Delhi to Dublin @ El Mocambo

What I thought would be a chill Sunday night with ambient Indian-inspired electronica from Toronto's Nawtiks (pictured below with tabla) turned into a jam of culturally ridiculous proportions when Vancouver's Delhi to Dublin took stage.

I was shocked to stumble on a show with such an oddball ingredients:

1. Electric Celtic fiddle player
2. Uber-upbeat adult-contemporary/Punjabi singer
3. Macbook DJ s

pinning dancehall and house beats
4. Smile

y conga drummer wearing menacing skull tee
5. Asian guitarist also wearing menacing skull tee, using cello bow on his electric guitar
6. Same guitarist with electric traditional Indian guitar (sitar I assume)


6.. Same

guitarist, shirt off, playing Maiden-style metal riffs on his standard electric
7. Random super fan raiding stage - not to stage dive, but to 'traditional Celtic dance' - pictured
8. A slew of har

d-bodied yoga-practicing meditating hippie chicks dancing upfront

I can only describe this as Celtic Bollywood trance. Not so much 'world music', but maybe if modern Canadian wa

s a category. Unlike the 'melting pot' that is would-be America, this was a patchwork in typical Canadian style. I love patchwork quits, though, but maybe only in the 'it's the thought that counts, my grandma made it for me' kind of way.

Better analogy, this was more like a stew. One with chunky bits that don't necessarily mix. It's up to you to decide if this is digestible, or just plain disgusting.

Musicianship from each member of Delhi to Dublin was obvious, and there was a groovin dance party vibe good enough for the packed crowd of clearly devoted fans - but all mashed together what cooked up was typically Canadian: A lack of real identity. I walked out of there with a severe case of existential anxiety poisoning.