The historic Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, played host to lovable, raunchy rockers Steel Panther on Tuesday night. Supported by Maryland-based Stone Horses, Steel Panther is wrapping up their final three first-leg US dates this week on the band’s 15th anniversary tour celebrating their debut album, Feel the Steel (2009). Built in 1930, this 1,800-capacity venue was originally designed in a Spanish baroque style and offers a general admission floor setting with an upper, seated balcony area. It is always a great indoor destination to catch a live show, especially on a rainy and soggy outside evening in the South.
Kicking off the night at precisely 8:00pm was Stone Horses, a spectacular rock band hailing from my childhood region of the East Coast, colloquially known locally now as the “DMV” (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia). Riding the momentum of being awarded the Best Heavy Metal Artist/Band at this year’s Maryland Music Awards, Stone Horses has been out on the road this Fall delivering their fresh brand of dual guitar-driven rock to Steel Panther’s early audiences.
What I enjoyed most about Stone Horses was experiencing the magical tone that can be discovered when you combine youthful exuberance — as guitarist Teddy Merrill is only in his mid-20s — with an established musical talent like singer/guitarist John Allen (SR-71, Charm City Devils, and if you grew up where I did in the 1980s, Child’s Play). Rounded out by stellar performers in their own right in Jaron Gulino (bass) and Jason Heiser (drums), Stone Horses impressed the crowd with their elevated stage energy, all-the-while showcasing their mature songwriting and musicianship with killer tracks like “Free” and “Reckless Ways.”
In the spirit of the season, I am gifting Stone Horses my “Best Discovered Artist” award for 2024, and will look forward to their triumphant return to Atlanta down the road.
Stone Horses:
John Allen – Vocals, guitars
Teddy Merrill – Guitars
Dylan Howes – Bass (not available)
Jaron Gulino – Bass (fill in)
Jason Heiser – Drums
As the clock crossed the 9:00pm hour, the house lights went down as Steel Panther drummer Stix Zadinia slowly strolled out from the side stage and took his throne before the amped up, packed venue crowd. Quickly followed by Satchel (guitars) and Spyder (bass), charismatic frontman Michael Starr then launched the band into “Eyes of a Panther,” a celebratory tour nod to the 15th anniversary of their debut release, Feel the Steel.
Whenever I cover a Steel Panther show, I always feel obligated to come clean — I have probably seen them perform live over a dozen times dating back a decade, so while I promise to bring a critical comparative eye, their comedic glam celebration is also pure heavy metal comfort food for me. And yes, even while some of their self-deprecating sexual jokes and band member banter were familiar Tuesday night, part of the Steel Panther experience is to go in expecting something unexpected — and our Atlanta show would not be the exception.
First, and in alignment to the tour theme of highlighting Feel the Steel, fan favorite catalog songs like “Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World,” “Just Like Tiger Woods,” and even the more recent “1987,” were acceptably sidelined from the setlist in favor of album classics “Asian Hooker,” “The Shocker,” “Girl From Oklahoma,” and “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’.” However, the guest musician appearance that happened following “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin'” was what helped set the night apart and made this show so unpredictably memorable.
Pulled out from the audience and invited on stage to perform was guitarist Paul Jackson from Atlanta’s-own Blackberry Smoke. With Satchel jokingly handing over his red Charvel to Jackson with the warning that “if you break a string, you have to pay for it,” Steel Panther then delightfully crushed some Van Halen, covering the 1978 classic “Runnin’ with the Devil.”
Upon Jackson’s departure, the band then revisited Feel the Steel, banging out back-to-back crowd sing-alongs to close out their main set with “Community Property,” followed by the band’s immediately recognizable legacy anthem, “Death to All But Metal.” As has become enjoyably expected in recent years, when the house lights dimmed as the band exited, the audience immediately began chanting “glory … hole! glory … hole!” at the top of their lungs. Quickly returning to the stage, the Georgia Fanthers got their wish, as Steel Panther broke into the arm-swaying, headbanging “Gloryhole” from All You Can Eat (2014) for their encore to close out their entertaining evening.
Following upcoming tour stops in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday and Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Steel Panther will then close out 2024 on December 29th and 30th with back-to-back nights at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. After the holidays, Steel Panther will then pick up their just announced leg 2 of their Feel the Steel 15th Anniversary World Tour on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Steel Panther:
Michael Starr – Vocals
Satchel – Guitars
Spyder – Bass
Stix Zadinia – Drums
Setlist:
1.) Eyes of a Panther
2.) It Won’t Suck Itself
3.) Asian Hooker
4.) Friends With Benefits
5.) The Shocker
6.) Girl From Oklahoma
7.) 17 Girls in a Row
8.) Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’
9.) Runnin’ With the Devil (Van Halen cover with Paul Jackson)
10.) Community Property
11.) Death to All But Metal
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.
