Eyes Of A Panther: The Greatness Of Steel Panther

"Cause my heart belongs to you
my love is pure and true
My heart belongs to you
but my C**K is community property!"

I haven't been this excited about a rock and roll band since I laid eyes on Andrew WK's infamous album cover back in 2002. The band that has my panties in a bunch is Steel Panther and I'm not even a metal chick. I've been hyping this band up for the past few months on Facebook and to all my friends, but figured another quick little blog might make you pay attention. Their music is definitely not for the faint of heart, and should be avoided by your grandmother, parents, and children. Steel Panther's songs spoof the 80's LA metal scene with potty-mouth lyrics about strippers, groupies, drugs, and sexually transmitted diseases. After months and months of building anticipation, Steel Panther finally released their new album Feel The Steel on October 6th. You would think that a band with lyrics about catching gonorrhea or thanking a stripper for paying their rent would be stupid and cheesy. But if you truly listen to the album and ignore the foul mouth lyrics, you'd be shocked to hear that this band has written some great rock & roll songs with killer hooks. The album was spot-on in terms of production and presentation. Steel Panther might be a gimmick band, but it's a gimmick that works because they are masters of their craft. Much funnier than Spinal Tap also!

The lead singer is Michael Starr, who you could say is a chubby version of David Lee Roth or a skinny version of Vince Neil. On lead guitar is Satchel, who I see as a beefed up version of Nigel from Spinal Tap. On bass is my personal favorite Panther member, Lexxy Foxx. The joke on him is that because he is the bass player, he isn't that important to the band and always gets in the way. Of all the Steel Panther members, he best exemplifies the hair metal gimmick with long blond hair flowing to his ass filled with tons of hair spray and looking like a chick. On drums is Stix Zadinia (yes, read that again! ) He is the quiet member of the band who keeps the beats coming. The band actually started as Metal Skool, a metal cover band playing weekend shows in Los Angeles. Through word of mouth, they started making a name for themselves on the club circuit. Soon enough, celebrities like Vince Vaughn and Pink were coming out to see them. Also other hard rock singers like Justin Hawkins from The Darkness were jumping on stage to sing with the band. Universal Records saw something in them and signed the band. The first album has done fairly well on the charts, even hitting #1 on the comedy albums chart. I'm not sure that people realize that the band isn't 100% what they appear to be. I'll let you in on a little secret. Although they are a comedy act, I still classify them as a hard rock band.

A few weeks ago, I trekked out to Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey to see Steel Panther in action. Considering the cost of admission was $15, how could I pass up an opportunity to see them play? This was their only concert apperance on the east coast. The crowd was made up of mostly metal heads, chicks who haven't escaped the 80's, and 32 year old rock and roll fans like myself. Hey, sometimes I need a night out with their pals to have a drink and enjoy some good music while trying to relive my youth. When you see the Panther live, not only do you get to listen to great tunes, but they provide a lot of comedy as well. They have no hesitiations making fun of each other, the audience, or the sluts in the crowd. Lexxy Foxx is always looking in his mirror to make sure he is looking good, and has his can of Aquanet to make sure his hair is top-notch. Satchel was rolling off guitar melodies ranging from hard rock anthems to Broadway tunes. I got more for my money at this concert than I have at other big arena shows which I shelled out over $100. Simply a good time, and I would go see them again in a heartbeat the next time they come to town. The Steel Panther concert may have been the first time in as long while that I hit a concert and didn't feel like an old man.

Here's the link to the band's website.

http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/

The aforementioned website is definitely worth checking out, and should provide you with a good laugh. It provides more information that really makes you understand what Steel Panther is all about. The writeups on their website provide more laughs than even I can try to replicate in this blog. Because rock and roll should be all about fun, and Steel Panther truly represents nothing but a good time.

Now I have to go out and buy a Steel Panther T-shirt.

Mikey