PANTyRAiD and Project Aspect at the Boulder Theatre

PANTyRAiD and Project Aspect provided some much needed relief for students of CU who are suffering through finals right now. The sold-out show at the Boulder Theatre only had two acts, but both of them came King-Konging onto the stage and ultimately razed the Boulder staple of entertainment with their long, drawn out dubstep'd cuts intertwined in and out of so many samples that Baskin Robbins would be jealous. How many words does it really take to describe a DJ set? Without actually being at the concert, explaining the transitions between songs, the odd sounds that tweak in and out, the build-ups and drops, can become pretty monotonous. Which, safe to say, is why some people hate on it so much. "It all sounds the same," they say, "they just play a beat over someone else's music, distort it, and claim it." When Jay Jaramillo, aka Project Aspect, heard the opening slot was still open for PANTyRAiD, and making a few calls, jumped at the opportunity to play when the Boulder Theatre called him on Tuesday.

Great move. For only his second show in Boulder, this rising DJ made a few hundred more fans last night, based on the filling floor and grindage commencing. The second Jaramillo got to his desk it was smiles and hip-hop. With literally no discrimination on sound, Jaramillo sliced and diced dirty South rap, West coast beats, and Widwest anthems, in a New York minute ...you name it, he had it on deck, and with a rat-a-tat bass load to lay over it.

PANTyRAiD is comprised of Josh "Ooah" Mayer and Martin "MartyParty" Folb, both of whom just passed through the Fillmore in Denver on Halloween as part of another project, The Glitch Mob. I bet it's fun only playing sold-out shows, no matter where you go, Boulder or Denver, or anywhere else I imagine. Aspect's set came to a close just past 10:15 p.m. and at that point, the Boulder Theatre was well and full. Boulder went off. Project Aspect succeeded in priming bodies for the mayhem of PANTyRAiD, whose two and a half hour set transformed the venue into sweat lodge. It's hard to say when exactly they played certain songs off the recently released EP, The Sauce, but that's more because the set is one long song, with occasional fifteen-second breaks to catch a breath. Ooah threw love to Boulder, claiming "this is the best show on tour," right before thanking the balcony for being so energetic. The encore of the night was a sexy-as-hell version of "Get the Money," a song that, to this sold-out crowd at least, needed no introduction. Students fulfilling finals on Monday should still be feeling the effects from this show, if their panties were truly raided.

Which they were.

Critics Notebook: Personal Bias: I set my expectations high. They were met, in both sets. Double eargasm.

By The Way: Good DJs make house parties look like a teddy bear picnic.

Random Detail: The sign that says "No Re-Entry for under 21" is not a lie. They really don't let you back in. Poor girl looked so cold. Or she was drunk. Who cares? It's finals week!

Final Note: Shame on those who thought PANTyRAiD was going to shine alone and showed up at the close of Project Aspect.