CD/DVD REVIEW: STEEL PANTHER – Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage

Shane | 9 April 2016 | Reply

CD/DVD REVIEW: STEEL PANTHER – Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage
Open E Records/Kobalt Music
26 February, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8 1/2 /10

When they’re not recording bombastic hair metal anthems and touring the world, The Panther have been touting a modern Monkees-style comedy program without success so far, so it seems they’ve finally taken matters into their own hands and just made the thing themselves – not necessarily impossible in this crowd-funded world.

Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage is, as with all Panther performances, as much about the comedy act as it is about the music – and crucially, not only can these cats play (aficionados know they all have form in internationally touring metal bands for years), but they play the over-the-top coked-up groupie-shagging big-haired act like they’ve lived it all their lives. Which they probably have.

In fact, Steel Panther are so over the top funny and out-of-this-world that their comedy might just be serious after all. Wouldn’t the joke be on us all then!

This is an intimate gig ostensibly recorded in bass player Lexxi Foxx’s Mom’s Garage (actually Swinghouse Studios, L.A.), as if the title wasn’t self-explanatory enough. It’s also acoustic, which puts a nice twist on the band’s inherent bombast, and proves that OTT comedy epics they may be, but these songs are still immaculately crafted and work in any format. Some will always write them off as nothing more than a comedy act, but they’re missing the point and the talent of the band.

The mostly-female live audience laps up tracks from all three of the band’s studio albums, from Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World, Fat Girl, The Burden Of Being Wonderful, Community Property and their classic debut single Death To All But Metal. There’s also one new track here, the typically hilarious That’s When You Came In.

The accompanying film of the show adds another dimension to the performance, whether you want to laugh at the band’s antics and a few extra comedy skits not on the CD (including ‘80s bombshell Bobbie Brown starring as Lexxi’s Mom); ogle at the beautiful women who make up the crowd; check out the string section that embellish a few tracks; squirm at a few awkward cringes on the girls faces when Michael Starr sings the unpleasantly rapey Bukkake Tears; revel in the easy camaraderie of the four band members; and enjoy a few extra tracks not on the CD.