Steel Panther Rocked a Packed Crowd in Their First Appearance at the Destination Daytona Pavillion in Ormond Beach, FL

As the weather was getting cooler in the evenings in the Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area of Florida, Steel Panther and openers, Lowlives, heated up this open-air venue. The Pavillion is located on the property of the Teddy Morse Harley dealership property and has been host to many events from rock and country shows to roller derby. Given this, we wonder if any of the guys looked in the showroom to pick up a new 2-wheel ride!

The venue was a buzz as I went up to the photo pit and an eager concert goer who was pressed against the front barrier says, "Well this must be a good sign that they are starting soon....you're here!!" I said, "...maybe so!" Though I didn't know yet that we would have a bit longer to wait. 

When Lowlives came on, they were full of energy, ready to go, and show us who they are. Steel Panther seems to always have great opening bands historically seeing them here in Central Florida. This opener was no exception! The music from this British-American grunge band is hard hitting and a great contrast to the hair-metalish music from Steel Panther. 

The band formed in 2016 and hails from Los Angeles. Vocalist and guitar player, Lee Downer along with bandmates, Luke Johnson on drums, Jaxon Moore also playing guitar, and Steve Lucarelli on bass, most recently put out an album in 2024 called Freaking Out.

Although I do not have the official setlist from the show, they have been performing many of the following songs during the tour:

Freaking Out

Hey You

Liar

I Don't Like You

Thieves

Swan Dive

Loser

Bones

Burn Forever

Hate, Greed, Liars, Thieves

Closer Than You Know

You Don't Care 

This is a talented band with a dynamic stage presence and performance that we look forward to seeing again in the future!

Next up, our headliners, the ever fun, raunchy, and entertaining, Steel Panther! I love covering this band every time they come to Central Florida. They have a high energy that is rarely matched. As always, I tell anyone who is going to one of their shows, who may not be familiar with their tongue-in-cheek brand of 'camp' in spoofing 80's hair bands, you need to bring your sense of humor and fun. Panther always brings back the memories of those hedonistic, carefree 80's hair metal days, where, as a famous rocker once said, "...the guys wear more makeup than your mom!". LOL

Their stage show is a parady of and often mentions the debauchery of those years gone by, and we can't forget the groupies. Those ladies that kept our rockers company, shared their makeup, and most importantly, kept them fed while they scraped to the top on the world famous Sunset strip! 

Steel Panther brings it all back to life right before our eyes. Their stage names are Michael Starr on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Spyder playing bass, and the ever entertaining, Stix Zadinia on drums and keys, who always gives his special little "nod" to the drummer of Def Leppard during most shows. A noted addition to the stage performance this tour are 2 stripper poles with 2 ladies performing on them during the show on either side of the stage. Apparently tour management locate different local talent to perform at each tour stop, keeping things fresh, I'd assume. 

Having performed together for so many years, this band is so musically tight and have their crowd interaction and banter amongst themselves down to a science!

Tonight's setlist included:

Eyes of a Panther

Let Me Cum In

Asian Hooker

Friends With Benefits

Poontang Boomerang

(Guitar Solo time)

Turn Out the Lights

Magical Vagina

Weenie Ride

17 Girls in a Row

Death to All but Metal

Community Property

Gloryhole

I did hear from a few audience member who missed hearing a few songs they had expected like 'Girl From Oklahoma', but we're surprised and excited that they heard 'Magical Vagina' - now I KNOW I'm at a Steel Panther show LOL

From the thrill for that one special audience member who they bring up and serenade to the "romantic" song 'Weenie Ride' to filling the stage with tons of willing and wriggling female audience members during '17 Girls in a Row', a Steep Panther show ever disappoints!

We also had a surprise tonight from the heydays of the 80's in the form of one of the most famous rock photographers to ever shoot our beloved hair bands, Mark Weiss, stopped by to cover this show. Although I've met with Mark before, it was definitely a highlight in my photography career, to shoot WITH him!

Catch them on tour as they continue winding around the U.S., you won't want to miss out on THIS fun! 

Upcoming shows! 2025

Steel Panther

Lowlives