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Foo Fighters Announce Concerts With the Breeders

By Jazz Monroe

Foo Fighters have added a batch of summer dates to their 2023 tour , including four shows with support from the Breeders . The joint dates are in Spokane, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Stateline, Nevada; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Foo Fighters also added shows in Phoenix, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas. Support for the last two has not been announced. Check out the full Foo Fighters schedule below.

Foo Fighters have not yet announced their replacement for drummer Taylor Hawkins , who died last year. Their next scheduled show is in Gilford, New Hampshire, at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, on May 24. After announcing their spring dates, they added a May 30 show inaugurating the new D.C. venue the Atlantis , which is a replica of the original 9:30 Club. The band will also headline Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

Read “ The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert Made Everyone Cry ” on the Pitch.

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Foo Fighters:

05-24 Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion % 05-26 Boston, MA - Boston Calling Music Festival 05-28 Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple Arts & Music Festival 05-30 Washington, D.C. - The Atlantis 06-02 Nürburgring, Germany - Rock am Ring 06-04 Nürburgring, Germany - Rock im Park 06-14 Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP 06-16 Pelham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre 06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 07-12 Ottawa, Ontario - Ottawa Bluesfest 07-15 Milwaukee, WI - Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival 07-28-30 Naeba, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival 2023 08-04 Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena ^ 08-08 Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre ^ 08-10 Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s ^ 09-03 Aspen, CO - Jazz Aspen Snowmass 09-09 São Paulo, Brazil - The Town 09-17 Asbury, Park, NJ - Sea.Hear.Now Festival 09-19 Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach ^ 10-01 Dana Point, CA - Ohana Festival 10-03 Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater 10-05 El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Center

% with Taipei Houston ^ with The Breeders

CORRECTION : An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect date for Foo Fighters’ show at the Atlantis in Washington, D.C. They are playing the venue on May 30.

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By Matthew Strauss

By Nina Corcoran

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‘I blamed everyone else but I was the problem’: The Breeders on fallouts, reunions and 30 years of Last Splash

Despite decades of drugs and estrangements, the playful pop-grungers are back with new clarity and purpose. They discuss how a mutual appreciation of their 1993 opus made them put aside their differences

I n any successful band, the proof that they’ve crossed from cultish acclaim to overground recognition hits each member differently. For the Breeders’ English bass player, Josephine Wiggs, it was when her sister and mother were visiting her in New York. The three were at the top of the Empire State Building and somebody tapped Wiggs on the shoulder to confirm her identity. It struck drummer Jim MacPherson suddenly at a sold-out show in Paris. “I was just totally blown away by being in a band that had catering following us around, because we actually had a crew now,” he recalls, a note of wonder in his voice three decades on. “I was so green compared to Kim and Kelley and Josephine – it was all so new to me. And when I saw the video for Cannonball on TV, that’s when I thought: ‘This is really special, this song is affecting people’.”

The infectiously gleeful Cannonball, released exactly 30 years before the day of our Zoom call, was the first single from the Breeders’ second album, Last Splash. The Dayton, Ohio band – fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Kim Deal (formerly Pixies’ bass player) and featuring her twin sister Kelley, also a guitarist – are in Nevada, on tour supporting Foo Fighters. September sees the second reissue of Last Splash and the start of a headlining US tour during which they’ll again play through the album in its entirety. It’s won the status of a modern classic marked by eccentricity: a disarming mix of art rock, grunge, guileless pop and punk noise, where opaque, often dark lyrics are cut with sardonic humour and both melodic and vocal sweetness. The sound of Kelley’s mic’d-up sewing machine features, while some of Kim’s vocals were recorded in the studio toilet. None of which sounds much like the makings of a UK Top 5 and US Top 40, platinum-certified hit.

“It encompasses everything,” agrees Kelley of the record. “It is legion. As we’ve been preparing to do the shows, one of the things I’ve discovered is that it sounds so effortless; [it’s as if] we went into a room and just jammed some stuff, then it was like, ‘There’s our record!’ It took a week and a half and we were so pleased with it. I love that that’s how it sounds. That’s not what happened: everything on there is highly curated, every ‘accidental’ thing …” she trails off. “It is, isn’t it? Do you not think it is?” she asks, catching her sister’s doubtful look.

“It’s the way you say it,” Kim replies, wary of any suggestion of a grand plan. “I’ve seen bands who have said: ‘We had a group meeting and decided we were going to make this album the sound of the global happiness that we wish the universe would live in.’ People have mock mantras and stuff, you know,” she scoffs. She reckons it’s partly the band’s resistance to using any sound that was then fashionable that has preserved Last Splash’s freshness. Although they’ve always been keen to experiment, the Breeders remain committed to analogue recording and all use the same vintage gear today as they did back then. MacPherson is still playing the drum kit his parents bought him in 1982, though he’s chewed through a few cymbals since, and Kim still works on her most promising lyrics using paper plates and an orange Sharpie.

In interview the Breeders are an entertainingly unguarded bunch, trading jokey slights and feigning outrage with an ease that comes only through years of closeness, though theirs is a chequered history. After a three-year high that included opening for Nirvana’s European tour and playing Lollapalooza, the band disintegrated around the time of Kelley’s arrest in 1994 for heroin possession and her subsequent spell in rehab. It was 24 years before the four made another record together, the triumphant All Nerve.

In the interim, Kim released an album as the Amps in 1995, with MacPherson and others, then revived the Breeders’ name in 1997 and put out two LPs with a different rhythm section and contributions from Kelley. Kim also spent some time in rehab and, in 2004, rejoined Pixies for their reunion tour before quitting for good in 2013. Along the way, she and MacPherson became estranged and ended up not speaking for 15 years, despite living in the same town, though neither can identify a specific trigger point. Her explanation is “individual psychological implosions”, but MacPherson now admits to “almost having a breakdown. I could blame everybody else but, really, I was the problem. I couldn’t handle things and that was a result of drugs and drinking.”

It’s been a bumpy ride, which raises the question as to what has drawn the “classic” Breeders lineup back together for two Last Splash anniversary tours, especially given that all members now have their own independent music projects. Kelley is half of the moody alt-pop duo R Ring and also plays with Protomartyr; Kim has her solo songwriting (an album under her own name is due next year) and seven-inch single series; MacPherson plays in an instrumental surf band called the Mulchmen; while Wiggs is tinkering with a backlog of music she recorded with UK drummer Jon Mattock. It was a combination of the band’s ineffable chemistry and the twins’ sobriety that convinced Wiggs to jump on board again in 2012. “I had played with Kim and Kelley in 2005, when we went to London to do the 25th anniversary of [record label] 4AD. They put on two nights of events and it was unexpectedly magical – first of all to be playing with Kim and Kelley being 100% present and second, just playing those songs. I thought that it would be a great opportunity.”

MacPherson agrees: “We had such a great formula together and I missed it so much. I deeply love that album and I wanted to see if that specialness between all four of us was still there.”

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As Last Splash notches up its third decade, the band’s memories and emotions connected to its heyday are inevitably mixed. “It was a blast,” enthuses Kim. “We toured and went to different countries, people were so excited to see us play – it was so much fun. We were playing a lot with Teenage Fanclub at the time and quite a bit with Nirvana, we played with Luscious Jackson, she [Kim nods at Wiggs] fell in love, Urge Overkill … all those people.” If she could go back in time, Kim admits she would “stop drinking so much beer and smoking so much pot. It really amped up because of the touring cycle. If you’re working all the time you just have a certain amount of coffee and it’s not how much you drink when you’re not working. But when you go to work, you drink more coffee. Do that with beer …” Wiggs’s regrets are mainly sartorial, relating in particular to a pair of pleated trousers (“my ‘show pants’”) from a San Francisco charity shop. “My other cringe moment is when I see photographs of Lollapalooza and I’m wearing short shorts,” she winces. “Drummers are allowed to wear them but if you’re upfront, you shouldn’t be wearing shorts.”

So much for the Breeders’ unchangeable past. Beyond their 30th anniversary tour dates, the future lies open, as does the question of a new album. MacPherson readily admits he “would love to do another record with the girls” though Kim’s upcoming solo release (which features contributions from the other three) and touring commitments would have to be considered. Asked if she reckons there will be a follow-up to All Nerve, Kim looks expectantly around at her bandmates: “We’re still playing music together so I assume there will be. I mean, I hope. Do you?”

The 30th anniversary reissue of Last Splash is out on 22 September.

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‘Is She Sure?’ How the Breeders Joined Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts Tour.

The ’90s alt-rock icons hit the Madison Square Garden stage for the first time Friday night, after the 21-year-old pop star invited them to join her on the road.

By Jenn Pelly

Olivia Rodrigo remembers her life in two parts: before she heard the Breeders’ “Cannonball,” and after, she told the crowd at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, when her Guts World Tour arrived in New York.

And that is how the ’90s alt-rock idols came to play the New York arena for the first time last week, 31 years after that song from their platinum 1993 album, “Last Splash,” charted on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Rodrigo’s camp initially approached the Breeders in September about opening some dates on the tour supporting her second album, “Guts .” “My first reaction was, Wow, that seems kind of odd,” the band’s bassist, Josephine Wiggs, said in an interview. “But after I’d thought about it for a while, I thought, ‘That’s actually really genius.’”

Kim Deal, the singer-guitarist who leads the band with her twin sister, Kelley, said she was surprised when they got the invite. “I’d heard ‘Drivers License,’ and I liked that a lot,” she said, referring to Rodrigo’s breakout 2021 smash.

Kelley wondered if it might be a mistake. “I thought, ‘Is she sure? Do they really mean us?’”

But Rodrigo made her enthusiasm clear when the shows were confirmed, reaching out personally to share her excitement. “She texted each one of us individually,” Kelley recalled.

“And said, ‘Really happy to hear that you’re going to do this,’” Wiggs added. “Very classy.”

Aside from Kim, who played Madison Square Garden in 1992 when her earlier band, Pixies, opened for U2, no one in the group had ever performed at the venue before. Kim hadn’t been back since, and said she had no memory of that previous gig: “I usually remember the bad shows, so it’s a good thing that I really don’t remember that one.”

With the first date in the books, the Breeders spent part of Saturday afternoon glimpsing Rodrigo’s soundcheck — she was belting “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” to an empty arena — and then briefly chatting with her. “So easy to talk to!” Kim reported as the Breeders headed up to the stage to adjust their own amps and pedals. The lights were up; two men vacuumed the previous night’s pink and purple star-shaped confetti.

“How about we do a piece of ‘Cannonball,’ like when everything comes in?” Kim asked the band, which also includes the drummer Jim Macpherson. They had already tested the distorted ahh-ooohh-ahh vocalizations that open the song. Kim blew a whistle to emulate the record’s microphone feedback.

Rodrigo was born a decade after the release of “Cannonball,” but the 21-year-old heard it as a teenager and remembers “instantly falling in love with the Breeders,” she wrote in an email. “I thought Kim was the coolest girl in the world,” Rodrigo said. “I’m very inspired by them and everything they stand for. They are absolutely iconic, and playing these shows with them has been a surreal honor.” (The Breeders have joined the tour for four shows at the Garden that wrap on Tuesday, and four more at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles later this summer.)

Mischief, wryness, confidence and camaraderie feel encoded into the poised riffs and bass line of “Cannonball,” and it’s easy to imagine girls gently headbanging along to it for eternity. Rodrigo went louder and crunchier on “Guts,” long inspired by artists who are “not trying to recreate a version of rock music that guys make,” as she told The New York Times last year.

Soundcheck proceeded like a supercut. “Should we do half of ‘Do You Love Me Now’?” Kim asked before crashing the song open and letting its twin harmonies ring out. “A little piece of ‘Drivin’ on 9’?” signaling the aching country tune. “Should we throw in ‘Gigantic’?” Kim asked before unleashing the titanic anthem she co-wrote and sang as a member of Pixies. (She dedicated its “big, big love” to Rodrigo during the show.)

Earlier, the band sat in a green room processing its Guts experience so far. Kelley had been impressed by the emotional arc of Rodrigo’s songs the previous night. “I was texting somebody, ‘I’m so empowered right now!’” She later reached out to praise Rodrigo’s voice as “really special,” observing, “Her tone and control are spectacular!”

“She performs with a really good sense of humor,” Kim added.

Wiggs said she could hear some Breeders commonalties in a Rodrigo chord progression, while Macpherson detected a bit of the band in “Jealousy, Jealousy,” from her first album, “Sour.” “The bass riff was almost like a ‘Hag,’ ‘Hellbound’ -ish kind of thing,” he said.

The Breeders expressed shock at how young Rodrigo’s fans were, and the collective decibel of their screams on Friday night. “You’re going to be surprised by how loud it was,” Kelley said. Weren’t their own amps loud, too? “Not louder than 30,000 tweens,” she said.

Kim roasted her bandmates for withholding stage banter the night before. “Looking out at the sea of 7- and 8-year-olds, I had no idea what to say,” Wiggs said, deadpan. “I could just about manage to say something to people who are obviously teenagers. I was like, OK, maybe I’ll try to make eye contact with the dads.”

The Deal sisters are no strangers to parental accompaniment at gigs. “My dad used to have Ray Charles in his headphones, watching us play, when he drove us around in the r.v. with Nirvana,” Kim said, referring to the band’s 1992 tour with what was then the biggest band on Earth. “He’d have his cassette Walkman,” Kelley added. “He was a big supporter, but he’d heard us a million times.”

In Kurt Cobain’s liner notes to Nirvana’s 1992 compilation “Incesticide,” he detailed the recent life experiences that had meant the most to him since “becoming an untouchable boy genius,” including “playing with the Breeders” on the list. “Nirvana and Foo Fighters would really curate their opening bands, which is I think what Olivia is doing in a way, curating new music that she wants fans to get to know,” Kelley said.

Most of the young people watching from the front rows on Saturday were not familiar with the Breeders — who are all in their 50s and 60s — though there were exceptions. “My parents know who they are!” exclaimed an 18-year-old fan named Mack. “My dad said they had some jams back when he was younger. He didn’t know if I would like them, but I trust Olivia.”

Another fan, Elle, 16, was with her father, who saw the Breeders at Lollapalooza alongside Smashing Pumpkins and the Beastie Boys. “For me, this was really cool,” he said. “I don’t know the tour’s other openers as well, but I’ve loved the Breeders since ’94 when I saw them last.”

Rodrigo’s fans were decked out in sparkling skirts, purple bows and platform boots in honor of their heroine, who took the stage in a series of short, glittering skirts. The Breeders are known for more understated sartorial choices. Had they given any thought about to what to wear?

“I sent out a ‘help’ text to a friend of mine,” Kelley admitted. “I said, I’m trying to upgrade my look from my T-shirt and jeans that I typically wear, but staying in my comfort zone. He said, ‘I find glitter or sequins to always be the answer.’ I just waited for him to laugh or something. That was no help to me at all. So I went with a T-shirt and jeans.”

“Like she’s been dressing since seventh grade,” Kim said.

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Foo Fighters 2023 Tour Grows Ever Longer With Six More U.S. Concerts

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Foo Fighters have expanded their 2023 tour itinerary with six more headlining shows scheduled for later this summer and early fall.

Like the three headlining shows the band announced back in February, the new dates are all structured around previously-announced festival appearances. To start, the Foo Fighters will play three gigs in early August — in Spokane, Washington (Aug. 4), Salt Lake City, Utah (Aug. 8) , and Stateline, Nevada (Aug. 10) — before headlining Outside Lands in San Francisco. 

Then, on Sept. 19, in between sets at Sea. Hear. Now and Louder Than Life , the Foos will play a show at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Finally, after their Oct. 1 gig at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival, they’ll play concerts in Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas on Oct. 3 and 5, respectively.

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Foo Fighters New 2023 Tour Dates

Aug. 4 — Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena Aug. 8 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre Aug. 10 — Stateline, NV @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s Sept. 19 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach Oct. 3 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater Oct. 5 — El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center

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FOO FIGHTERS announce 2023 U.S. headlining shows

The Foo Fighters  have a pretty busy tour schedule planned for 2023. On May 24th they'll play their first show since the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022, and then they'll play over a dozen previously-announced one-off shows and festival appearances across the world throughout the summer and early fall. Today (April 11th), they've added a handful of additional U.S. headlining shows to their routing, and alt-rock heroes the Breeders will be joining for several of them. 

The run consists of three shows in August — in Spokane, Washington, Salt Lake City and Lake Tahoe, Nevada — one in September at Virginia Beach, and then two in October — one in Phoenix and another in El Paso, Texas. The Breeders will be joining for four of the six gigs. So far, Foo Fighters have yet to announce who will be sitting in Hawkins' place behind the kit.

Tickets for this run of dates go on sale Friday April 14th at 10 a.m. local time. Get yours here  and see the routing below. 

Foo Fighters, Breeders 2023 tour dates: 8/4 - Spokane, Washington - Spokane Arena^ 8/8 - Salt Lake City, UT - Usana Amphitheatre^ 8/10 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys^ 9/19 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater^ 10/3 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre 10/5 - El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Center

^ with the Breeders

Additional headline shows announced! Tickets on sale Friday, April 14th at 10am local time. Tickets to all upcoming shows: https://t.co/00T9ExQAnu pic.twitter.com/6vAjqQ6cYN — Foo Fighters (@foofighters) April 11, 2023

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The Breeders announced as second NZ Foo Fighters Supports

Currently in the midst of a massive series of dates in support of their rapturously received new album ‘But Here We Are’, 15-time GRAMMY® winners Foo Fighters continue to conquer stages from packed arenas to triumphant appearances at festivals including Glastonbury, Outside Lands, Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock, and beyond.

In the latest Foo Fighters touring news, the band is pleased to announce that American alternative icons The Breeders will provide support for all three of its stadium shows in New Zealand next January!

Frontier Touring & American Express presents FOO FIGHTERS Plus special guests

Wednesday 29 November | ​HBF Park | Perth, WA ​With special guests The Chats and Teenage Jones​ ​Ticketmaster.com.au ​ Saturday 2 December | ​Coopers Stadium | Adelaide, SA ​ With special guests The Chats + Body Type ​ Ticketek.com.au​

Monday 4 December | AAMI Park | Melbourne, VIC ​ With special guests Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers + Hot Milk (UK) ​ Ticketek.com.au

Wednesday 6 December | AAMI Park | Melbourne, VIC ​ With special guests Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers + Hot Milk (UK) ​ Ticketek.com.au

Saturday 9 December | ​Accor Stadium | Sydney, NSW ​ With special guests The Chats + Hot Milk (UK) ​ Ticketek.com.au​

Tuesday 12 December | Suncorp Stadium | Brisbane, QLD ​With special guests The Chats + Hot Milk (UK) ​Ticketek.com.au​

Saturday 20 January 2024 | ​GO Media Stadium Mt Smart | Auckland, NZ ​With special guests The Breeders (USA) + Dick Move ​ Ticketmaster.co.nz​

Wednesday 24 January 2024 | ​Orangetheory Stadium | Christchurch, NZ ​ With special guests The Breeders (USA) + Dick Move ​ Axs.com.au ​ Saturday 27 January 2024 | ​Sky Stadium | Wellington, NZ ​ With special guests The Breeders (USA) + Dick Move ​ Ticketek.co.nz

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE NOW

Press Release:

The Breeders current line-up – the same as the band’s classic Last Splash era – includes bassist/vocalist Kim Deal and twin sister guitarist Kelley Deal, bassist Josephine Wiggs and drummer Jim MacPherson.

Formed in 1988 in Dayton, Ohio, The Breeders released Pod, the first of their five albums, in 1990. From the breakthrough success of 1993’s Last Splash, its smash hit ‘Cannonball’ and follow up singles ‘No Aloha’ and ‘Divine Hammer’, through to 2018’s All Nerve, the band has remained one of the most influential and enduring acts of the ’90s alternative rock explosion.

Foo Fighters fans have revelled in the band’s hours-long rock and roll communion, as the band continues to deliver the kind of setlists that have fuelled its rise is current status as one of the biggest draws on the worldwide arena, stadium and festival circuits – featuring hits like: ‘The Pretender’, ‘Breakout’, ‘This Is a Call’, ‘My Hero’, ‘All My Life’, ‘Everlong’, ‘The Sky Is A Neighborhood’, ‘Learn To Fly’, ‘Best Of You’, ‘Monkey Wrench’, ‘Times Like These’, ‘Walk’ – plus new staples like ‘Under You’ and ‘Rescued’ from their universally acclaimed 11th album, But Here We Are. Reviews have been unanimously and deservedly ecstatic in every town that has experienced the Foo Fighters live tour de force in 2023, including:

‘Epic… The band soared through 23 songs… Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett hammered out power chords, the former providing the punk power… while the latter brought the finesse… [Dave Grohl’s] infectious energy and sheer joy in revelling in the spirit and history of rock and roll was on full display… and will continue as the band tours behind the new album…’ – Variety ‘Thrilling 22-song, two-hour performance… It should also come as no surprise, but [Josh] Freese was an absolute beast behind the kit’ – Consequence ‘Loud enough to literally shake the flooring for nearly two-and-a-half hours… [Dave Grohl] screamed and headbanged his way through the long set of hit after hit after hit… with the endurance of a seasoned athlete’ – The Washington Post

Also joining Foo Fighters and The Breeders as opener for all NZ shows is Auckland outfit Dick Move. An essential party-punk voice for working people, the five-piece are notorious for their pumping live shows, their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it punk anthems can be heard on latest album Chop.

Tickets in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington are selling like hotcakes. Even more so with the addition of The Breeders, Foo Fighters is the one rock show you absolutely cannot miss this summer. Get your tickets today before it’s too late!

Note: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.

If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page .

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Foo Fighters and the Breeders rock the Arena

By Nicholas Deshais

T here was a moment when Dave Grohl stopped the music and quizzed the adoring, rambunctious, rafter-packing, sold out crowd at the Spokane Arena last Friday.

I put my hand up for his first question, when he asked who of us had seen the Foo Fighters before, and wasn’t all that surprised by the other hands and hollering around me.

Then he asked who’d never been to a Foo show before. It seemed like just as many hands went up, and Grohl and Co. went on to try and win them, us and everyone else over.

I think it worked, and I think I know when it worked. A few songs later, all of us were singing along with “My Hero,” the Foo hit from 1998 celebrating the extraordinary in the everyday. Smartphone flashlights blazing, we were all buzzing with anthemic arena energy.

Or it might’ve been when Grohl told the band he’d play solo on “Big Me,” from the band’s self-titled debut album from 1995.

Honestly, it might’ve been when Grohl introduced the band’s new drummer, Josh Freese, who took over after the sudden death of Taylor Hawkins last year.

After Grohl said Freese’s name, he said we’d surely heard him before and what followed was a quick tour of Freese’s sonic resume. The band played a few measures of “Whip It” by Devo, who he’d played with for nearly two decades. Then we went to “March of the Pigs” by Nine Inch Nails, another band Freese was in. And then, in surely the oddest moment of the night, Grohl yanked some audience member on stage to sing a Michael Bublé song, another troubadour Freese had backed.

The crowd whooped it up for Freese, a sure sign that the band would march on despite the loss of the beloved Hawkins.

Freese had already made his presence known and welcome during the Foo's song, “Breakout.” As the rest of the band — Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett and keyboardist Rami Jaffee — gathered around his sprawling drum kit, Freese pounded away, clobbering beats that I could feel in my veins and organs. Grohl returned to the front of the stage and gave us a look that said, “See?”

We saw, we rocked.

Grohl, of course, was the drummer in Nirvana, and it was this era of rock that originally electrified me as a teenager. So while I’ve seen the Foo Fighters and knew they’d put on an uproarious show, I was there for the opening act: the Breeders.

T he Breeders — a group made up of sisters Kim and Kelley Deal on guitars, bassist Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson on drums — was a key band for me in high school, during the time when I had Nirvana on repeat. I listened to their first two albums, Pod and Last Splash , over and over and over again.

It just so happens that this year is the 30th anniversary of Last Splash , their biggest commercial success, and after a brief stint with the Foo, the Breeders are doing a tour in celebration of that milestone. They’ll be in Seattle in October, and I’ll be there as well.

In Spokane, however, they seemed to be still shaking off the cobwebs. Kim, who leads the band, didn’t say much to the audience. And when she did, she mistook Spokane for somewhere in Montana. Another time, she seemed to be aware/confused that the audience was only there to see the Foo Fighters. It took Macpherson to walk to the front of the stage and introduce the band.

Photos of Foo Fighters performing with The Breeders at the Spokane Arena on August 4, 2023

For me, I liked it all. But even if I hadn’t, all would’ve been forgiven when I heard the repeating guitar notes that kick off Last Splash on the song “New Year.” Kelley played them a few times over as the band readied itself. Then they all joined, leading the song through its loping beginning with swooping lyrics, before it hits the beat and the song gallops toward its heavy conclusion.

For the last two songs, Kim grabbed the bass, the instrument she played with great force and charisma for the Pixies. You could see the power she still has with that instrument, driving the songs with melody and purpose. They ended their set with Kim’s Pixies hit, “Gigantic.” I was happy to hear it, because I know we won’t when the Pixies come to play the Pavilion next month.

But for me, as a kid in the ‘90s, the Breeders were always in my CD player before the Pixies. I don’t think I was alone. When Grohl appeared on stage a half hour later, he was wearing a shirt with just one word: Breeders.

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Dave Grohl joined The Breeders on stage at Stubb's playing a Pixies song by Kim Deal

Before returning for Austin City Limits Festival's second weekend, Dave Grohl joined The Breeders as part of their set at Stubb's Bar-B-Q Friday night.

Photos and videos posted by fans on social media showed Grohl joining the band in playing a cover of the Pixies song "Gigantic." Kim Deal, the longtime singer and bassist of the Pixies, formed the Breeders in 1989. She split time between both groups and solo projects until she left the Pixies for good in 2013.

Co-written by Deal and then Pixies guitarist and vocalist Black Francis, "Gigantic" was initially released in 1988. Watch the performance here:

The Breeders played with Foo Fighters on Tour in 2023 and with Nirvana in 1993

With years in the music industry between members of the Foo Fighters and The Breeders, the groups and their members have both crossed paths many times before.

The Breeders most recently played a handful of shows with the Foo Fighters during their 2023 tour. Those stops included Spokane, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Stateline, Nevada; and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The Breeders 2023 tour has them heading to the west coast before going onto New Zealand in 2024 with the Foo Fighters, then touring with Olivia Rodrigo.

The Breeders also opened for Nirvana more than 30 years ago when Dave Grohl was the group's drummer with concerts in Europe in 1992 and back in the U.S. in 1993.

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The Breeders' Kim Deal Says It’s 'a Big Deal' Olivia Rodrigo Tapped Her '90s Alt-Rock Band for the Guts Tour (Exclusive)

The iconic '90s group will play four nights of the pop-rock superstar's tour as it comes to New York City's Madison Square Garden on April 5, 6, 8 and 9

Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic; Lionel Hahn/Getty

Olivia Rodrigo once said that she thinks of her life before hearing “Cannonball” by The Breeders and after.

Flash forward to 2024 when the pop-rock star, 21, is out on her first-ever arena tour in support of her sophomore album GUTS — and now the ‘90s alt-rock group fronted by Kim Deal is joining her for four sold-out shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 5, 6, 8 and 9.  

One can imagine that it’s exciting for the three-time Grammy winner to be playing alongside one of her favorite bands — but as for Deal herself, she’s simply in disbelief that it’s happening at all. 

“We’re just from Dayton, Ohio!” jokes Deal, 62, of herself and her bandmates. “We’re really excited. It’s a big deal.” 

The Breeders frontwoman explains that it was sometime last fall that the band’s management team revealed that the “vampire” singer wanted them to join her at MSG. “I was just like, ‘ What ?’ It was odd!” she recalls. 

“Then she began doing more stuff for this album, and you find out she knows Annie Clark [of St. Vincent ] and she listens to all sorts of different music from Billy Joel to Sheryl Crow and it's like, ‘Oh, she's just really into music,’” Deal continued. “Knowing that, it made more sense. She just really liked us!” 

While notes of the Last Splash band’s alternative sound is all over GUTS , Deal is also known for being a source of inspiration to young women in rock. After all, she launched the group (also featuring her twin sister Kelley, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson) as a creative outlet when she felt underused as the bassist in her former band The Pixies. 

Still — despite being an indie music legend who was hand-picked to open for Nirvana in 1992 — the rocker admits the scale of Rodrigo’s live show and MSG has been a bit intimidating as she and the band rehearsed for the upcoming shows. 

“I have played Madison Square Garden before. It was in 1992 [with The Pixies] and we opened for U2 on the Zoo TV Tour,” the singer/guitarist reflects. “I don’t remember it. I remember the shows that weren't good — those burn into my mind — and it must've been a good show since I can't remember.” 

Kevin Westenberg

While The Breeders joined Foo Fighters out on the road last year where they largely played outdoor amphitheaters, MSG’s capacity of nearly 20,000 and the “get him back!” singer’s production feel “huge” to her. “I told my friend, ‘I just don't know how to get that big,’” Deal says. “He goes, ‘Act like you're yelling at a cop!’ Like, I don't think so. No. He goes, ‘I know! You're Mel Gibson in Braveheart , just stand there and yell, ‘Freedom!’’ and then you'll be that big.”

While Deal says that she also became somewhat concerned about how the younger contingent of Rodrigo’s audience might react to their “loud guitars,” she admits that she thinks it’s “thrilling” they’ll be playing for their most junior crowd to date. 

“There are very young girls there, so we’re excited about [that],” she says, mentioning that she thinks it’s pretty special how Rodrigo is imparting her taste and the cult-loved indie band onto a “new generation.” 

“When you tell your friend, ‘You should listen to this band,’ I think she's just like that,” Deal says of the pop-rock superstar. “‘You girls and guys need to hear this! This is a good band, and I'm going to have them play for you, so you can see what a good band is.’” 

“Maybe that's what she's doing,” the “Divine Hammer” singer adds. “She didn't have to have us!”

Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty

Deal also notes that she has loved to see how the Sour artist has been distributing contraceptives at her shows , advocating for abortion access and donating proceeds of her ticket sales to her non-profit Fund For Good . “The announcement about her giving out condoms? Yes. I loved it. Plan B? I loved it. I was like, ‘Oh, f--- yes, you go girl!’” she explains.

It’s been fulfilling to see in part because “she doesn’t have to do that,” but also because Deal remembers how the alt-rock and riot grrrl scenes that have inspired Rodrigo were using their platforms similarly in the ‘90s. “When we were playing [ Lollapalooza in ‘94], there were get out the vote booths, Right to Choose booths … gay rights. There has been a lot of activism for voting and for women's rights and women's health and reproductive rights for decades within [the scene].” 

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Deal describes The Breeder’s appearance on The GUTS Tour — which revels in Rodrigo’s feminine take on teenage rebellion and emotion — as especially exciting, since the group came out of a music landscape when women in rock were really beginning to carve out their own lane. 

“I do remember there was a loneliness back in the day when I was out with The Pixies and I was the only girl on tour,” Deal recalls, sharing that there were times where “oppressive, menacing” encounters out on the road made her feel unwelcome. 

Jason Squires/FilmMagic

Bands like Sonic Youth , Bikini Kill, post-punk outfit L-Seven, alt-rockers Throwing Muses, the British group Th' Faith Healers and Dutch band Bettie Serveert, as well as hip-hop stars like Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa , were sources of inspiration for Deal and The Breeders. 

“I can be told so many times that there just weren’t a lot of women back in the day. And that's not true. There were tons of women back in the day,” she says.

Deal also reminisces about the riot grrrl movement and scene leaders like Kathleen Hanna who were advocating for women to feel seen in and outside of music. “She was out there up in the Northwest saying things like, ‘Make room for us in the front!’” the musician says of the Bikini Kill frontwoman, now 55. 

“It was really a good way of looking at things that nobody was looking at before. And they were cool bands, cool people saying, ‘Give us some room. This is ridiculous,’” she adds, recalling queues of people waiting to crowd surf and stage dive, and countless Doc Martens being thrown on stage and hitting concert-goers in the head. 

While Deal might be rather humble when she’s been called an inspiration herself, it all but makes sense the alt-rock icon is taking the stage with Gen Z’s own riot grrrl-inspired rockstar. Even months ago, Rodrigo expressed how much wisdom she hopes to absorb from the Pod group when they cross paths at MSG. 

“It really is exciting that I think it's just Olivia,” The Breeders vocalist reiterates of how the hitmaker tapped The Breeders for The GUTS Tour bill. “I think everybody will be cool about it, obviously, because we're the act that she chose.”

Related Articles

Foo Fighters playing Phoenix concert in support of new album. Everything fans need to know

F oo Fighters will be releasing a new album in advance of their first metro Phoenix concert since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose final U.S. show was a February 2022 headlining set at Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park.

Dave Grohl and his bandmates will play Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on Tuesday, Oct. 3. It's unclear who will play drums.

Grohl played an unplugged solo set at Crescent Ballroom on Super Bowl weekend , an impossibly intimate setting for an invitation-only gig by someone known for selling out arenas at the helm of Foo Fighters, who even now remain one of the most successful rock acts to emerge from the alternative-rock explosion of the 1990s.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

More: 'Foo Fighters is more than just a band to me': Dave Grohl on life after 'losing Nirvana'

What we know about Foo Fighters' new album, 'But Here We Are'

Prior to that Phoenix concert, Foo Fighters will release "But Here We Are," out June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records.

The new release has been described in press materials as "a brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year," "a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family" and "courageous, damaged and unflinchingly authentic."

The album opens with the newly released lead single “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs said to "run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between."

Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, "But Here We Are" is the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of their new life. It's said to channel "the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut" while also being "informed by decades of maturity and depth," resulting in "the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life."

Foo Fighters' 'But Here We Are' track list

Here's the full track listing for 'But Here We Are':

"Under You"

"Hearing Voices"

"But Here We Are"

"The Glass"

"Nothing at All"

"Show Me How"

"Beyond Me"

"The Teacher"

How to get tickets to Foo Fighters in Phoenix

Tickets are on sale now at livenation.com .

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Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter  @ EdMasley .

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Foo Fighters playing Phoenix concert in support of new album. Everything fans need to know

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Moscow – Ancient history surrounded by the cosmopolitan

Moscow is a truly enchanting cityscape of old & new, with splashes of colour & cosmopolitan elegance creating a wonderful arena in which to explore the art, culture, heritage & history of a very exciting city.

You can wander the old, church-filled Varvarka Street to Red Square, surrounded by the Kremlin, Vasilij Cathedral and Lenin's mausoleum before marveling at the delightful colours of the beautiful cupolas of St. Basil's Cathedral & copper domes of Saviour Cathedral while learning about Moscow's enthralling history, from 12th Century to Ivan the Terrible, Tsars, Soviet era & recent history, and get to grips with present day Moscow, gaining insightful local hints & tips from friendly, authentic local Moscow guides on freetour.com recommended free walking tours.

The city is a treasure chest of fantastic ways to spend your time – incredible museums, galleries & theaters, such as the Gulag museum, Tretiakov Gallery and the famous Bolshoi Theater, await your arrival while a journey through the remarkably beautiful Metro stations is an experience in its own right. You can also indulge in tasty local cuisine, peruse the Izmaylovo Market for interesting Russian souvenirs, walk the Moskva river in Gorky Park, & sample local Vodka while embracing the vibrant nightlife. However you spend your time among the towering skyscrapers of Moscow, you're sure to have an unforgettable visit.

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The epicenter of modern Russia, Moscow booms with shiny new skyscrapers, the bulbous onion domes of the tsars and politically-rich Red Square. Explore the metropolis with a tourHQ guide.

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The sprawling, mind-boggling metropolis of Russian Moscow has long been one of the theatrical stages on which the great dramas of Europe and Asia have been played out in grand style. Burned by Napoleon in 1812, immortalised by Tolstoy, utilised by the Bolsheviks and championed as a bastion of heroic defiance by the post-war communists, it’s almost hard to believe just how defining the historical events that found their home on Moscow’s streets have been. Moscow tour guides will easily be able to mark the major must-see landmarks on the map, from the onion-domed orthodox Saint Basil's Cathedral, to the political powerhouse of Red Square just next door, while others will be quick to recommend a ride on Moscow’s famous subterranean metro system, or a visit to the UNESCO-attested Novodevichy Convent on the city’s southern side. But Moscow is a city also in the throes of a cultural wrangling between the old and the new. Creative energies abound here: Boho bars and pumping super clubs now occupy the iconic mega structures of the old USSR; high-fashion outlets, trendy shopping malls and luxurious residential districts stand as testimony to a city that’s now the undisputed playground of the world’s super-rich, while sprawling modern art museums dominate the cultural offering of the downtown districts north of the Moskva River.  

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Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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