The Mars Music Hall in downtown Huntsville, Alabama, played host to lovable, raunchy hair metal rockers Steel Panther on Sunday night. Supported by The Violent Hour, this was the final stop on Steel Panther’s December tour run. The D-shaped Mars Music Hall is a 1,575-capacity event space that sits within the larger Von Braun Center entertainment complex, with wrap-around balcony seating and a spacious general-admission floor positioned in front of an oversized stage. The space strikes a balance between polished and industrial, with clean lines, warm lighting, and just enough edge to make it feel like a serious music venue without being overwhelming.
Kicking off the night at 8:00 p.m. was the recently formed all-female outfit The Violent Hour. Fronted by the charismatic Carla Harvey, best known as the former co-vocalist of the metal band Butcher Babies, the group featured music co-written by her husband, Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Pantera). They have just hit the road on their first-ever tour, following the release of their self-titled debut EP in July 2025, which included collaborations with Zakk Wylde and John 5.
The Violent Hour delivered a 30-minute jolt of pure, unapologetic rock energy in front of the early Alabama crowd. From the moment they hit the stage with “Screenagers,” the band played with a tightness and confidence that made the venue feel electric. Harvey stalked the stage and commanded the crowd with fierce magnetism, delivering vocals that were both aggressive and melodic. Rounded out by crunchy guitar riffs from Kiana De Leon and Allie Kay, along with Sasha De Leon on drums and Jewel Steele on bass, the band’s chemistry was undeniable, with every breakdown landing cleanly and every chorus seemingly built for shouting along.
By the end of their quick six-song set, which included their latest single “Sex and Cigarettes,” the crowd was fully locked in and energized, buzzing with the feeling that they’d just witnessed a band hitting its stride as we power toward 2026.
The Violent Hour
Carla Harvey – Lead vocals
Kiana De Leon – Lead Guitar
Sasha De Leon – Drums
Allie Kay – Guitar
Jewel Steele – Bass
Setlist:
1.) Screenagers
2.) Hell Or Hollywood
3.) Nice Girls
4.) Sex and Cigarettes
5.) The Violent Hour
6.) Sick Ones
Steel Panther rolled into Huntsville and delivered exactly what their “fanthers” came for: a loud, flashy, tongue-in-cheek celebration of classic glam metal. From the moment the band hit the stage at 9:00 p.m., the venue was transformed into a neon-soaked, distortion-blasted throwback to everything reckless and ridiculous about the 1980s hair metal era. As the first chords of “Eyes of a Panther” pierced eardrums, it was immediately clear this wasn’t going to be a polite night of rock.
As is typical at a Steel Panther show, frontman Michael Starr spent the night firing off sharp one-liners and trash-talking with the confidence of someone who knows the crowd is completely on his side. The between-song banter with guitarist Satchel was cocksure crude and self-aware, pushing the line just enough to keep people laughing without killing the musical momentum.
Musically, Steel Panther reminded everyone why they’re still standing. Satchel’s guitar work was a highlight all night, hammering home fast and flashy riffs while dripping with old-school attitude and swagger. His solos were both technically impressive and intentionally over-the-top, the kind that make you laugh and throw your hands up at the same time. Stix Zadinia (drums) and Spyder (bass) kept everything tight and driving, continuing to give the band’s songs a polished, arena-ready sound even for a smaller venue.
I last caught Steel Panther around this time last year, so I suppose this is becoming something of a holiday tradition. While Sunday’s setlist excluded some of my preferences, such as “1987,” “Tiger Woods,” and “The Shocker,” the band rotated in several enjoyable deeper cuts, including “Let Me Cum In,” “Poontang Boomerang,” and, in celebration of the festive season, “The Stocking Song.” In the end, Steel Panther delivered a one-two punch of fan favorites — “Death to All But Metal” and “Community Property” — to close out their main set, with the single encore tune preceded by the crowd chanting, “Gloryhole! Gloryhole!”
Steel Panther was loud, outrageous, and shamelessly fun (and joined by the ladies in The Violent Hour on stage a handful of times), a simple reminder that sometimes rock shows don’t need depth or polish to be a good time. Sunday’s concert felt like a party built around big riffs, confident musicianship, and a shared sense of humor that sent the Huntsville crowd into the crisp night air with ringing ears and exhausted smiles — the perfect holiday gift for fans of heavy metal.
While there don’t appear to be any upcoming U.S. dates on their calendar, Steel Panther recently announced their Twenty Twenty Sex Tour for European fans. That tour is scheduled to kick off on Monday, June 15, in Paris, France, at the Bataclan.
Steel Panther
Michael Starr – Lead vocals
Satchel – Guitars
Spyder – Bass
Stix Zadinia – Drums
Setlist:
1.) Eyes of a Panther
2.) Let Me Cum In
3.) Asian Hooker
4.) Friends With Benefits
5.) Poontang Boomerang
6.) The Stocking Song
7.) Girl From Oklahoma
8.) 17 Girls in a Row
9.) Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World
10.) Death to All But Metal
11.) Community Property
Encore
12.) Gloryhole
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.