Photos/Review: Molchat Doma at First Avenue
Minsk based darkwave and post punk band Molchat Doma enthralled a sold out First Avenue Mainroom on February 22, 2025. Los Angeles darkwave band, Sextile, opened the evening. Photos by Christopher Goyette
Molchat Doma’s performance at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Saturday night wasn’t merely a concert; it was a carefully constructed descent into a beautifully bleak, post-Soviet landscape. Bathed in stark, red minimalist lighting at the onset that seemed to mimic the cold fluorescence of a forgotten industrial space, the Belarusian trio delivered a lengthy set of songs old and new that was as mesmerizing as it was unsettling.
The band’s sound, a glacial blend of synth-wave, post-punk, and gothic undertones, translates powerfully live. Egor Shkutko’s baritone, resonant and devoid of affect, cut through the dense layers of Roman Komogortsev’s icy synth lines and Pavel Kozlov’s driving bass. There was a palpable tension in the air, a sense of controlled chaos that occasionally erupted into small groups of emotion, but constantly threatened to spread through the venue. This wasn’t a performance designed to elicit joyous abandon; it was a sonic exploration of isolation, urban decay, and the quiet desperation of modern life.
The visual aesthetic, mirroring their music, was equally impactful. The band’s stoic stage presence, their almost motionless stances, amplified the sense of detachment. For maximum effect, Shkutko would occasionally break into an almost trance-inducing dance around the middle of the stage. It was as if they were performing from behind a thick pane of glass, observing the audience rather than engaging with them. This detachment, however, was precisely what made their music so compelling and connected to the current American emotional state.
Of course, no Molchat Doma review would be complete without mentioning “Tancevat.” The song, propelled by its viral music video from a few years ago, has become an unlikely anthem for a generation grappling with uncertainty. The video, with its grainy, VHS-esque aesthetic and its depiction of a monotonous, almost robotic dance routine in a drab, Soviet-era setting, perfectly encapsulates the band’s aesthetic. Live, the song took on a new dimension. The crowd, a diverse mix of goths, synth-wave enthusiasts, and curious newcomers, swayed and moved with a hypnotic, almost ritualistic fervor. The repetition of the song’s simple melody created a sense of shared experience, a collective catharsis in the face of existential dread.
The power of “Tancevat” lies not only in its catchy melody, but also in its ability to tap into a universal feeling of alienation and the desire for escape. In a world saturated with manufactured positivity, Molchat Doma offers a refreshing dose of melancholic realism. They don’t offer solutions or platitudes; they simply hold a mirror up to the anxieties of our time, and in doing so, create a space for shared vulnerability.
Opening band, Sextile, isn’t a band you watch passively. They’re a visceral experience, a full-body immersion into a swirling vortex of post-punk grit, industrial clang, and a touch of glam-infused chaos. Their performance top open the evening was less a concert and more a primal ritual, a collective exorcism of pent-up energy.
Launching straight into a frantic explosion of sound, Brady Keehn, the captivatingly enigmatic frontman, stalked the stage like a man possessed, his vocals a snarling, distorted howl that cut through the dense sonic tapestry. It only took a few minutes for him to leave that stage and stalk the pit, engaging intensely with front row concert goers unwilling or too timid to meet his energy. The band, a tightly wound unit, delivered a relentless barrage of driving rhythms and searing synth lines as he made sure the night was memorable from start to finish.
The raw energy of their live show is truly something to behold. The interplay between Keehn’s theatrical presence and the band’s relentless sonic assault created a sense of palpable tension, a feeling that anything could happen. Drummer Melissa Scaduto, a powerhouse behind the kit, anchored the chaos with a relentless, driving beat, while the synth and guitar work created a swirling, disorienting atmosphere.
Molchat Doma Setlist:
Intro
Kolesom
Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh Kto Ya
III
Doma Molchat
Ne Vdvoen
Obrechen
Belaya Polosa
Chernye Tsvety
Son
Volny
Lyudi Nadoeli
Ya Tak Ustal
Discoteque
Na Dne
Beznadezhnyy Waltz
Kletka
Toska
Tancevat
Sudno
