ALBANY – The electricity was in the air, as the crowd awaited the opening of the doors at Empire Live here in Albany, for the headlining return of Steel Panther. I’d arrived a little early, as I always do, and as I waited, many concertgoers passed me to fill the line. Eventually, I saw a young man who stood out to me for some reason. Call it a gut feeling.
He was with a female approximately the same age as him, as well as who appeared to be his parents. He had long blonde hair and he was wearing a Van Halen pendant on a gold chain necklace. As a Yankees fan, his Boston Red Sox t-shirt caught my eye, but then I noticed it said Extreme in the team’s font. I thought clearly, this young man is a fan of Eddie Van Halen and Nuno Bettencourt.
It turned out his name is Cam Cahill, and the 19-year-old from Queensbury was excited for the show, because he planned to take a leap of faith, if you will. After another few minutes of waiting, finally the doors opened and the line started moving. I watched as Cam entered with the others and made his way toward the barricade to await the start of the show.
To start the festivities, Albany got a little reckless with opener Jason Charles Miller, who’s been touring with his band in support of Steel Panther’s last leg of their “On the Prowl World Tour.” Miller performed songs from his previous albums, such as “Cards on the Table” and “In the Wasteland,” as well as from his recent release, Knives in the Dark, which just dropped on August 16.
Miller is best known as the founder and frontman for the industrial rock/metal band Godhead, but also has many other musical ventures, collaborations and song credits, plus a long list of credits for his acting and voice-over work in for TV, videogames and more. Miller’s current solo act is a departure from Godhead and Knives in the Dark showcases his songwriting versatility. He and his band had Albany on the run with a set that had a little country-twanging rock mixed with a splash of blues. Their performance on the Empire Live stage was certainly a good reflection of the new release.
Bassist Sweet Jesus and drummer Nick Mason, a.k.a. the “Living Dead Drummer,” drove the foundational groove, complimenting each other well through the pockets of blues and country-rock melodies. All the while guitarists Gary Joseph Potter Jr. and Allie Kay le Fay took turns shredding both riffs and solos. The five-piece was a tight ensemble and Miller’s bright and powerful vocals shined through, the embers of his blues, country and rock influences keeping the stage on fire throughout their set.
Miller and company ended their show with the opening track off their new release, “I Need a Rescue.” As I watched the last solo, I got the feeling that Miller has a fresh and organic take on the music he is making at this time. To me, this is when an artist can truly shine. The pureness of what they’re creating makes their art much more enjoyable. Also, this band was fun to watch live and sounded phenomenal. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end.
A few short minutes later, there was a new sense of anticipation in the air, with the tension in the venue building. The suspense of what’s to come hit a crescendo as the venue went black and the Steel Panther backdrop illuminated the stage, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. First on stage was drummer Stix Zadinia. The crowd erupted, and he waved back. As he made his way behind his drum kit, bassist Spyder took the stage. Again, the crowd cheered as he made his way across the stage. Guitarist Satchel then appeared, with his signature model zebra-striped black and yellow Charvel. The crowd erupted again in anticipation of Satchel shredding and making that guitar scream. Finally, vocalist Michael Starr approached the front of the stage, spread his arms wide open to accept the crowd, and then the lights hit with the thunderous first note.
The show was instantly a glam metal wet dream, as the band ripped through racy numbers like “Going Through the Back Door” and “Fat Girl.” Satchel then took a few minutes to recognize Albany as one of the top metal communities in the region, from here to Rochester, before introducing the other members of the band and giving the crowd the opportunity to end “Fat Girl.” Throughout Steel Panther’s set, Starr’s heavy metal vocal prowess really shined, as well as plenty of incredible solos from Satchel, and a rhythm section tighter than Spyder’s tights.
A few more songs down and suddenly it was time: the moment for Cahill to seize his opportunity and pop the big question he’s been waiting so long to get off his chest. He lifted a sign for Satchel to read, and the guitarist read it aloud: “Let me play Van Halen with you!” Satchel mockingly riffed a little “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love,” but then Starr interrupted to sing “Happy Birthday” to crew member Nick. Cahill’s dream was again on hold.
The band had promised Nick he could perform a song with them at the show for his birthday, so he settled into Stix’s drum throne. Lo and behold, Nick suggested Van Halen. Just like that, suddenly Cahill was on stage, performing “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” on Satchel’s own guitar! Starr looked on in amazement as Cahill shredded and Nick hammered on the drums. Satchel acted a little envious that Cahill was getting all the attention, but overcame his feelings and joined in on vocals. It was a great little birthday jam session.
Then it was Cahill’s girlfriend Ashley’s turn to take the stage, as band members each took turns serenading her with an impromptu acoustic ballad. Shortly after, Starr asked more ladies to come up on stage and take turns dancing with the band, as they performed “17 Girls.” After the gals left the stage, the band continued their set with hits “Community Property” and the metal anthem “Death To All But Metal” to end the set. Re-emerging for an encore, Steel Panther then performed “Gloryhole” as the last number for the night, before taking a final bow.
As the band walked off the stage, the crowd kept applauding and cheering loudly. Amidst it all, there was Cam, his fantasy fulfilled. Undoubtedly, he headed home to Queensbury thinking about finding his own band, so he can live out his own rockstar dreams. And that, my friends, is the essence of a great Steel Panther show.
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Steel Panther – 9/1/24 at Empire Live, Albany, NY (Photos by Ron Loria)
Jason Charles Miller – 9/1/24 at Empire Live, Albany, NY (Photos by Ron Loria)
