In Focus: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at The Westcott Theater

On April 22 at the Westcott Theater, reggae jam band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad performed the last show of their 2023 Tour. The band was originally founded in 2001 in Rochester, best known for their authentic reggae and dub live performances. 

The energy of the night started strong at the Westcott, with two opening performances Flying Object and Dirty Blanket. Flying Object, is a smaller group who feature an upright bass, keys and drums into their music. The band kicked off with an upbeat spunky groove engaging the audience awaiting Giant Panda. 

Dirty Blanket incorporates guitars, upright bass, mandolin and banjo. For the past six years the band has remained local to the Finger Lakes Region. Their song “Better Days” led the crowd roaring and dancing as they closed their act and gave a warm welcome to Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. 

Giant Panda consists of James Searl, Chris O’Brian, Dylan Savage, Tony Gallicchio and Eli Flynn. Some of their top hits include “Time and Reflection,” “Love You More”, “Steady,” “Trouble Deep” and “Good Love.” This tour honored their latest album Love In Time released on April 7th. The diversity of the songs and various production styles truly compliment the album as a whole. This was one of their first times working on music with outside collaborators. 

Although it was announced to be the last show of their 2023 tour, Giant Panda did a fantastic job and put on quite the show for their fans at the Westcott Theater. As fans danced to their mix of reggae, electric beats and rhythm, the band members yelled out to the crowd while engaging with one another on stage. The band is notable for connecting people to the sound of their music and authentic roots. We look forward to what the band has to come as fans anticipate future performances. 

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