(feature article)

Today, in the period of war hardships, I still remember this great concert devoted to peace, love and mutual understanding, which inspires me in the most depressive moments…It started at 8:00 pm., 18.09.2021, at the location of the National Academic Drama Theater named after I. Franko, in Kyiv.

On September 18, Kyiv finally met with its beloved Borys Borysovych Grebenshchikov in the hall of the National Academic Drama Theater named after I. Franko. The long-awaited concert of the musicians of the Aquarium band, who missed us, lasted about three hours and gave a lot of positive emotions.

There was a warm lamp atmosphere in the hall. A lamp – in the literal sense of the word: all over the stage there were monitors, flowers in pots (orchids, ficus, palms), for something a kettle and a bucket and, in fact, lamps – a few floor lamps, which not only decorated the stage but also performed their direct function. Traditional mantras greeted the guests. However, everything is as usual.

The musicians themselves did not force us to wait long: at 7.40 pm. Grebenshchikov with the band came on stage, immediately thanking the audience and wishing good evening. On this day, Borys Borysovych was impossibly friendly, all the time, calling the audience favorite, wonderful and radiating a sea of ​​positive emotions.

After a short greeting of Kyiv audience, the concert began: three hours of music, songs of different years and albums, with only a ten-minute break. The musicians of the Aquarium gathered in their full force: Boris Grebenshchikov, Alexander Titov, Alexei Zubarev, Andrei Surotdinov, Brian Finnegan, Liam Bradley, Gleb Grebenshchikov. I was very pleased with the participationt of Igor Timofeev in the concert, whom even BG did not know how to present and said “Igor Timofeev — everything” instead of “saxophone” or “flute” — I doubt that there are instruments that Igor cannot play.

The track list of the concert included many lyrical compositions of BG, there was also a lot of reggae, for which the soloist actively encouraged to dance: “USB” and immediately “Zoom Zoom Zoom,” “Knock on the door of grass,” and “Tree.”

“You have no idea how strange it is to look at all of you. You are inspired by the fact that we deviated from the program and started improvising, “Borys Borysovych admitted.

He was also constantly interested in whether we could see or hear everything well – in general, he radiated goodwill.

“Boris, let’s do something from the old repertoire!” Suddenly a voice came from the hall.

“How old? Looking at how old you are? ” Grebenshchikov asked the interlocutor. Borys Borysovych squatted with a guitar: a composition that had not been heard for a long time was played – “Swamps of the Neva.” After its performance, a wild shout of “Bravo,” was heard from the hall. “That’s what a person can say,” commented BG.

“Okay, enough of this fun,” prophesied Boris and sang the song “Salt” from the new album “Time N.” Perhaps it was this composition at the concert that struck me the most: the bass that penetrates into the very depths of consciousness. “Salt” sounded different than in the album. It turned out more melodic. “Swallow” and “Garson G2” turned into a pleasant surprise from the Aquarium.

Not only the ground floor but also the balconies danced under “Glasses.” Grebenshchikov slightly modernized the composition “Generation of Janitors” by removing articles and telegrams from the text and replacing them with Facebook and Instagram (“They do not write on Facebook, do not keep Instagram.”). Here the musicians decided to go to rest, not forgetting to clarify that they love us and will return.

The applause increased and decreased. There were more persistent spectators than those who, unable to pause, rushed to the wardrobe. The aquarium came out in the full force again: “There is one song…we always start a chord…It’s like a prayer…” It was an announcement of the song “Sitting on a beautiful hill.”

“Thank you. A magnificent miracle that refutes all theories of probability that we all met here today, “Borys Borysovych admitted.

We would like to emphasize the light design of the concert: light rain, dancing beams of different colors, traditional green light during the song “Glasses” and piercing red during the “Red River.”

At the end of the evening, Borys Borysovych urged the audience to join the good cause and not to ignore the volunteers with boxes for the MoiMio Foundation, to which the Aquarium is related and which supports children with serious illnesses….