Hot Panda @ CMW 2009

Horseshoe Tavern

Toronto, ON

on Mar 13 2009

Sarah Kurchak (CHARTattack)

03/14/2009 12:11pm

Background / Composition:
They're three lads and one lady (with a guest trumpet/xylophone player) from Edmonton who make sweet, insidiously hooky indie rock that would have a good shot at melting the most jaded, coldest, blackest heart.

Grade: 91

Comment:
The band had their work cut out for them in their 1 a.m. time slot. Most of the crowd had already blown their loads on an absolutely insane set from the Handsome Furs, but Hot Panda were clearly up for the challenge of keeping people entertained. Their blistering set kept the dance floor hopping and squealing well into the night.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronunciation: E
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: E
Appearance: E
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Funny, charismatic and ridiculously charming, Hot Panda had me at, "It's not too late. It's exactly the time it's supposed to be: Time to rock!" And they had me even more when they started busting out their balls-out dance moves and rock 'n' roll posturing. With stage presence, personality and songs like those, it's highly likely that we're going to be hearing and seeing a lot more of these guys in the future.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: E
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: E
Organization: E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
A mid-set harmonica-related snafu threatened to derail the band for a split second, but the band quickly decided that multi-instrumentalist Heath Parsons could "sing" the harmonica part instead. In all of my years of rock 'n' roll report card writing, I have never seen a cooler moment of problem-solving. It was Chris-Murphy-sings-the-trumpet-part-to-"Everything You've Done Wrong"-level cool.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: E
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: E
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposible Fashion: E
Cool Equipment: E
Level Of Inebriation: E
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
If the hippest animals from Cute Overload got together and decided to form an indie rock band, they’d probably sound a lot like Hot Panda. The band (and their fans who dance like shy Muppets) are totally adorable. If cute's not your thing, though, rest assured: Hot Panda are also fully capable of rocking your pants off.