Kharkiv (Kharkov) LF Music

Full Photo Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAVW9z

Mark knows that music is a big part of Raw Travel and my love of music, especially punk rock and independent, alternative, and underground music, personally. Mark’s connection is vital as well. His daughter Sam, a country music recording artist, plans to visit Ukraine and tour.

One of the reasons Mark had so strongly insisted I visit Kharkiv was to meet the legendary Icey of LF Music. LF stands for Icey’s band “Legenda Folium,” a Linkin Park tribute band. LF Music is a music studio, artist colony, performance space, concert venue, and bar in a serene spot by the river in central Kharkiv City.

When I met Icey, he reminded me of a younger Fat Mike of the band NOFX, but I’m not sure Icey considered that a compliment. However, we both knew the Wise Guyz, a Kharkiv-based rockabilly band who’ve performed at LF Music numerous times and whom I first met in Moscow, Russia, on my visit there in 2010 when they were playing a concert. Talk about full circle. The guys from the Wise Guyz weren’t at LF tonight. Still, the Revolver band was doing a great job keeping an enthusiastic crowd entertained, which included several dozen Kharkiv locals and a smattering of volunteers, including Mark and Hymie, and Paul from H.U.G.S. Canada, whom I’d get to interview the next day.

Icey took me on a tour of the facilities, which included a studio and a military chill-out room where Ukrainian soldiers could come if they needed a break to decompress from the front. Icey’s apartment had been obliterated by Russian bombs earlier in the war, so he was no longer living full-time at LF Music. We bonded over our love of music and hatred for Russia’s terroristic attacks on civilians. He showed me some disintegrated body armor that I think, but I am not sure, he may have been wearing at the time of his apartment blast. He didn’t volunteer many details, and I didn’t want to pry into potentially traumatic territory.

When I interviewed Icey, I heard more about his struggles to keep the club open. Still, he stressed that when you live in a place like Kharkiv, Ukraine, it’s crucial to have a good time between Russian bombs falling. In addition to destroying his apartment, the Russians have killed many of Icey’s friends.

Our visit coincidentally occurred on the day that The Wagner Group’s short-lived coup was happening a mere 30 miles away. We were all glued to the news in between sets of the band playing, dancing, and drinking. We all returned to our somber state when we received words of Wagner’s surrender later that evening.

It was nearing curfew by the time our interview with Icey was over. We said our goodbyes to Icey, his girlfriend, Mark, Hymie, and the other volunteers. Anastasia and I made our way to take the short walk to our hotel. But as we made our way, air raid sirens blasted, and the streetlights went out, so we made our way to the hotel by flashlight and GPS from our iPhones.

That evening, we were awakened by bombs falling on the outskirts of downtown and near our hotel. I was too exhausted to get up and head to the bomb shelter. Once again, I rolled over, plugged the earbuds, cranked the white noise from my iPhone app tighter, and slept a fitful night’s sleep.

Postscript: Icey expressed dismay that his idols at Linkin Park had thus far ignored his requests to express words of support for Ukraine as he and his mates fought for survival. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m throwing it out in case someone with ties to LP reads this. Suppose anyone knows anyone with a connection to Linkin Park. In that case, it would mean A LOT to the people of Kharkiv if they shouted out words of encouragement to their fanatical followers in Ukraine.