Glam Rock & Laughs with Steel Panther at the Roxian (Sun., 12/10/23)

There’s musical comedy, and then there is comical music. The latter has a long tradition and comes in many varieties. Classical pianist Victor Borge performed stunts like playing “The William Tell Overture” backwards. Weird Al—well, everybody knows Weird Al. But only hardcore comical music fans know Steel Panther. The boys from L.A., led by founder and longtime front man Michael Starr, are glam-metal rockers who parody the genre while doing a pretty mean job of playing it. With songs like “Gods of Pussy” and “Fuck Everybody,” their humor is obscene, politically incorrect, and unashamedly sophomoric … because hey, when it comes to glam metal, what do you expect, a PhD dissertation? The band’s landmark single “Death to All But Metal” makes the case vividly. Lately the guys have even added a subtler brand of social commentary, as in the plaintive ballad “On Your Instagram.” They’re now touring in support of their sixth studio album, On the Prowl. Reserve promptly to catch Steel Panther live and in throbbing personhood at the Roxian Theatre.  425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. (M.V.) 

Share on Social Media