mr Ridiculous” felt like a dark, twisted Beatles b-side from a haunted Sgt. Pepper universe. “A Way” rang out and carried us next door without missing a step. “Cowboy Chords” paid strange, beautiful tribute to country & western.

Then the bleak, glorious piano of “Sunday Morning” hit — that “I’m going to scare the hell out of you” intro still sends chills. “This Town” rolled in with its Baba O’Riley chords and Twin Peaks strings (Paul lives in Seattle, so maybe it soaked in). We got “Country Life,” and finally the beloved “Please,” with everyone dancing to that infectious bass groove that still kicks after nearly 40 years.

They closed with “Suburbs” from the new album — slow, haunting, and quietly menacing, unpacking the quiet terror of ordinary life.

I walked out of the Star Theater completely blown away. The new material is strong as hell, Trevor’s lyrics are still razor-sharp, and live… Christ, they’re magical. After 36 years, the circle closed in Portland smoke and pulsing synths.

If you’ve loved these guys as long as I have, the Bolshoi Brothers project is absolutely worth your time — and seeing them live is mandatory.

GOD I LOVE THESE GUYS.

#thebolshoi #theaterofhate #thebolshoibrothers #billyduffy #lindysparty

https://thebolshoibrothers.com

https://kirkbrandon.com/theatre-of-hate

Dark Spring Boston Festival Review – By James Magerman

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The Dark Spring Boston festival, now in its 5th year, manifested this past weekend at Sonia in Cambridge, MA. The Grande Dame and Organizer of the Festival, Nichole Ferree, put together an outstanding lineup of talent that touched on every part of the scene’s sonic spectrum. 6 bands lit up the stage with their dark energy, and DJ Dragent kept the crowd going during changeovers with a mix of songs both contemporary and from the deepest darkest archives of the stygian catalogue. As would be expected from such an august gathering, everyone looked amazing in their funerary finery (both bands and fans) as the children of the night danced until the lights came up.

https://www.facebook.com/DarkSpringBoston

Faux Fear (from PA).

Music | FAUX FEAR

First up was Faux Fear.  The three member group put together an entrancing set of dark thumping dancehall fare.  Lead singer Audrey’s haunting voice is a perfect counterpoint to rest of the band’s pieces, and helps create a big open sound, with room for each member to play their part.  Bassist Pra dances back and forth between moving melodic phrases, and crushing dirty pounding bass lines like dancing in a thunderstorm, balanced by guitarist Nicholas’ clean glassy guitar tones, as he sprints around the fretboard like a jazz guitarist. 

Stare Away. (From NYC).

Music | Stare Away

NYC based duo Stare Away was up next.  Very energetic, in your face, set of driving songs that pulled everyone onto the floor. Bursting onto the stage with a look and energy that reminded me of a Goth Bruce Springsteen, lead singer Ben Nelson brought an uptempo crowd focused vibe that married well with the relentless backbeats of the accompanying tracks.  My lone regret is that the backing tracks at times overpowered the live instruments and vocals, which was a shame because you could see the emotion and dedication of the performers but some of that magic was lost to time and the sonic wash of the venue.

Komrads (Rochester,  NY)

Music | Komrads

After taking the energy up a notch with Stare Away, they turned the dial up to 11 when Komrads (Zach Burnett) hit the stage. This one man band came on like an atom bomb… pounding heavy drums, fast filthy guitar riffs, and intense growly vocals…  flavors of Ministry or KMFDM, and an absolutely unflagging performance.  His singing is a little bit metal, a little bit frenetic punk lead man… It was pretty wild in all the right ways 🤘🤘 From the first note to the last, the only breaks in the action were the understated and blink-and-you-miss-it “Thank You”s that acted as the lone bridge between each bone shaking Industrial-laden assault on the senses.

Ex-Hyena (Boston)

Music | Ex-Hyena

Next up was Boston’s own dynamic duo of dark electronica, Ex-Hyena (Bo Barringer and Reuben Bettsak).  I really enjoyed their set.  It reminded me a bit of a rave, but couched within the dark confines of this music festival. Constantly evolving soundscapes, droning pulsing tracks, everybody dancing. Atmospheric live guitar, and a drum pad expertly struck with a lone drumstick at important moments to build texture and novelty. A table full of synths and computers and electronica alchemical devices of all persuasions…. connected by a spider’s web of cables that caught the audience in its tangle and fixed us in place.

Pilgrims

Music | PILGRIMS

Another Boston band took the stage in the penultimate time slot.  For my first time seeing Pilgrims (formerly Pilgrims of Yearning) play, I sure picked a lucky night.  The group debuted their new album Gemini in its entirety during their set, and it was a gem.  Lead singer Juls Garat’s powerful vocals, in both English and Spanish, really pull you into the story being told as the album unfolds.  Uptempo beats, with some interesting rhythmic flourishes thrown in, meld well with the tight locked-in basslines and ethereal guitar and synth work and add up to a powerhouse performance, and a pulsing mass on the dancefloor. Really interesting layers in the music that tend to build throughout each song leading to some wild finishes.  Hard to beat an album release party, and they had everything polished and shining for the Dark Spring crowd.

Rosegarden Funeral Party (Dallas TX)

Music | Rosegarden Funeral Party

Last to hit the stage was powerhouse duo Rosegarden Funeral Party out of Dallas, and I was caught fully unprepared.  As a drummer, all night I had been keeping an eye on the drumset on the back of the stage wondering when it was going to make its debut.  And I had to wait all night, but the payoff did not disappoint.  There’s something about the kinetic impact of live drums in a room that gets me right in the brainstem, and Dean is a different creature altogether.  Outside of his incredible chops, I really appreciated his rhythmic songwriting and massive variance between songs and parts, bringing unique feel and texture to every single song.  But what I was truly unprepared for was the Force of Nature that is lead singer Leah Lane.  She was ELECTRIC.  Huge voice and, moving around the stage like it were a 1980’s arena rock show, making her candy apple red Fender Jazzmaster scream. An anthemic, Texas sized performance.  I’m not sure I took a breath until halfway through the second song.  I also really appreciated the stagecraft of her rocking stage left or stage right during musical interludes when she didn’t have to be center stage, which helped make Dean more visible in those moments as he put on a drum clinic for the audience.   As a mental health professional, I was similarly struck by Leah stopping mid-set to deliver a very poignant and powerful message about the importance of mental health and being kind to each other and to oneself.  It’s the kind of thing that everyone probably needs to hear more, and I think could really help some people out there in the audience or beyond.

This was an absolutely magical night at Sonia, and I hope Dark Spring Boston continues to grow year after year for many years to come. The diversity of styles and collection of talent on hand was really something that needs to be experienced. And having the chance to mingle and chat with the bands before or after their sets, you couldn’t ask for a finer group of musicians or humans. So if you have not made it out for one of the first 5 incarnations of this celebration of all music chthonic and macabre, then do yourself a favor and break out your favorite black skinny jeans, jangliest leather jacket, and danciest boots and keep on eye on Nichole’s page for next year’s edition.

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Live at the Music Box, San Diego, California, 04/17/2026

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Truth be told, I wasn’t even planning on writing a review of tonight’s show. By the time I arrived, I had already missed the opening acts and I was in a bad mood. Long story.

All Photos: Patrick Dickson

Besides, I had already seen TKK many moons ago back in the 90s. Twice. From the minimalist twin drummer assault to the sexy/sleazy cabaret, every TKK performance was different. And even though my memory from those free-spirited days during the Clinton Administration may suffer from, shall we say, substance-altered recollection, TKK brings back a great sense of nostalgia.

So my question was: How does the band hold up after 30 plus years? How much have they changed? How much have I changed? These are the things running through my mind as I walked into the Music Box on this Friday night.

My concerns were for naught. 

Not only does TKK still deliver the goods, but this was by far the best I’ve seen them live! 

The lineup is stripped down to the quartet of Groovie Mann, Buzz McCoy, Mimi Star and Justin Bennett. Simplicity works well for TKK in this straightforward approach. 

The set was comprised of career highlights that kept the crowd pleased, but this was no crusty nostalgic stroll down memory lane as much as a showcase of why the band has indeed endured for so long. There was nothing schmaltzy about this. Nothing over the hill. Not even the crowd, as many younger faces mixed in with the more obvious longtime fans.

Fresh energy was brought to long-standing classics with power and enthusiasm that newer bands could stand to take heed. 

Zuckerpuppe by :Wumpscut:

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You have to love the way Rudy Ratzinger keeps cranking them out. Since its 1991 debut, Ratzinger’s passion project :Wumpscut: has been on a prolific tear, cranking out albums and EPs at a pace that makes some artists green with envy. And it continues with Zuckerpuppe, the latest EP.

Now don’t get it twisted… just because :W: is prolific in output doesn’t mean that quality has been sacrificed. Far from it. Over these four songs, the listener will get the feel of a classic electro-industrial act from back in the day that simply has never lost its mojo.

Spoken word samples, vocals processed to an unintelligible degree, and hard-hitting dance beats all create a classic formula that – in the right hands – never gets old.

Additionally, each song is accompanied by an instrumental counterpart, which indeed allows for a different take and feel for the songs.

Long-standing :Wumpscut: should be satisfied with Zuckerpuppe, comfortable with the knowledge that there is more to come.

https://wumpscut.bandcamp.com/album/zuckerpuppe-bandcamp-edition

Null Device – I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye

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Brand new single from Madison WI trio Null Device. It has a banging beat and an emotional concept being dedicated to their beloved Winston and All proceeds from the sale of this track go to the Iowa County Humane Society. To anyone who has lost a furry family member and knows the hard choices made near the end, this one hit hard. I always love the way Eric and Jill’s voices mesh. This time with a sorrowful tone and delivery. The beat has a bouncy impact heavy style that makes me want to dance in celebration of the positive memories while processing the pain.

Null Device

I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye | Null Device

Eric Oehler – Synths, vocals, music
Jill Sheridan – Vocals, lyrics

Where to Purchase

This is dedicated to Winston, who attended every live rehearsal, every mix session, every recording session, and was always there waiting when we got back from being on the road. This was the last track he helped mix. Thanks for everything, buddy, we miss ya.