So what is there to say about Steel Panther that hasn't already been said? The good, the bad, and the ugly... This last Saturday night, a "non-school night" for most, brought out a SOLD-OUT crowd to Plaza Live in Orlando.
I will say if you come with an open mind and a great sense of humor, all you're going to see is the awesome talent exuding from that stage and the fun that Panther bring with every show.
The foursome, all going by stage names, Lexxi, Stix, Satchel, and, of course, the infamous Michael Starr, had a bit of added entertainment this evening in the form of 2 very talented and, most importantly, understanding, sign language interpreters. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, this added a completely new dynamic to their show. I don't think I've laughed so hard at one of their shows and I've been to quite a few. Unfortunately, certain media laws keep me from telling you exactly WHAT they were having her 'sign' but, we all know the Panther guys, so YOU already know!
Steel Panther fans are truly one of a kind with most of the die hards calling themselves Fanthers. I ran into one such individual while waiting to enter the venue; she was in line behind me. A 19 year old who hadn't yet been allowed to see Steel Panther live in concert. She had to be the most excited individual in that line or any concert line I've seen in a long time. She explained that she absolutely loves the band, she designed her own outfit which was a very cute set of shorts and a bedazzled bra with a nicely torn t-shirt over top. She was so happy just to be there she couldn't container self!
At one point she took off from the line and trotted across the parking lot towards a camper parked off in the distance. I asked her companion if she actually thought that was Steel Panther outside that small camper her friend said, "yes I believe she does". I then said (that), "if anything, that is the opening band. Panther's bus is parked in the back of the venue where it always is." We all had a good laugh about that especially as she came trotting back across the parking lot saying, "that was not them... that was not them". But it had to be the cutest thing I've seen in a long time HAHA
Witnessing something like this goes a long way in restoring my faith in the rockers of the future to carry that RnR torch! She was brought up on stage mid-show, among some banter and, of course, was up there with 20-something other ladies, as is traditional, during '17 Girls in a Row'.
The set list this evening included 4 from the newest release entitled "Heavy Metal Rules", as well as crowd favorites such as 'Asian Hooker', 'Eyes of a Panther', 'Community Property', where we had a special guest join them on stage, Joey Fatone. Fatone is known for being a member of NSYNC and lives in the Orlando area. The band seamlessly integrated the newest songs in with all of the favorites and I'm sure those new ones will soon be some of our favorites in short time.
Entire album can be viewed HERE