Steel Panther live at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA Concert Review

STEEL PANTHER BRING THE SUNSET STRIP BACK FOR THE FANS!

Date: March 30, 2018
Venue: The Fillmore
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Reviewer: Christopher Carroll
Photos: Christoper Carroll ROCK Photography

Anytime Steel Panther comes to town, I am there! I remember seeing a couple of these guys many years ago, in their earlier band, playing at the Whisky A Go Go. They were excellent then and they’ve only gotten better! I get so annoyed when I hear anyone refer to them as ‘a joke band.’ These guys were playing in bands through the ’90s and started this as a side project because they love the genre. People have said that they’re making fun of it. No; they’re having fun with it! It’s an era they love and they’re reliving it. Fortunately, they’re bringing it back to us, as well! Satchel is hilarious, even offstage. That’s his personality. If he were a political person like Geoff Tate, he would write about politics, so why people are so surprised that he adds humor to his songs is difficult to comprehend. He’s an accomplished guitarist (former Guitar Institute of Technology instructor) and has a knack for writing hooks like no one else! Bands from that genre aren’t writing songs this good. Sure, the lyrics are funny but even after the humor wears off, you cannot keep these songs out of your head.

On this tour, the Sunset Strip Tour, they played many of their songs. They still joked around and made us laugh between songs but they also paid tribute to many of the bands from that era like Ratt, Ozzy, Van Halen and Def Leppard. They mixed some of the songs that got those bands started into the set and people ate it up.

As the result of a camera setting issue, security shuffling photographers out of the photo pit early and the fact that there were more people in the photo pit than I could count, I had a difficult time getting the shots I wanted. I really only had one song’s worth of time to shoot and I spent most of that time trying to work my way around the crowd in the photo pit. As a photographer, that was disappointing to me because these guys always seem to have great light! They know how to look good, they’re posing and they’re always having fun onstage. It’s always been my favorite show to shoot.

After that, I hung back and enjoyed the show. I encouraged several friends who had never really seen them, to come out and it was fun watching the show along with them. When they started playing “Crazy Train”, Satchel made the comment that, if only they had someone who could come out and sing that looked and sounded like Ozzy, it would be perfect. Out walks Michael Starr with his hair parted in the middle, plastered down, tons of eyeliner on, eyes big as saucers, shuffling out with the mic and I almost dropped my drink! It was hilarious! His imitation, throughout the song, was perfect. People were cracking up. Of course, he sounded great singing it, as well.

During “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, they allowed many women to get up onstage and dance and, of course, some tops came off. To female Steel Panther fans, it’s an honor to be onstage and be a part of the show. No one onstage left without a smile.

Having seen more concerts than I can count, in my lifetime, even when I go to see a band I love, I find myself glancing at my watch wondering when it’s going to be over. Steel Panther is one where I never bother to look at the time. When they left the stage, the crowd started chanting “Gloryhole!” The band came out, ready to play their encore (which was set to be “Party All Day”) but decided to just go along with what the audience wanted. Not only did they play “Gloryhole”, they allowed a kid (who looked to be about 12-13) to come onstage and play the song in Satchel’s place. He did a great job and when the roadies came up and took the guitar off of him and tried to shuffle him offstage, he stepped forward to take a bow alongside of the band!

Steel Panther are continuing their US tour into May, when they’ll head to Australia. In June, they pop back into the US to play Boston and New York then they’re off to Russia, the Ukraine and the UK, and then a few July dates in Canada.

One complaint was that they weren’t able to have much merchandise at the show (they did have drum heads!) but they do always have a ton of it on their website. They even have a huge clearance section as they’re always adding new stuff!  If you haven’t seen these guys, you MUST! If you have, you know you have to see them again!

Steel Panther’s setlist:
01. Eyes Of A Panther
02. Goin’ In The Backdoor
03. You Really Got Me
04. Round And Round
05. Jump
06. Just Like Tiger Woods
07. Crazy Train
08. Poontang Boomerang
09. Girl From Oklahoma
10. Livin’ On A Prayer
11. Pour Some Sugar On Me
12. Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World
13. Community Property
14. Death To All But Metal
Encore:
Gloryhole

Steel Panther playing “Jump” and “Round And Round” at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA on March 30, 2018:

“Jump and Round & Round” Steel Panther@The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD 3/30/18

Jump (Van Halen) & Round and Round (Ratt), Steel Panther, The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland; March 30th, 2018; Sunset Strip Live Tour, (Washington DC area)

Steel Panther playing “Pour Some Sugar On Me” at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA on March 30, 2018:

“Pour Some Sugar on Me (Girls Onstage)” Steel Panther@The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD 3/30/18

No Description

Steel Panther playing “Gloryhole” with fan playing guitar at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA on March 30, 2018:

“Gloryhole (Fan Plays Guitar W/Band)” Steel Panther@The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD 3/30/18

Gloryhole (Fan Invited on Stage to Play Guitar with Band), Steel Panther, The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland; March 30th, 2018; Sunset Strip Live Tour, (W…