A Happy Ending for Steel Panther and Buckcherry’s Northern Exposure Co-Headlining Tour

Cock-rock giants Steel Panther teamed up with hard rock legends, Buckcherry for an incredible co-headline tour aptly named Northern Exposure. The tour consisted of mainly Canadian dates with a handful of dates in the States. The tour concluded in North Tonawanda, NY at the West Herr Riviera Theatre located just outside of Niagara Falls. Opening act and special guest Kurt Deimer was along for the 25 date run.

Sunday night at West Herr’s Riviera Theatre will undoubtedly be one to remember for those in attendance. Steel Panther brought their raucous and unapologetically outrageous evening of music, comedy, and rock ‘n’ roll energy to North Tonawanda, nestled just between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY. Along for the exhilarating ride was co-headliner and veteran rockers, Buckcherry and special guest Kurt Deimer.

As the Northern Exposure tour, a blatant double entendre, came to an end on the historic theatre stage, the energy remained as though it was opening night. Steel Panther stage set consisted of locally sourced erotic dancers on poles to the left and right of the stage, something this venue has never had before. Known for their extravagant, almost bordering on offensive humor it was shocking when the venue announced the show, however the audience knew what they signed up for and turned out in masses to witness the jaw-dropping stage antics.

Steel Panther is a glam metal band known for their humorous stage names that reference bands of the era. The lineup includes vocalist Michael Starr (aka Ralph Saenz) , guitarist Satchel (aka Russ Parrish), drummer Stix Zadinia (aka Darren Leader) and bassist Spyder (aka Joe Lester), who joined in late 2022 after relieving Lexxi Foxx (aka Travis Haley), who parted ways with the band the year earlier. Their musicianship was top-tier, with searing guitar solos, tight rhythms, and powerful vocals proving that behind the satire lies some serious talent.

Starr entertained the crowd and his bandmates by inviting a female fan up to the stage for “Girl From Oklahoma” and then ‘all the girls’ in the crowd were asked to join them on stage for “17 Girls in a Row”. Those familiar with Steel Panther concerts know this routine, which remains engaging. The night’s highlights included Starr bringing out Buckcherry guitarist Stevie D to serenade him with “Asian Hooker” and the chant about North Tonawanda being better than the non-existent South Tonawanda.

All in, their stage show hasn’t changed much over the years however still makes for a very {adult} entertaining evening full of laughs and really good music.

Hard rock powerhouse, Buckcherry came out of the gates with a thunderous performance of their lastest single “Roar Like Thunder” off their highly anticipated, soon to be released album of the same name. Expected to hit the shelves on June 13th, it will mark the band’s 11th album over the course of their three decades as a band. The dynamic set was a crowd-pleasing mix of old favorites and newer tracks, delivered with the raw energy fans have come to anticipate.

Frontman, Josh Todd has a supreme stage presence that has just the right amount of swagger and grit. Todd and lead guitarist Stevie D have complementary skills, and their collaborative efforts tend to yield superior results. Adding to this amazing synergy is drummer Francis Ruiz, bassist Kelly LeMieux and guitarist Billy Rowe.

Todd commented that ‘ya know everyone thinks “Crazy Bitch” was our biggest hit, but it wasn’t, this one was..’ as the band tore into the ballad “Sorry”. With such a large catalog to pick from, it was a nice surprise to see they change up the setlist night to night. Some fan favorites have to stay, like “Lit Up” . Personally, I enjoy how they have closed out the shows with the mash up of “Crazy Bitch” with a handful of covers with the Buckcherry spin to them.

Like the road dogs that they are, you will get another opportunity to catch Buckcherry, if you missed this tour. This summer they head back out to play “15” in its entirety and support the new album “Roar Like Thunder”.

The evening kicked off with Kurt Deimer, whose short but energetic set warmed up the early crowd. Deimer is a multi-talented actor/musician/songwriter whose 2021 breakout EP “Work Hard, Rock Hard” featured Geoff Tate and Phil X.  Though relatively new to many in attendance, Deimer’s gritty vocals and heavy rock grooves made a solid impression, setting the tone for what was to come.

Steel Panther setlist:

• Eyes of a Panther
• It Won’t Suck Itself
• Asian Hooker
• Just Like Tiger Woods
• Never Too Late (to Get Some Pussy Tonight)
• Girl From Oklaholma
• 17 Girls in a Row
• Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World
• Community Property
• Death to All but Metal
• Glory Hole

Buckcherry setlist:

• Roar Like Thunder
• Lit Up
• So Hott
• Onset
• Ridin’
• Keep On Fighting
• Let’s Get Wild
• Say Fuck It
• Out Of Line
• Come On
• Gluttony
• Sorry
• Good Time
• Tight Pants
• Crazy Bitch // Sex Machine // Bad Girls // Irresistible Bitch // Proud Mary // Crazy Bitch

Kurt Deimer setlist:

• Look
• Doom
• Dance
• Have A Cigar
• Whatcha Sayin’
• Live or Die

Steel Panther Gallery:

Buckcherry Gallery:

Kurt Deimer Gallery: