I saw White Panda perform their new album Bambooyah last night in Madison, WI. The album is great - it's a fantastic new set of mashups of electro dance, pop, and a lot of classic samples and riffs, and the continuous mix flows really well. I had high expectations for this show - of live remixing and DJing - hearing new mashups on the fly. Yet, I came away with mixed feelings. Here's why:
1. White Panda are great mashup artists. Definitely download their music (as linked to above) - it was great to dance to their mashups in the club. They had the crowd going. But, it was clear that they were just playing their pre-mixed mashups with little live mixing or DJing.
2. They went on late - after 1 AM. That's acceptable in NYC or Chicago, but not Madison (IMO), where bar time is 2/2:30 AM. They played for an hour. If i'm paying a premium cover to see a DJ act I expect more than an hour.
3. Then they abruptly stopped. No cool down, no taper, no bravado, nothing. They just stopped their set and walked off. Lights on, show over. It was musical blue balls.
Bottom line: I really enjoy White Panda's latest mashup album - it is the highest quality production and mashup they've achieved yet - and I will continue to download and recommend their music. However, I'm unlikely to see them live again or recommend that anyone does. They have to deliver more if I'm going shell out a cover premium to see them live.
Nonetheless, I had fun despite my expectations not quite being met. Maybe I should just appreciate it for what it is - great music played really loud ;) Here's pics from the night:
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