The big rock show came to North Tonawanda this past Sunday night with Steel Panther, Buckcherry with Kurt Deimer. This was the last show of their current run and what away to end this than a show at the beautiful Riviera Theatre.
First up was Kurt Deimer. Deimer has a brand-new record in tow that just released called ‘And So It Begins…’ This is Deimer’s second appearance in less than a year in the WNY area as he came last August opening for Tesla. 7 tracks were played included some cool songs like “Look” and “Dance.” A new take on the Pink Floyd cover was thrown in for good measure in “Have a Cigar.” Deimer made the most of the 30-minute set they were given.
One of my favorite bands to see live is Buckcherry. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Buckcherry (over 7 years to be exact.) The band has released 3 albums since that time and 4th is on the way (‘Roar Like Thunder’ will be released on June 13, 2025.) They also have gone through some lineup changes too. Vocalist Josh Todd and longtime guitarist Stevie D. still remain. Joining them now are Francis Ruiz on drums, Billy Rowe on guitar and Kelly Lemieux on bass. Opening with the lead single “Roar Like Thunder” from the self-titled record, the band was in fine form and very seasoned for being on the road. They continued the onslaught with one of their biggest hits in “Lit Up.” I was happy they went back to the ‘Time Bomb’ record and dusted off one of my favorites in ‘Ridin.’ Through the hour and 15-minute set, the band delivered mightily! More importantly, Todd still remains one of the greatest voices in rock! You can definitely say the band remains on top of their game.
Last up was Los Angeles’ own Steel Panther. I remember seeing these guys around Memorial Day in 2005 when they were called Metal Skool. They used to have a weekly gig at the Key Club on Monday nights in Los Angeles. Fast forward a couple of decades, the band has done an amazing job marketing their brand since that time to become one of the must-see rock acts on tour. Like Buckcherry, it’s also been a bit since I saw Steel Panther. They also had a lineup change as original bass player Lexxi was replaced by Spyder back in 2022. The band also played an hour and 15-minute set. If you ever seen Steel Panther live, the best example I can give is it’s an 80’s glam metal show meets comedian Andrew Dice Clay classic humor. The show is mixed comedy and music. The musicianship is as solid as it comes with Stix Zadinia on drums, Satchel on guitar and Michael Starr on lead vocals. The band had stripper poles placed to the front of each side of the drumkit where dancers swung around to the first few songs of the set. They periodically used them throughout the show. This show was very interactive. The band came to the forefront to slow things down and brought up one woman for “Girl from Oklahoma.”To give it a local flavor, the band interjected “North Tonawanda” into a lot of their jokes in between songs too. They brought up multiple women to dance for both “17 Girls in a Row” and “Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World.” They closed strong with “Community Property” and “Gloryhole.”
Overall, it was a great show for a Sunday night. The fans who were in attendance saw a good flavor of rock and with Steel Panther, some comedy mixed in too. Kudos to the Riv on the commitment for bringing the rock to WNY!
Steel Panther Setlist:
Eyes of a Panther
It Won’t Suck Itself
Asian Hooker
Tiger Woods
Never Too Late
Girl from Oklahoma
17 Girls in a Row
Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World
Community Property
Death to All but Metal
Gloryhole
Buckcherry setlist:
Roar Like Thunder
Lit Up
So Hott
Ridin’
Keep on Fighting
Let’s Get Wild
Say Fuck It
Out of Line
Come On
Gluttony
Sorry
Good Time
Tight Pants
Crazy Bitch
Kurt Deimer setlist:
Look
Doom
Dance
Have a Cigar (Pink Floyd cover)
Naïve
Whatcha Sayin’
Live or Die
We would like to thank David Fillenwarth and Rafael Castro from the Riviera Theatre for the credentials to review the show.
