Mar 28, 2022

Punks Not Dead in Tbilisi, Georgia

Vodka Vtraiom, Dirty Habit Bar, Tbilisi, Georgia
© Onnik James Krikorian 2022

I almost missed Saturday’s gig by veteran Georgian punk band Vodka Vtraiom, but thankfully stumbled upon the announcement of the event held at Tbilisi’s Dirty Habit bar with just two hours to spare. Kesha, the band’s vocalist had arrived in Georgia a day earlier and this was the first gig by the band in what must be almost three years.

Vodka Vtraiom featured heavily in my still to be completed film, Tbilisi Underground, and they always put on a wicked show. No surprise then that the bar was filled to capacity and people were even turned away at the door there was no room inside. Opening for Vodka Vtraiom was another local Georgian punk band, Panika. 

 Both Kesha and drummer Borgir are IDPs from Abkhazia, incidentally, and their lyrics encompass everything from drug addiction to humorous ditties about the Gldani district of Tbilisi. Hope it won’t be another three years until the next gig. A few photos from the event in the slideshow below. More are on the Tbilisi Underground Facebook page.

Vodka Vtraiom, Dirty Habit Bar, Tbilisi, Georgia
© Onnik James Krikorian 2022

Beyond Borders: Parajanov Centennial Marked in Yerevan and Tbilisi

Beyond Borders: Parajanov Centennial Marked in Yerevan and Tbilisi

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of legendary ethnic Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov. Very much a child of the South Caucasus, Parajanov’s work encompassed Armenian, Azerbaijan, Georgian, Moldova, and Ukrainian influences, with his legacy living on today.