«Russian rockers» — my CentralJersey.com

Russian rockers

It wasn`t easy to be a rocker in the Soviet Union.

Just ask Ilia Lagutenko, who founded his band Mumiy Troll in the Vladivostok region of the former Soviet Union in 1983.

«It wasn`t really banned, but the authorities didn`t want people listening to it,`` Lagutenko said. «They didn`t want to show it to the people. Instead, we`d see French personalities and an Italian actress singing pop music or the folk singer from America named Dean Reed.``

Reed, a Colorado native, identified himself as a Marxist and lived in East Germany before he died in 1986.

«He became a big Communist, and people bought millions of his albums,`` Lagutenko said. «They said, `If you like American albums, this is it.` ``

This is the Mumiy Troll U.S. tour, and it comes tonight to Irving Plaza in New York City. The band has just released an EP … in English … called «Polar Bear,`` and it rocks with a bit of an `80s New Wave vibe. Fun stuff you can`t get out of your head.

Unlike Dean Reed.

Mumiy Troll with Run Run Run, 8 tonight, Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, New York City.