If cocaine references, sexual humor, Asian jokes, and a lot of hairspray offends you, then a Steel Panther show is not for you. With that being said, the comedic glam metal group kicked off their extended Girls in a Front Row streak on Wednesday (5). The trek concludes at the end of this month on the 24th in Atlanta Georgia, and we were there last night (6) to wet our pants at the sold out event at Irving Plaza in NYC. The band brought their new album Lower the Bar to the packed house of eager and overly-dressed fans.
The room filled up with men wearing tight studded spandex and women carrying pounds of makeup on their faces all in hopes of being recognized by the band or others in the crowd. Reminiscent of the ’80s during the hair/glam metal days, or present day LA, it gave the overall impression of making you feel like you entered a timewarp, forgetting or not even caring what year it really is. It was a night to rekindle the love for the sex, drugs, rock and roll and excess of the glam decade.
The venue filled up instantly, and despite hearing loud 80s music on the speakers, it was time for Detroit rockers Citizen Zero to kick off the night. The group are semi -new to the hard rock scene and have one full-length album, 2016’s State of Mind. However, they played a full 45-minute set. Their vibe is more chill and bluesy, and would pair better with bands like Rival Sons, Crobot, or Black Stone Cherry. It was a bizarre mix since everyone was in the mood for sleaze cheese, and sex. With that aside, they killed their set capturing a RavenEye-like spark as they plowed through their tunes.
Citizen Zero
After a short break, it was time to party with Steel Panther. Aside from Michael Starr making several sexual references and Lexxi Foxx stepping away to fix his hair, the set began with back to back to back songs “Eyes of a Panther,” “Goin’ in the Backdoor,” and “Just Like Tiger Woods.” After that, it was nonstop humor, booze, and of course, sex. Following the performance of “Fat Girl (Thar She Blows), the band invited an Asian woman to join them on the platform just in time for the song “Asian Hooker,” and yes, every offensive stereotype was made and it was hilarious. The Asian chick went along with it while Starr and Satchel put her in the middle of an animated three-way re-enactment. Later, Starr sent her away with a backstage pass and the night continued to flow with songs “That’s When You Came In,” and “Poontang Boomerang”.
Starr, Foxx, and Stix Zadinia left the platform, leaving Satchel alone in the spotlight ready to start his entertaining guitar solo. Making use of the entire stage, he eventually worked his way up to the drum kit to pound the bass drum and smash a few cymbals while continuing to shred covers ranging from Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Iron Maiden. Fans thrusted their fists, horns, and beer while singing along throughout his solo medley.
Later, the band returned. including Starr’s new look and attitude. He observed the crowd and noticed, “there’s a black man with a blonde wig.” Satchel chimed in assuring everyone that “Anything Goes” at a Steel Panther show, especially in NYC, and went into the new tune.
At this point, it was time for things to get crazy and sexier. All attention went to the women in the house as Steel Panther invited a chick onto the stage to sing “Girl From Oklahoma.” However, one woman just wasn’t enough and they extended the invitation to women who were “good looking or have great tits.” Several women obliged and coincidentally they went into “17 Girls in a Row.” These girls remained on stage for the rest of the set and things got dirty, raunchy, and provocative. A few chicks flashed the audience and moved into their own makeout session. Starr shared the microphone with a few of the girls, while others took selfies with Foxx or danced around Satchel and Stix. Starr took sexual jokes even further by grabbing one of the blondes for an oral sex imitation. As the set concluded with “Gloryhole” and “Death to All but Metal,” it was time for the women to leave. The frontman noticed an Asian chick ripping off her shirt while exiting the stage and managed to stop her. The spotlight was on Starr and this Asian woman as he graced her with “Asian Hooker” references and concluded the romantic moment by motorboating her boobs. Yep, that all happened!
Despite all of that, Steel Panther returned with an encore and concluded the evening with “Community Property” and “Party All Day (Fuck All Night).” Every city is different with distinct vibes and atmosphere, therefore, you can’t expect what will happen at a Steel Panther show. It is highly encouraged to attend and see what will go down in each city.
Steel Panther
