Steel Panther @ Jannus Live – March 11, 2023

Lets get an embarrassing fact out of the way in the beginning: I hadn’t heard of Steel Panther until fairly recently when a friend mentioned them, I saw that they were’ playing at Jannus Landing here in St Petersburg, FL… and I feel like I’ve lived an incomplete life until now. From start to finish, the show was an explosive and unforgettable experience!

Tragedy opened up the show. I had looked these guys up before the show so I was loosely familiar with what they’d play but I hadn’t actually listen to them. Hot damn! They’re right up my alley. Everything they played was fun, energetic and completely ridiculous! Their cover of The Weather Girls “Its Raining Men” opening up with Slayer’s “Raining Blood” caught me completely off-guard. And while I expected their cover of The Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” to be fun, I had no idea how much they’d absolutely kill it! 

Crobot followed them with a highly energetic set. Brandon Yeagley’s vocals and absolutely massive stage presence immediately drew me in. Their sound is kinda like Wolfmother meets Queens of the Stone Age but hard leaning on the Rock side of the sounds.  

Ok, Steel Panther… I don’t even know where to start. As soon as the lights dimmed and the crowd could make out the dim outlines of the band taking the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers and screams. Steel Panther wasted no time getting right into the music, launching into their signature brand of raunchy, high-energy rock and roll that had the audience bouncing and headbanging along.

The band’s musicianship was top-notch, with tight rhythms, blistering guitar solos, and soaring vocals that showcased the full range of their talents. But the main highlight was the consistent humor. Both in the song’s lyrics, and the band’s banter between songs. The comments they were throwing out about the inflatable sex dolls they had bouncing around the audience had me almost in tears. 

They played a bunch of their most popular songs that I expected to hear, like “All I Wanna do Is F**k”, and “Death to All but Metal”. But the most memorable song was when they pull up someone named “Mikey” from the crowd come on stage to play drums during their cover of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher”.  I mean, thats an absolutely perfect song for these guys to cover. And whomever “Mikey” was, he killed it!

This show exemplified why Steel Panther is renowned for being one of the most entertaining acts in rock. I can’t wait to see them again! 

Crobot

Tragedy

Steel Panther

Dropkick Murphys @ Jannus Live

Dropkick Murphys on the main stage at Jannus Live March, 2023

Dropkick Murphys @ Jannus Live, St Pete, FL 04 March 2023

Its been over 10 years since I’ve seen Dropkick Murphys, and they were just as dynamic and fun as I remember them being! 

Jessie Ahern opened the show. While I wasn’t familiar with his music, I was immediately grooving to his songs. He’s a one-man-show and he really brings the stage presence. I grabbed one of his CDs after his set so that I can get more familiar with his stuff. I definitely want to catch him next time he comes around!

The Rumjacks was another great surprise! Man, I’m kicking myself for not looking these guys up before this show, because, damn… They had a ton of energy and some fantastic tunes. They dialed the energy up consistently throughout their set. And honestly, I’d never think that a band with a front-man who plays the tin whistle could rock the house as much as they did. I know… judgy-mcJudgerson over here. These guys rock, and I’m glad that I got to see them!

The thing that I recall most about the Dropkick Murphys last show (that I saw in like ’09.. yeah, I’m old, whatevs) was how much they engaged the audience. That hasn’t changed at all! They came out onto the stage dialed up to 11. Everyone in the front row, and as far back as I could see was singing along. Several times Al Barr came out onto the stage extension and encouraged a few lucky people in the front to sing along on the mic. 

This whole show was a ton of fun and an amazing amount of raw energy. 12 albums in and Dropkick Murphys are still bringing it! I’m excited that I got to see them again and can’t wait of for the next time!

Jessie Ahern photos

The Rumjacks photos

Dropkick Murphys photos

Portraits of Kasondra Rose

Local St Petersburg singer and a group fitness instructor, Kasondra Rose and I had been discussing doing some portraits for her marketing material. So we seized the moment while I was in town recently, and the evening sun was good, to run out and catch some beautiful portraits of her. Our shooting time was a little limited by Florida’s indigenous mosquito population but we still managed to get some great shots. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.


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Photos of Fifth On the Floor @ Crum’s Bar

Last night I went out to hang to Crum’s Bar to hang out with AutopsyIV of NineBullets.net fame and see Fifth on the Floor play. Some great sounds from the band and Matty Rodgers (guitars, mandolin, harmonica, vocals) was killing it with some really unexpected chops on the guitar. They’re playing again tonight. If you’ve not been to Crum’s Bar (65 craft beers on tap) and are looking for something to do, go check it out. In the meantime, check out some photos…

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