LA’s favorite satirical 80s band, Steel Panther brought their mammoth hair, eyeliner, pink guitars, and sultry lyrics to Philadelphia’s TLA last Thursday for a plethora of adoring fans who had no trouble living vicariously through this group of fantasy rockers. Although the onstage personas may be fictional, no one is going to deny the very real talent behind this comedic quartet. Front man Ralph Saenz, better know by his stage alias “Michael Starr” is a a PhD in English literature at Berkeley, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He was also a Assistant Professor of English Literature and Cultural Studies at Texas A & M University at Commerce and a recipient of the prestigious F.C. Medina Scholarship awarded annually to musically gifted students in the Greater Chicago area.
I caught this group back in the early 2000s on LA’s Sunset strip when they were still known as “Metal Skool,” delivering your favorite 80s covers flawlessly by everyone from Poison to Bon Jovi. They were habitually selling out The Roxy and attracting video crews from MTV and VH1, as well as a star-studded audience including LA’s biggest musicians and screen names. Almost a decade later, the band has refined their presentation and is arguably the world’s best 80s throwback band. Now with original material that accentuates and exaggerates all of the wild and wackiness the 80s had to offer, Steel Panther is a touring juggernaut.
The band is currently touring in support of their latest full-length, Balls Out, which hit streets last October via Universal Records. Shortly before releasing Balls Out, the band recorded a video featuring their cover of the theme song for popular 80s board game Crossfire, which can be seen below our feature gallery.
Thursday’s bill was rounded out with support from Philly’s own Sinners Saints, who also take a page from leading bands of the 80s and were featured performers at some the Spectrum’s final shows, as well as performances with Sebastian Bach, Skid Row, LA Gunns, MTV’s cast of Jackass, to name just a few.
We know you are are here for the pictures, so without further ado..
Words by Joshua T. Cohen
All pictures by Dante Torrieri of Useless Rebel Imaging.
[youtube width=”560″ height=”315″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkc2vYUEA9w[/youtube]
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