There’s nothing quite like the feeling that you’re forgetting something but can’t quite place what exactly it is you’ve forgotten. On my way to The Palace Theater to catch Steel Panther on their Sunset Strip Live Tour, I was excited because, as late to the game as I am, I found out at 7pm that local band VIA was opening the show at 8pm sharp. I parked my car in my usual spot 30 minutes before showtime, and the first thing I noticed was my camera bag was open still. After a few seconds of thinking about why it was open and feeling like there was a chance something important wasn’t there, it dawned on me that the one thing I was missing was my battery, which was back at home charging. To top it off, my backup battery was also at home because I told myself I didn’t need to bring it. It figures, this would be the time for this to happen.
Luck was on my side, as I fortunately was able to get back to my house and the venue five minutes before VIA started. I just saw VIA not too long ago when they opened up for Memphis May Fire at the Varsity Theater in May and then I thought their set was awesome. Their set at the Palace was even better. The band completely made the stage their own, captivating the crowd with their edgy hard rock. Their performance at the Palace definitely blew away my memory of their performance at Varsity; the way VIA was able to command the stage and breeze through their setlist on a bigger stage made for an unforgettable experience and definitely a band I will now go out of my way to catch.
Up next was the headliner of the evening: Steel Panther. I’ll admit I was a little naive about their music before I decided work was the place to give their music my first listen. Their most played song on Spotify, “Gloryhole,” came on first and that was when I realized this was not a band to casually listen to at work at my desk. Now that I had that experience, I’ll admit I was interested to see how their music would translate from record to stage. Complete with their glam metal attire, the band sauntered onstage after a minute of playing behind the curtains to an eager crowd. There’s nothing quite like being at a Steel Panther show; sonically, the band takes the glam metal feel and blows it out of the water. Their on stage banter is filled with graphic adult humor and jokes, and the band is quick to poke fun at one another. Literally everything and anything goes on stage at one of their shows, and after a minute I found myself no longer surprised by their antics, rather more lightly amused after every unexpected thing said onstage. While the banter in between songs could at times feel longer than I’d personally want, there is no denying the band has a killer performance, and their Sunset Strip Live show makes for an entertaining evening.
