Home Editor's Picks Hair Metal Ruled the Night with Steel Panther at The Pageant Dec. 11

Hair Metal Ruled the Night with Steel Panther at The Pageant Dec. 11

by Carrie Zukoski

It must have been the allure of photographing an ’80s-inspired glam hair-metal rock band that had me giddy with excitement. Surely, it wasn’t the bawdy, adolescent boy, over-the-top, raunchy, yet tongue-in-cheek humor that Steel Panther has perfected during the past 19 years of its existence. But there I was, on Dec. 11 at the KSHE-95 sponsored concert at The Pageant in St. Louis acting like a gleeful schoolgirl about to see her idol crush in person for the first time.

With a giant black curtain covering the stage and Van Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some!!” blasting through the PA system the anticipation of the elbow-to-elbow crowd — sold out — at least in lead vocalist Michael Starr’s eyes — (the balcony was closed up tight maybe for construction as Starr later stated) grew to near frenzy.

Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski
Steel Panther photo by Carrie Zukoski

Many more photos: http://bit.ly/SteelPanther19cz

The curtain rose to “Eyes of a Panther” with Starr’s back to the crowd before he whipped around beginning the next 90-plus minutes of hardcore antics which slew the majority of the all-male audience that included several sporting hair metal wigs and spandex.

After “Let Me Cum In” Starr, with his engaging smile, bantered back and forth for a good 5-minutes with the rest of the band, guitarist Satchel, bassist Lexxi Foxx and drummer Stix Zadinia. Satchel mentioned St. Louis was his favorite city which Foxx interjected “but you said that about Chicago” to which Satchel quickly replied, “for getting shot.”

While Foxx applied more lip gloss (with the help of a hand-held mirror he stashed somewhere), the jokes continued. A few women and men fanthers in the audience occasionally bared breasts with very little cajoling needed.

The rest of the night continued in perfect glam hair-metal fashion with each member of Steel Panther owning the stage as they performed hits that included “Poontang Boomerang,” “I Ain’t Buying What You’re Selling,” “Death to All but Metal,” and the final encore of “Gloryhole.” 

Granted, I don’t know much about Steel Panther save for the few NSFW videos I’ve watched and a couple of reviews I’ve read online prepping for the night but I find it hard not to appreciate and enjoy what they’ve mastered and achieved. Sure, they’re lewd and their jokes are mostly sophomoric but they own their personas and play them to the hilt, not to mention they’re also accomplished musicians. If you think about it, what hair metal bands weren’t lewd to some degree (maybe Nelson)? Steel Panther has simply taken that to the natural next level.

Nearing the end of this leg of their tour promoting their newest album, Heavy Metal Rules, you’ll find Steel Panther tearing it up in Europe in early 2020. It’s worth a few hard-earned nickels to see these showmen in person.

Setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/steel-panther/2019/the-pageant-st-louis-mo-7b9a4e24.html

Together since 2010, Stitched Up Heart opened the night to the already packed crowd. Amid low lights, the band performed their heavy/hard/industrial rock with plenty of hair flips from guitarist Merritt Goodwin and bassist Randy Mathias while lead vocalist Alecia ‘Mixi’ Demner mesmerized the crowd with her soft, yet hard vocals and gorgeous, long flowing blonde locks. Songs included “Warrior,” “Catch Me When I Fall,” and “Monster.” Cody Carlton joined onstage for a duet with Demner on “Lost.”  (If we could, we’d ask Demner about the Gyan mudra hand poses often used in yoga she made at times during the set.)

Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski
Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski
Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski
Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski
Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski
Stitched Up Heart photo by Carrie Zukoski

Many more photos: http://bit.ly/SteelPanther19cz

Coming up next at The Pageant: https://www.thepageant.com/calendars/

Website | + posts

In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.

Related Articles

1 comment

Live, In Person this December Along the Loop | ArchCity.Media November 29, 2021 - 11:21

[…] this point) we’re looking forward to Dancing Earth Reunion (formerly Blue Dixie), The Chvrches, Steel Panther, Blue October, and El Monstero to name just a […]

Comments are closed.