STEEL PANTHER Announces Select U.S. Dates, Minneapolis December 17, Presale Ticket Password

Joke glam band Steel Panther has announced a few U.S. tour dates for the month of December, starting with a concert right here in Minneapolis on Tuesday, December 17 at First Avenue. These shows come in advance of the release of the band's fourth album (if you count Hole Patrol), All You Can Eat, set for release in the first quarter of 2014. The last two Steel Panther shows here sold out quick, so get tickets right away when they go on sale tomorrow, Friday, October 18 at 12:00 noon. You can buy presale tickets for the Minneapolis show right now through etix - the password is "ali".

Here's the current list of Steel Panther dates in December:

December 17 - Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
December 20 - Chicago, IL, House Of Blues
December 21 - Royal Oak, MI, Royal Oak Music Theatre
December 22 - Cincinnati, OH, Bogart's
December 31 - Vancouver, BC, Commodore Ballroom

STEEL PANTHER - Minneapolis, MN, December 20, 2012

UPDATE: Use the new Mediafire link here. I wasn't aware of the lame download restrictions now in force at RS.

If you saw my review of this show, you know that I'm not a fan. This is not the complete show - I didn't stick around for all of it, so deal with it. You get the first 40 minutes of audio here.

Artwork is included in the zip file download - the link is here.

As always, be cool and share the link to this post rather than the direct download link. Seeing spikes in traffic here makes me happy.

Steel Panther
December 20, 2012
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mill City Nights
mp3@192 kbps, zip file 54.77 MB

1. In The Future/Supersonic Sex Machine (4:34)
2. Tomorrow Night (3:30)
3. Band Introductions (8:50)
4. Fat Girl (5:13)
5. Asian Hooker (3:59)
6. Girl Banter (4:31)
7. Just Like Tiger Woods (3:44)
8. Gold Digging Whore (3:54)
9. Guitar Solo (cut) (1:43)
Total time - 39:58

Concert Review - STEEL PANTHER

Steel Panther and Young Guns

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Mill City Nights, Minneapolis, MN

Click any picture to see more photos of Steel Panther (15). These are all captures from my video footage, so their quality isn't the best.

I went to see the provocative Steel Panther mainly out of curiously, not because I’m particularly fond of their second-rate hair metal spoof of The Mentors. I hadn’t seen vocalist Michael Starr (Ralph Saenz) and guitarist Satchel (Russ Parrish) perform in Van Halen tribute band The Atomic Punks (they used to regularly play at Pov’s in Andover), and they’re entertaining to say the least.

Opening the show was England’s Young Guns, and the half of their set that I caught was a snoozer. Playing a non-descript style of hard rock, I was thoroughly bored and spent the time walking around the sold-out venue looking for a good spot to stand.

Steel Panther finally made it on stage, and they played up their over the top glam image to the hilt. Done in jest, all of the posing and pouting, however, eventually becomes tiresome. Opening with the fast rocker “Supersonic Sex Machine”, the band wasted no time in belting out “Tomorrow Night”. They did, however, waste plenty of time in introducing the band and “Fat Girl” – this took nearly nine minutes. The degradation of women continued with “Asian Hooker” and “Gold Digging Whore", with the hilariously titled “Just Like Tiger Woods” thrown in, and it got old quick. Russ then went into a guitar solo, and by this time I’d had enough and left the show since I’ve seen him ape Eddie Van Halen plenty of times before.

The reality is that this is a comedy show, and Steel Panther can’t be taken seriously on artistic merits since there are none. All of the extended banter between songs was annoying, and the canned dialogue and forced jokes just weren’t that funny. Let’s see – of the 40 minutes I saw, the intro tape and talking took up 14 and 1/2 minutes! That’s over 1/3 of show spent screwing around, not playing music. Tonight, Ralph’s hot air made Phil Anselmo sound like the proverbial “soul of wit”. It’s time for Steel Panther to stop publicly embarrassing themselves, and Ralph and Russ would be better off returning to playing Van Halen covers.

One more thing to bitch about is the venue, the idiotically named Mill City Nights (Mississippi Nights is already taken by a concert nightclub in St. Louis). There’s no worse nightclub in the area for a show other than Epic (the former Quest Club). The whole place felt cramped, and the sightlines generally suck, especially upstairs. Stage right is pushed up against one of the walls, adding to the claustrophobic feel of the place. Long, narrow halls are the worst – I’ll take a wide, spacious room with sightlines from the sides any day. Let’s hope First Avenue and Myth step up their bids for metal shows and help put an end to this miserable place.

Concert Announcements - October 19, 2012

Sold out – there are no tickets remaining for Converge, Torche, Kvelertak, and Mourner tonight, Friday, October 19 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis.

The Throw The Fight show scheduled for Friday, October 27 at the North Star Room in Mounds View has been canceled. According to an October 16 post at the venue’s Facebook page, the North Star Room is “changing directions” and “taking a break from shows.”

New Jersey-based black metal band Krieg launches an East Coast assault with Minneapolis’s own Profound Lore recording artist Wolvhammer and Doomsday that lands at the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 27.

Progressive doom/hard rock band Royal Thunder takes the stage at The Nether Bar at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 28. Joining them is two of the Twin Cities’ best grind/sludge bands, Ambassador Gun (newly signed to Prosthetic Records) and Blue Ox.

Local power metal band Dawn Of Valor has secured the support slot for ex-Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate at Mill City Nights on Sunday, November 4.

The P.O.D. and Nonpoint show at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Friday, November 16 has been canceled. A statement on the First Avenue website reads: “Due to a scheduling conflict with P.O.D., the November 16 show has been canceled. Etix sales will be automatically refunded. Any tickets purchased at First Avenue or our local outlets can be refunded at The Depot Tavern.” You can still catch P.O.D. on Saturday, December 8 at Myth in Maplewood in support of 3 Doors Down and Daughtry.

Due to the above cancellation, Nonpoint has been re-booked on Friday, November 16 for a show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Alternative hard rock band Candlebox will be playing in Burnsville at the High Five Bar & Grill on Saturday, December 1. I believe the High Five is the same venue as the now-closed Primetime Bar & Grill.

West End Motel, the side project of Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, plays the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Sunday, December 9 with support from Ricer for an 18+ show. Tickets are $10 and go on sale today, Friday, October 19 at 12:00 noon through etix and other local First Avenue ticket outlets.

Returning to Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Thursday, December 20 is the one and only Steel Panther. This is an 18+ show. Their last show here sold out, so get your tickets soon—they go on sale today, Friday, October 19 at 10:00 am through the Mill City Nights website or AXS, their box office, and Electric Fetus in Minneapolis.

Chicago’s legendary hard rock band Styx returns to the area for a show at the Mystic Lake Showroom in Prior Lake on Friday, December 28.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels is back again, this time for a show at Treasure Island Casino in Welch on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31.

Full details about the Doro and Sister Sin show on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14 have been released, and the big news is that Station 4 and Swordlord Productions are presenting this as a FREE show. It’s a 21 and up show and doors are at 7:00. Get their early and be sure to show your appreciation by being generous at the bar.

As if hosting Michael Schenker on Saturday, October 27 wasn’t enough, Neisen’s in Savage will also present legendary guitar god Uli Jon Roth on Saturday, February 16. No ticket information is available at this time.

In Concert This Week - July 27, 2012

This weekend has an insane amount of shows, so let’s get right to what’s coming up.

Glam jokesters Steel Panther and Throw The Fight play to a sold out crowd tonight, Friday, July 27 at the newly renamed and renovated Mill City Nights (formerly The Brick) in Minneapolis. There’s also a slew of great local shows tonight, too: Tepetricy, Eden, Blood Root Mother, Windowvyne, and DJ Diesel play the Fine Line in Minneapolis; Tomorrow Brings New Blood, Beastface, The Atlantis Theorem, Element 33, and Apothecary are at Station 4 in St. Paul; and The Cabooze in Minneapolis is hosting New Medicine for a benefit show with Toussaint Morrison, Sheeped, Dr. Wylie, Big Villian, Q’s Junction, and Chrome Lotus.

The Halfway Jam in Royalton continues this weekend with .38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot playing tonight, Friday July 27. Saturday, July 28 features the first show of Queensrÿche with new vocalist Todd La Torre, Stryper, Lynch Mob, and Enuff Z’nuff. There’s also a number of local second stage acts both night as well.

The Cinderella, Sebastian Bach, and Lita Ford show at Myth in St. Paul scheduled for Saturday, July 28 has been cancelled. I haven’t heard a word about what happened – the listing just disappeared from the Myth website and the tour is now scheduled to play at the Orpheum Theater in Sioux City, Iowa instead.

The Bouncing Souls, Smoking Popes, The Menzingers, and Luther play First Avenue in Minneapolis, Saturday, July 28. Also taking place on Saturday: Station 4 in St. Paul is having a free memorial show to honor Allan Wilson with Metal Witch, Mousia, Eternal Voyager, and Minos; Ted Nugent returns to the area for a show at Treasure Island in Red Wing; and Tesla plays Vetter Stone Amphitheater in Mankato with Jason & The Scorchers.

Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon plays a solo show on Sunday, July 29 at the Rush City Tavern in Rush City. That same night Station 4 in St. Paul has a brutal show with Pathology, Enfold Darkness, Fallujah, Fit For An Autopsy, Aegaeon, Apothecary, Beauty Of Decay, and Sadistic Passage.

Monday, July 30 you can catch Taproot with Smile Empty Soul, Severah, 14 Clicks, Requiems’s End, and Terror Overising at Station 4 in St. Paul.

Theory Of A Deadman, Aranda, and Charm City Devils play at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 31.

On Wednesday, August 1, Bane, Terror, Naysayer, and Rotting Out play the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. The Banshee show scheduled for Wednesday at Station 4 has apparently been cancelled. It’s been quietly removed from the Station 4 Facebook page, so I’ve removed it from the Concert Calendar.

Weekly Concert Update and Announcements

Now that things have settled back to some semblance of normalcy post-Google suspension (more about the reason for this to come, haha), here's some shows of note coming up during the next week as well a crush of recent announcements. I'll be out of town this next week, and it's always frustrating when some killer shows happen during these times (arg!).


Yes vocalist Jon Anderson hits the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis tonight, Friday, June 1 for an evening that promises many Yes classics as only he can sing them.


Bret Michaels tours much more frequently as a solo act than with Poison these days, and he's back again with locals Scarlet Haze this Saturday, June 2 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina.


The much-ballyhooed The Queen Extravaganza also plays Saturday, June 2 at The Brick in Minneapolis. This is the official Queen tribute tour, and it features Jeff Scott Soto as one of the vocalists. Jeff has sung with numerous bands, including Journey. I've seen him sing with Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, Soul Sirkus, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra—check out some of his Queen audition videos to see how awesome a singer he is.


Roger Waters returns to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Sunday, June 3 to play The Wall in its entirety. I'm really bummed because I had to sell my tickets to this. This is probably the most elaborate production you'll ever see. I caught this tour on the previous run about 2 years ago, and it's a spectacle worth every dollar. Tickets were still available last time I checked.


Power metal fans will not want to miss Italy's Rhapsody Of Fire with locals Hollowstone on Wednesday, June 6 at Station 4 in St. Paul. This is the first US tour for these over the top fantasy buffs. This is the Fabio Lione-fronted version of the band with original guitarist Alex Staropoli on board. I'd rather see the (other original guitarist) Luca Turilli's version, now back to original moniker Rhapsody, but this show should not disappoint.

On to the recently announced shows:


The reunited Spineshank will be coming to Station 4 in St. Paul on June 20 with support from The Agonist, 9 Electric, and Mureau for a 16+ show.


A big night of 80's metal hits Neisen's in Savage on June 22 with Jack Russell's Great White, Faster Pussycat, Pretty Boy Floyd, BulletBoys, and Lillian Axe. Look for Lillian Axe to steal the show.


Metal legends Dokken also added a St. Paul date at Station 4 on June 29. This 21+ show also features support bands Hoodlum Johnny, The Grand Machine, and Next To Nothing. This show will probably sell out in advance.

Sludge/stoner rock band Black Cobra will crush the Turf Club in St. Paul with Gaza on July 1.


Venerable rockers Sevendust return to town on July 19 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.


Hair metal joke band Steel Panther will play The Brick in Minneapolis on July 27. My unpublished review of their first album Feel The Steel rated a big fat 0 (really, it's not funny when you grew up listening to the Mentors), but nevertheless this show will be a riot. Ralph Saenz is the most entertaining frontman you'll see—I've seen him countless times with guitarist Russ Parrish (ex-Fight) in Atomic Punks. Legend has it that Ralph jumped a heckler mid-song in the Twin Cities while he briefly fronted L.A. Guns. 


The death/extreme metal package tour dubbed The Slaughter Survivors Tour lands at Station 4 in St. Paul on July 29. Featuring Pathology, Enfold Darkness, Fallujah, Fit For An Autopsy, and Aegaeon, this one will be brutal.

Rock radio staple Theory Of A Deadman comes to The Brick in Minneapolis on July 29 with Aranda and Charm City Devils in tow. Tickets for this 18+ show go on sale today at 10:00 am.


Powerglove returns as support to MC Chris on August 9 at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis.


Long-running punk stalwarts Strung Out should pack in the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on August 12 with Handguns and The Darlings.


Legendary but underrated guitarist Pat Travers will play the Gaslight Bar in Ellsworth, Wisconsin on September 8.


Progressive rock icons Kansas return, this time to Myth in St. Paul on September 24 with the criminally overlooked King's X. This is an 18+ show, and tickets go on sale June 15 at 10:00 am.


Lastly, looking far into the future, the Heathen Crusade 4 tour will be coming to Station 4 in St. Paul on March 9, 2013. Mark this one down Viking metal fans - Einherjer will be headlining a bill rounded out with Ashaena, Vanir, Hammer Horde, Trelleborg, Bolero, and Rochester's Minos. More bands will be announced.