Steel Panther and Crobot live in Orlando, Florida, 2019

It’s Saturday night at the Plaza Live in Orlando Florida, and there is a line wrapped all the way around the building with people dressed in spandex and big hair. No, time hasn’t spun backwards by a couple decades to the eighties. On this night, the band that personifies the eighties and has one too many laughs while doing it, Steel Panther is in town and of course they are going to pack the crowd in tonight. With their new album “Heavy Metal Rules” out, there would be plenty of new songs for their “fanthers” to sing along to. Opening for them would be the upstart hard rocking band Crobot.
Steel Panther US Tour 2019 poster
For those that aren’t familiar with Crobot, you need to get to know these guys. This foursome out of Pennsylvania features lead singer Brandon Yeagley, Chris Bishop on guitars, Dan Ryan on drums and bassist Eddie Collins. While they have released three full length albums and an EP previously, their latest album “Motherbrain” is getting rave reviews and really starting to get them noticed. When they took the stage, it was hypnotic as to how they completely grabbed the audience’s attention.
 
Brandon Yeagley is a revelation as an entertainer. His high energy, larger than life stage persona, and killer vocals are perfect for that of a front man. This band isn’t just a one person affair. Not only can guitarist Chris Bishop play but he also has the same high energy stage presence of Brandon Yeagley. During their performance he was climbing on his amps and flying off of them. The rhythm section of Dan Ryan and Eddie Collins was rock solid and gave the music a killer foundation. Half of their way too eight song setlist was dedicated to their latest album “Motherbrain”. From the opening notes of “Legend of Spaceborne Killer” they had the audience in the palm of their hands. When they got to “Low Life” that was a major ahhhh moment for the packed venue. Everyone recognized that song as it’s getting tons of airplay and now knew who plays that killer tune.
 
After Crobot was done, it was now time for a whole different level of fun to be had as Steel Panther was in the house and raring to take their fans on a journey of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll and a whole lot of laughs as well. Kicking things off with “Eyes of the Panther”. As much as Steel Panther pokes fun at the genre they cover, don’t be fooled though, they are all great musicians, and songs like “Eyes of the Panther” prove it.
 
Now it was time for Steel Panther to have a bit of their brand of fun. Acknowledging that there was a sign language interpreter there, they made sure to say that they wouldn’t use expressions like “Ass fister” or “Boston pancacke” fully knowing that she would have to make some comical hand signs for those terms. Of course, they played the first single “All I Wanna Do is Fuck (Myself Tonight)” off their new album “Heavy Metal Rules”. They also played many of the crowd’s raunchy favorites like “Asian Hooker”, “Poontang Boomerang”, and “Death to All but Metal”.
 
As is tradition at a Steel Panther show one lucky fan, always a girl, gets to come up on stage and the band serenades her with the song “Weenie Ride” and tonight they kept that tradition alive. The surprise of the night was when Michael Starr said they had a special guest who helped them to get resigned when their label dropped them, and out walks Joey Fatone of NSYNC. The band launched into another crowd favorite “Community Property” with Joey Fatone joining in not only on vocals but playing around with the band throughout the song. If there is one thing Steel Panther knows how to do is make a memorable show and when they play “Seventeen Girls” everyone loves this part. They pack the stage with women from the audience and play the song while everyone dances and flirts with the band.
 
What a show both bands provided! From the new music delivered by hot new band Crobot, to the ribald fun Steel Panther this was a night everyone enjoyed and won’t soon forget. So, get out there grab a ticket and soon you’ll be grooving to the music, laughing at the jokes and next thing you know you’ll soon become one of their “fanthers”.