Yury Krivoshein on stage with the Red Elvises. Courtesy image

Yury Krivoshein’s first band out of school – country music. Courtesy image

By BECKY RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post

Yury Krivoshein grew up in a musical suburb of Moscow, picked up a guitar at 12, and spent his formative years obsessing over Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, and Pink Floyd. By the time he was a working musician, he was playing in Russia’s oldest rockabilly band, doing session work for film and radio, and living what he describes as a successful career. Then, Feb. 24, 2022 changed everything.

“On the morning of the 24th, we woke up to find our lives turned upside down,” he says of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

When Denmark offered his wife a job opportunity, they didn’t hesitate.

“We basically just closed the door and left with nothing but a backpack and a guitar to start over from scratch,” he said.

Starting over meant rebuilding from zero in a country where no one knew him. He started giving online guitar lessons, posted videos in local Facebook groups, and eventually connected with other expat musicians in Copenhagen. Within six months he was playing his first Danish concert, a rock and roll band featuring a guitarist from France, a bassist from Italy, and Krivoshein from Russia, rounding out a lineup with Danish locals. More bands followed, and a community took shape.

Through all of it, one dream stayed constant. In 1998, Krivoshein had seen the cult film Six-String Samurai, which featured a band called the Red Elvises. He never forgot them.

“The fact that we eventually met feels like a true miracle,” he said.

That meeting happened in 2016, when he recorded guitar parts for the Red Elvises’ album She Works For KGB. Tours of Russia followed, and when his move to Denmark finally made a U.S. visa possible, he joined his first American tour in 2023. He is currently on his fifth.

Red Elvises leader Igor Yuzov says the fit was immediate.

“He knows Russian, Ukrainian, and Jewish music, elements of which are present in our songs. I don’t need to explain anything to him. He immediately understands what I need.”

First meeting with Yury Krivoshein and Igor Yuzov. Courtesy photo

Krivoshein’s reputation extends well beyond any single band. His 2022 surf album Frogman and Friends features an international roster of collaborators, including Chris Isaak’s guitarist Hershel Yatovitz and LA rockabilly legend Deke Dickerson, proof that he is a serious player in his own right. That depth shows up on stage with the Red Elvises, where he has pushed the setlist toward instrumental territory. Hucklebuck, an instrumental take on the Chubby Checker classic, and the surf standard Peter Gunn are now concert staples.

For him, the measure of a good show is simple.

“When you see the audience smiling, singing, dancing, and having a good time, that’s the whole point of what you do,” he said.

Yury Krivoshein with the Red Elvises, Igor Yuzov and Crazy Tomes. Courtesy photo

The Red Elvises, whose sound is best described as Siberian Surf Rock, have been bringing their high-energy roots music to New Mexico audiences for decades. Los Alamos has been a regular stop since the late 1990s, when local favorite Russ Gordon started booking them on the Hill. Russ is the founder of the Los Alamos concert series, and a local legend in town. I grew up going to his music store, which was next to the classic Allied deli for years. It became a tradition.

“Russ started booking us because he loved our music. Los Alamos audiences are so supportive and fun,” Yuzov says, “and the Hill Stompers are a blast to share the stage with.”

I have personally seen them here at least ten times, which should tell you everything you need to know.

Yury Krivoshein and Igor Yuzov on stage. Courtesy photo

Igor and the Red Elvises (Los Alamos’s favorite band!) play Los Alamos at Bathtub Row Brewing on April 25 and Santa Fe on April 26. Details on tickets and venues can be found at redelvises.com. I’ll see you at the tub!

Tour dates