Archives: Hot Panda Heats Up The Media Club

By Nathan Stafford

Fresh off a SXSW Marathon weekend, Edmonton’s Hot Panda swooped (Can a panda swoop?) in to officially introduce the new record ‘volcano…bloody volcano’ to this market. The fine folks at Mint Records know how to put on a really big shoo, so I headed down to The Media Club for the 7:30 start.

The night belongs to Hot Panda, but there were 2 other acts on the bill that deserve mentioning:

Fanshaw is a pop/folk artist who normally performs solo, but tonight a full band backed her. Observers noted the singer’s energy & stage presence skyrocketed with the presence of the band. Dark Eyes and Strong Hips ~ those are song titles, not a physical description.

Next up, Victoria’s Vincat. We got a sneak peek from the upcoming EP ‘Earthly Rotations’, with songs like ‘Human See Human Do’ showcasing the ultra high, oft-operatic vocals of Kristian and Crystal. Out back, drummer Dan controlled a laptop with samples of Earthly sounds like birds chirping. The set ended with a climactic prism of sound like when a universe implodes. Oh, and the bass sounded like a demon.

And Now… Get Ready For It… Hot Panda!

The set immediately vaulted into a high-energy bonanza. Lead singer/guitarist Chris snapped a string right away. Twaaang! Better to get it over with early I guess, but a borrowed guitar kept the show rolling along.

This quartet is difficult to define. Chris is a ball of focused energy right down the middle; the jangling guitar and vocal yelps work well for a guy who steps into the mic like he’s walking upstairs. On the keys, Heath provided a nice synth blend sorta like SEGA Genesis meets Hilarious House of Frightenstein. I kept an eye on drummer Maghan’s extra-curricular activities like kazoo, a soprano solo on ‘It’s Worth Eight Dollars’ and hey drummers, she plays her hi-hat with a tambourine. Yeah yeah yeah yeah!

My favourite song ‘Cold Hands Chapped Lips’ features a rather unexpected time-signature change coupled with lazer-beam synths and a touch of thrashiness. Bassist Keith joined in garishly on the vocals for this one too. Dance!

The moral of the story is this: Hot Panda put on a fun show! Oh, and did I mention they have their own hot sauce? I think they hit the flavour mix perfectly. Hot & Sweet.

For more information on Hot Panda and to order volcano… bloody volcano, visit www.mintrecs.com