Pussy Riot at (le) poisson rouge (photo by Juliette Boulay)

 

A decade removed from their initial burst onto the world stage after being wrongfully imprisoned for an anti Vladimir Putin performance, artpunk provocateurs and political activists, Pussy Riot, recently came to New York for an intense and sensual evening to celebrate the release of their mixtape, Matriarchy Now. This latest release saw the group collaborating with the likes of Big Freedia, mazie, Phoebe Ryan and more. Band leader Nadya Tolokonnikova had just been on the news earlier that day with Anderson Cooper but she easily swapped roles from talking head on cable news to captivating front woman and hit the stage in a full latex nun getup—whip and all—to the delight of fans.

 

While the band is often labeled “punk,” sound wise they fall more into the hyper pop genre with punk serving as a framework and the ethos by which they operate. In a recent interview with The Independent, Tolokonnikova elaborated on that fact and said “We chose punk rock for the first songs just because we thought it was funny,” she says. “I’ve never played the guitar, and none of the core Pussy Riot members ever played any punk rock instruments. I like punk culture, and the punk ethos, but I don’t really listen to punk music that much.” In the same interview she also spoke about how Dominatrix culture is “a really potent source of inspiration for me as a feminist, because it turns upside down the models of oppression that have been used on us for ages. Dominatrix culture requires the consent of every party involved.”

 

Indeed, this influence was evident in the stage performance and the evening was filled with balaclava clad dancers, whips, and plenty of crowd participation in a sex positive performance that included Tolokonnikova singing from the crowd at one point. One of the dancers told FTA afterwards that the show was a “really liberating experience.”

 

Pussy Riot at LPR

 

The setlist—complete with the Ukrainian national anthem—left no chance anyone who wasn’t previously familiar with Pussy Riot’s work didn’t know where the group stands politically with subjects of feminism, power, police  brutality and political violence taking center stage.

 

Support came from opening act, Boyfriend, who worked the crowd and primed them for the evening to come, wearing a multi layered wedding dress outfit and playing a cover of the LeTigre classic “Deceptacon.” Madge played the middle slot with a hyper pop set accompanied by a DJ and live drummer. Their performance was filled with raunchy lyrics and a dancer who whipped lollipops into the excited and exuberantly dancing crowd.

 

Scroll down for setlist, videos, and pics of the show (photos by Juliette Boulay)

 

Pussy Riot setlist: Intro/Police State, Black Snow, Tatu/Plastic, Punish You/My Agenda, Toxic, Princess Charming, Plaything, Matriarchy Now (video), Hangerz, Rage/Rage Remix, Chastity, Dance with the Devil, Ukrainian National Anthem, 1312, Hatefuck, Panic Attack

 

 

 

 

BOYFRIEND

 

 

MADGE

 

 

PUSSY RIOT