Boston Roars With Delight for Steel Panther

More Show Photos: HERE
Venue: House Of Blues Boston
Photographer: Ilya Mirman
Review By: Ilya Mirman
Having spent a semester in Los Angeles during hair metal’s heyday, I know firsthand that the ONLY thing better than being on the Sunset Strip in 1987 is catching a Steel Panther show in 2013. The hilariously entertaining, profane quartet is not a nostalgia act; rather, they’re the vanguard leading the revival of glam metal!  And on Wednesday, they put on a great show for Boston, providing a well-deserved respite during what was otherwise a difficult week for our city.
Yes, the show clearly features comedic elements, spoofing the clichéd sex/drugs/rock-n-roll antics and tribulations of an aspiring band.  But Steel Panther should not – cannot! – be dismissed as merely a farce.  The talent, the musicianship, the showmanship, the effort are absolutely top notch.  It’s very clear that were these guys on the scene in the mid-80’s, they’d rule the Sunset Strip.  And remember –they are putting on a top-notch metal show while putting on a full-on comedy show –they make it seem effortless, and real – never breaking the fourth wall.
Michael Starr’s perfect in his role as front man: with a broad vocal range, a broader smile, and a personality that fills the room, the audience melts in his hand, goes along for the ride, and cannot resist his call for a bit of debauchery.  Satchel’s guitar work is beyond insane: For an appetizer, he feeds us his take on Van Halen’s Eruption; and the hyperactive guitar gymnastics take off from there – every song features fiery axe work, and the climactic extended solo mid-way through the show weaves together every awesome metal riff ever invented – and somehow manages to work in Do-Re-Mi from “The Sound of Music”! ( “Doe – a deer, a female deer; Ray – a drop of golden sun…”).  And though inseparable from his lip gloss applicator, a can of Aqua Net and a makeup mirror, bassist Lexxi Foxxx is somehow able to lock in a pounding groove that works perfectly with Stix Zadinia’s powerful drums, the pair providing a rock-solid foundation for each and every song.
The band has clearly been blowing up over the past couple years – and puts on a hell of a show whether playing in front of 2,000 or 100,000.  When performing on their home turf in Vegas and L.A., they alternate between their original songs and 80’s covers; when touring, focus is on the originals.  As of this writing, I’ve seen four Steel Panther shows (twice in Vegas; Boston and Hampton Beach), and what I find particularly amusing every time is the fact that the crowd sings along to the Panther’s original hits.  After all, these are not 80’s metal staples that we’ve heard for the past 30 years.  But the songs are infectiously catchy and hilarious.
So  if you miss 80’s metal – or want to experience what the best of glam metal has spawned – catch Steel Panther!  (I’m taking my own advice – shooting their set at Rocklahoma 2013 later this summer.  YES!!)

 

Set list

Supersonic Sex Machine

Tomorrow Night

Fat Girl

Asian Hooker

Tiger Woods

Turn Out The Lights

If You Really, Really Love Me

It Won’t Suck Itself

Weenie Ride

Community Property

Eye Of A Panther

Death To All But Metal

Party All Day

17 Girls In A Row