Friday Feb 15 (10pm)
Not to be confused with the work of Animal Collective's Panda Bear, bright-eyed Oakland five-piece Panda's enthusiastic electro-pop spins with juicy hooks and dance-worthy beats. Having recently graduated from the all-ages scene, these barely-legal upstarts dodge the occasional High School Musical jab tonight with college-radio-friendly rock reminiscent of Phantom Planet. Fellow East Bayers Maldroid warm up the stage with an amalgamation of British Invasion, new wave, and garage rock — an enticingly grooveable mix that follows in the footsteps of Blur, New Order, and the Hives.
– Connie Hwong