The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Born to rock — ‘Like, for real’
Steel Panther drummer pumped for a second livestream concert
Formed around the turn of the century, Steel Panther has made a tongue-incheek living of celebrating the hair-sprayed and spandex debauchery of the Sunset Strip heyday.
Even during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the outfit — Michael Starr (lead singer), Satchel (guitarist), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix
Zadinia (drums) — continues to do its ‘80s-hair-metal schtick, which, considering the harrowing daily news, can come across as endearing and nostalgic.
“It’s 85 degrees, and I already played 18 holes of golf,” said Zadinia (real name Darren Leader) during a recent phone call from his home, which is just outside of Los Angeles.
“My normal day starts off with — that is if I go to sleep
from the night before — I wake up, play 18 holes, come home and start recording some music. Then I’ll get a couple of phone calls from lady friends, usually see them, come back, go to the driving range and practice so I can be better the next day at golf.
“So it’s rinse and repeat.”
One change to that schedule took place earlier this summer when the band participated in its first livestream — “Concert to
Save the World.” After that proved to be successful, Steel Panther is back with its second virtual affair.
The “Rockdown in the Lockdown” takes place Aug. 16 at the Drum Channel Studio in Oxnard, California.
“The pandemic and shutdown made me appreciate just playing music with my friends even more,” Zadinia said. “I’ve always been grateful, but to do it again was cathartic. We got to go bash it out and have fun. I know this will sound so cliché, but — I mean it from the bottom of my heart — I was born to rock. Like, for real.
“So if we can entertain our fans and pull them
away from so much bummer news — and give them a little escape — then gosh darn it, we’re doing it.”
There are a couple of changes between the first and next digital concerts. Not only will this weekend’s show be an entirely different set list, but Steel Panther has added a few pretaped comedy sketches for the broadcast.
In addition, the quartet has announced its first live shows with an audience will take place Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 at Pennsylvania driveins.
“I’m stoked,” Zadinia said. “It’s going to be rocking. It was very important to us to say ‘yes’ to a show where we could put out real
sound … so you get that feeling and that air is moving around you.”
Going into 2020, Steel Panther expected to be touring its latest album, “Heavy Metal Rules,” which continued the group’s streak of mostly negative critical reviews.
“When you say critical review, I think of a place like Pitchfork, which I didn’t know what it was until this year,” Zadinia said. “What they think is critically good, in my opinion, is so diametrically opposite from what I think is good.
“Look, we do what we do. I feel like we’re the best in the world at what we do, and if we started to go for critical acclaim, we’d just
be shooting ourselves in the foot.”
It’s pointed out to Zadinia that Steel Panther has shot itself in the foot when it comes to its online merch offerings. which include everything from T-shirts and cassette tapes to guitar pedals and stickers. Specifically, the online store lacks any Zadinia-centric swag. That’s when the drummer comes up with the perfect item to go along with his favorite pastime involving little white balls.
“Maybe we do Stix Zadinia golf towels,” Zadinia said. “I like that. It’ll have a picture of me, it’ll say, ‘Stix Zadinia’ and then at the bottom of the towel it’ll say, ‘Putting balls in holes.’”