The Russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot have announced a set of spring 2020 tour dates, which will begin next March with a performance at 1720 in Los Angeles, California and wrap up in Phoenix, Arizona at the Crescent Ballroom. The group are partnering with PLUS1 to donate $1 from ticket sales to each city’s local Planned Parenthood affiliate.
While the band have not announced their touring drummer for their upcoming performances next year, Rachel Fannan of Black Mountain joined the group for their 2019 Desert Daze performance. The band have also released a trailer foor this upcoming tour, whioch features bits of unreleased music by the band.
Earlier this year Pussy Riot dropped the politically charged track “1937,” where they tackle issues plaguing the Russian government, unfair elections and corruption. The song title is in reference to one of the worst years in Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship, when 1.7 million people were arrested, and over 700,000 were killed.
According to a press release, this track ”demand(s) the release of all Russia’s political prisoners and bring attention to the Russian unfair and corrupt ‘elections’ to Moscow city parliament that were held on September 8th. None of the independent candidates were registered, even worse – for making their political campaigns most of the independent candidates were arrested, from 10 up to 40 days in detention centers.”
Although very politically outspoken, the band have faced a fair share of backlash by political actors in their country. Two of its members; Nika Nikulshina and Peter Verzilov, were arrested for a World Cup protest in 2018. Verzilov was later poisoned a couple of days after this incident, and was placed in critical condition.
Pussy Riot Tour:
3/13 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720 LA
3/14 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre
3/18 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
3/19 – Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club
3/20 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
3/24 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
3/26 – Chicago, IL – Metro
3/27 – Detroit, MI – El Club
3/28 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
3/31 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
4/2 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Hall at Avant Gardner
4/3 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
4/4 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
4/8 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
4/10 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Downstairs
4/11 – Dallas, TX – Trees
4/12 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
4/14 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf
4/15 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
5/19 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
Photo Credit: Brett Padelford