Panda Riot at Cole's

After CaveofswordS played this local workhorse, Panda Riot. I'm so glad to still see them. Its hard to keep a band together. You have to appreciate them while you have them. Following the Pandas I've been exposed to all kinds of brilliant music. Through them I've been lead to Warpaint, School Of Seven Bells, Videotape, Blackstone Rangers, Sister Crystals, Ringo Death Starr....its just fun to find an excuse to drop them all on top of each other like that. Well, there is a point here. Some of these mentioned bands have toured internationally multiple times. I presume success here and I wish for the same recognition for this local shoegaze distance runner. Here and there the Pandas do venture out beyond the city. I want people outside Chicago to know what plays regularly and often and in that way represents well this town. I think I've been aware of them since 2006? Their live work leans forward from their recorded work. When they were playing from Northern Automatic Music, all they had available recorded was She Dares All Things, work they were slowly leaning away from. There was always the next thing to want from them. For a long time they had not shirts. Now they do. The inclusion of Cory and Jose lit a fire under that ass. They sound leaner, faster. As the band ages, their sound concentrates. Sometimes in talking to you they throw in a bands name to short-hand a sound they captured, and that keeps me interested.  Good Night, Rich Kids , I can listen to without burning me out for Black Pyramids and so forth. They still play these live. And they continue to play new work that I presume they will formally record. I'm glad they are still together with a living evolving sound.

The intangible signatures become bolder. As they move faster, their beats hit harder. Their sense of wonder that is weathered with experience but not corrupted by it. These signatures allow for tracks to leave individual imprints.
Zig