2008 has been a good year for Angry Panda: I celebrated my 10th year with some wicked shows in St. Louis and Springfield; Van's Warped Tour asked me to play in Boise, ID in August and I rocked socks from the Kevin Says Stage; Local hipster rag GO Magazine rated me in the top 5 solo artists by way of a reader's poll AND listed me as one of their favorite things of the year; and I rereleased my 2005 LP on Mono Americano Records. Thanks, Springfield!!!
Radio RnR is streaming right now and they are playing everything from Angry Panda to ZZ Top, click below
BIO
I got my start as a musician as bassist in a Nirvana cover band in my hometown of St. Louis when I was 12. It was around then that I joined the school orchestra as bassist. Soon I began writing punk songs, but I found more lyrical inspiration from songwriters like John S. Hall of King Missile, The Dead Miilkmen, and They Might be Giants, and Ween. After years of playing guitar and bass in different bands that straddled the line between completely enraged punk rock and quirky alternative, I discovered I could use keyboard drums and a tape player to write and record songs without having all the distractions and people of a band. Taking a cue from a few of my favorite bands, including Beck and Ween, I started recording on my own.
This came in handy when I moved to Springfield, MO to get my music degree and suddenly found myself alone in a dorm room with nothing to do but play with my 4-track and whatever I felt like using as an instrument at the time. But I’d gotten hooked on performing live, so it wasn’t long before I found a stage to play. Since a lot of what I did was very lyric-oriented, I decided that for a live show I could just play guitar and sing the songs I’d recorded and still get the messages across.
After 2 months of college I cut my middle finger so deep the tendons split and I spent 3 months in a cast, learning to play without moving my middle finger just in case. I kept playing even in the cast thanks to pain killers and the encouragement of a few fans. I owe a lot to them both and visit each semi-regularly.
Eventually I dropped the Tupperware percussion sections, multi-effects pedals, sandwich eating sounds, and melodic Coke bottles from my recordings as well my live show. In 1999 I hooked up with Wee Rock Records and released my first album. I also toured the west coast with WRR band Fugue as bassist and show-opening solo act whenever possible. Around this time I had my first documented gran mail seizure. I’d had dizzy spells since I was a kid, now it turns out it’s epilepsy. The doctors think it has something to do with being attacked with a hammer by a group of boys when I was younger, but whatever it was, it’s controllable and gave me some unique perspective.
So when you see the shaky guy on stage with the scar on his forehead and the strangely crooked left middle finger singing happily about why he’s mad, you know you’re looking at Angry Panda. I think that’s all that’s important here. Enjoy whatever you find on this page, comment or message me if I can do anything for you.
Hey! Stop what you are doing! We are having a button sale!
100 Buttons Just 15 Dollars! 500 Buttons Just 70 Dollars! 1000 Buttons Just 130 Dollars! 2000 Buttons Just 250 Dollars! The sale ends August 1st so check it out now!
AWESOME! i'll be on the lookout! i even got some friends interested.... one who WEARS patchouli as a cologne. LOL much love much love :o) have an awesome day.
i TOTALLY dig your music...patchouli is now my profile page song.... have an awesome weekend and keep on rocking out with ur cock out! much love from extreme south tx!
dude! i would love to come watch you perform every tuesday, but i don't live anywhere close to Missouri! you should come to nevada, and play a show with my band..that would be for the better
hey man thanks for the add. i found some of your stickers at donnas ice house, down at the lake and i dig your stuff man. you plannin on playin any shows in columbia?
Hello!<br /><br />We're playing at the Outland Ballroom for the Cinco de Mayo Pub Crawl on Saturday May 2nd.<br />Our good friends in KNIFE*DEATH will be opening up with another spot TBA. These guys are awesome.<br /><br />There will be insane drink specials.<br /><br />Please take a second to listen to our new music and hopefully we'll see you there.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />Erik, Dan, Derek, Lance, & Scott<br />FORMANT
Now that we're officially friends, could I borrow your post-hole diggers? Show up about 8am Saturday. Wear gloves.
Enjoyed the tracks on your page. Hope to hear you live sometime.
When you get a few minutes, check out our band, The MELROYS and listen the songs from our two CDs at our website - TheMelroys.com. There's a link to our myspace page there, too.
Thanks for the support ! Hope to see ya at the Bob Marley Bash Feb. 6th in downtown Springfield Missouri at Remmingtons Downtown. Its a ALL AGES show w/ members of Jah Roots, Jam Room, Ego Magnet & Roots of Mankind ! Come celebrate Bob Marley with us !!
I like it, it made me smile. I guess I'm on my way and late. I hope you did your whip out your balls type set that you spoke of. Rock on And pantsless.
