The Fillmore Silver Spring hosted a night of hair metal and laughs as Steel Panther made a stop on their Feel the Steel 15th anniversary tour. It was a fun weeknight gig, and the venue was packed with fans ready to let their hair down and let loose for a night.
Maryland’s very own Stone Horses are support on this tour. The band kicked off the festivities with an energetic performance showcasing their raw take on classic rock sounds, influenced by giants like Led Zeppelin and Robert Johnson. Led by vocalist John Allen, Stone Horses (with drummer John Heiser, guitarist Teddy Merrill, and bassist Dylan Howes) got the crowd amped with songs like “Reckless Ways,” “Free,” and even a cover of a Black Keys song (“I Got Mine”). The set was a tight thirty minutes but packed a punch for the home state crowd.
For the uninitiated, Steel Panther is a “comedic” glam metal band, hailing from Los Angeles. The band (vocalist Michael Starr, guitarist Satchel, drummer Stix Zadinia, and bassist Spyder) provide their fans with an often hilarious parody of the 1980s glam metal experience. The songs are debauched and profane and defenestrate any idea of political correctness, all in the name of some naughty, tongue in cheek fun. I found myself laughing quite a bit. So did everyone else.
This tour commemorates the 15th anniversary of the release of Steel Panther’s first album, Feel the Steel. That album introduced the world to songs like “Asian Hooker,” “Community Property,” and “Eatin Ain’t Cheatin’,” all of which were in the set Thursday night. You can use your imagination to figure out what those songs are about. Steel Panther look like the prototypical glam metal band, too—with neon, big hair, spandex, a dash of leopard print, and wind machines. It’s a hoot.
Between the songs there was a lot of banter and silliness. The men flirted with the girls, they busted each other’s chops, and made jokes about cocaine and boobs. The fans are fully in on the joke, too—they know the fun is participatory. There were a few guys in the crowd dressed up as full “Fanthers” complete with wigs and neon spandex pants. During “17 Girls in a Row,” the stage was open to any lady who wanted to come up and dance with the band; women of all ages took them up on the offer.
If you look past the shock value of the lyrics, the songs themselves are good! These are skilled musicians, as demonstrated by Stix and his one-armed drum solo (in tribute to Def Leppard’s Rick Allen) and Satchel’s simultaneous guitar and drum solo. The band operates like a fine-tuned machine, delivering both music and comedy with skill and great timing. It’s a lot of fun, and a great way to blow off a little steam for a few hours. Just don’t bring the kids.
Steel Panther’s Feel the Steel 15th Anniversary Tour continues through December, wrapping up in Vancouver on December 30.
STONE HORSES
