Mitch West
LINCOLN, Neb. — Glam metal outfit Steel Panther brought their over-the-top theatrics and '80s-inspired metal sound to The Bourbon Theatre on Wednesday night, launching their Feel the Steel 15th Anniversary Tour. The band, joined by opening act Moon Fever, delivered a raucous performance to a packed Lincoln crowd eager to celebrate the band's 2009 debut album and party alongside.
The performance marked the tour's kickoff, treating Nebraska fans to a night of nostalgic hair metal antics and music that has sustained the band's dedicated following for a decade and a half since "Feel the Steel" first introduced their particular brand of metal parody to mainstream audiences.
Moon Fever
Opening the show was Seattle-based hard rock group Moon Fever. Their aggressive sound caught the unsuspecting crowd off guard but quickly won them over. The four-piece band — vocalist Triston Bracht, drummer Troy Wageman, bassist Dave Orton and lead guitarist Mitch Micoley — delivered a high-octane performance worthy of any major touring act.
Their set included tracks "Nothing Left to Lose," "Getting Loud," "Taking Cover," "Forever Sleep," "Bury Me," "Decayed" and an extended version of "Feels So Good."
The performance was animated, loud and unapologetically intense — exactly what the audience came for. Ending the set, Bracht said, "Thank you for making us nobody's feel like somebody's. We really appreciate that shit."
Steel Panther bills itself as "the greatest heavy metal band in the history of the world." The Los Angeles-based comedic glam-metal group, formed in 2000, gained fame on the Sunset Strip with energetic performances that blend musical talent with irreverent humor and exaggerated '80s rock stereotypes. The band — featuring Michael Starr on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Stix Zadinia on drums and Spyder on bass — delivers original compositions alongside classic metal covers while maintaining their satirical personas.
The performance defies easy description, creating a fever dream of rock nostalgia complete with spandex, glow sticks, virtuosic solos and ribald stage banter. Audiences laughed, cried, headbanged, moshed and threw up the devil horns all night. Some fans at Wednesday's show claimed to have seen the band perform more than 20 times.
The group performed much of their debut album with several unexpected additions and moments. The setlist included "Eyes of a Panther," "Fat Girl," "Asian Hooker," "Community Property," "Stripper Girl," "Girl From Oklahoma," "Party All Day," "Turn Out the Lights," "Death to All but Metal" and "Gloryhole." Their seamless set transformed a midweek night into what felt like a weekend party, with the only disappointment being that it eventually had to end.
Steel Panther will continue their 15th Anniversary Tour across the United States through late March before joining Buckcherry on the Northern Exposure Tour. The band will resume international touring in June, continuing through early July. Updates are available on the band's website.
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