One night after Def Leppard and Poison rocked the Bell Center, it was Steel Panther invading Montreal with (20)17 Girls in a Row tour. Walking into Metropolis, there was more 80s hair and leopard print leotards that there would’ve been at a Def Leppard show circa 1989. These mock hair metal mavens attract a party crowd and this night was to be no different.
First up was Citizen Zero. While there was nothing wrong with their set, there was nothing outstanding either. The music was good, but a little dry for a crowd that was already partying. It was straight please put us on the radio rock. One might say this evening was laid out like a mullet, they were the business on the front end and the crowd was waiting for the party on the backside.
Michael Starr, Lexxi Foxx, Satchel and Stix Zadinia were more than happy to kick the festivities in full gear. They hit the stage and wasted no time, going full press with “Eyes of a Panther,” “Goin’ In the Backdoor” and “Just Like Tiger Woods.” The crowd was eating it up.
But the rock was put on pause, ‘cause it isn’t a Steel Panther show without some ridiculous and over the top banter. I don’t think there’s a band out there that likes chatting with their crowd more than these mock glam rockers. The good news for fans is their shtick has been completely updated. If you’ve been to a few of their shows, odds are you got to know their sketches pretty well, but this show offered all new material and even some improv. They even attempted a French improv with a tune that refrained “j’aime le chat,” translated to I like the cat.
They brought a girl onstage with the promise of writing a love song just for her. They used Amber, her middle name, cause they said nothing rhymes with Olivia… come on guys, one of you is called Stix Zadinia! But they bring the entertainment factor up ten notches with their live shows. Not many bands party like these animals.
Their set rested on their laurels. Half of the fourteen song set was drawn from 2009’s Feel the Steel. Although this is undoubtedly their classic, they left a lot of great newer material on the cutting room floor, including tracks from last year’s Lower the Bar.
A set staple is filling the stage with their female fans for “17 Girls in a Row,” which always winds up a PG-13 version of Girls Gone Wild. The ladies stuck around for a few songs, in no rush to leave the stage. Finally alone on stage, guitarist Satchel paid homage to the bands that made their band possible, soloing a medley every pre 1990 metal riff you can remember and throwing the crowd into a frenzy.
The encore kicked off with “Community Property,” their love song about infidelity. You could barely hear Starr’s vocals over the combined voices of Metropolis. This band’s charisma just shines through and pours out of every leopard spot on their attire. Honestly, if you’re not having fun at Steel Panther show, have someone check your pulse, you’re probably dead.
Review – Richard Brunette
Photos – Kieron Yates
