Steel Panther
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
10.22.15
Legendary lady chasers and pot smoking rockers Steel Panther headlined the SoDo Showbox on Thursday, playing a set that’s as entertaining conversationally as it is musically. Not surprisingly from LA, this glam band has played under different monikers over the last fifteen years, but the shtick has remained the same: in excruciating parody, the 80’s metal lifestyle is idolized, criticized, and humorously exaggerated. The thing is, Steel Panther is so good at it that the gray area is hard to pick apart, and things which plenty of people would find flagrantly offensive in this day and age somehow get a pass under the guise of rock ‘n roll history. Their success, likewise, is hard to ignore, with multiple albums and a genuinely interested and loyal fan base.
Their formula didn’t waver at SoDo, complete with cheesed-up, posed photo ops, and comical chatter about being stoned and loving Seattle. Holding up a hand mirror, bassist Lexxi Foxx touched up his lip gloss as lead man Michael Starr introduced each band member. In obligatory fashion, a couple of women flashed the band while Steel Panther talked about getting laid. Anyone who’s seen their Vegas-style show previously, and isn’t genuinely entrenched in their music, would find the act perfunctory. But hey, either way, Steel Panther will always be a lock for a solid laugh.
Review and photos by Bryce Cato
Steel Panther
