Steel Panther Turns Waterloo Into Rock’s Dirtiest Playground

Some concerts leave you humming a chorus. Others leave you needing a shower, a stiff drink, and a deep session in therapy. Steel Panther’s Northern Exposure Tour stop at Maxwell’s in Waterloo was proudly, obscenely, gloriously the latter.

The venue was packed shoulder to shoulder—completely sold out—and by the end of the night, it was a humid pit of euphoric degeneracy. If you walked in clean, you didn’t leave that way. And that’s exactly what the Panther wants.

Kurt Deimer, draped in a Maple Leafs jersey (which he later signed as a give away), kicked off the night like your slightly unhinged but oddly inspiring uncle who just dropped his debut album and decided to charge straight into your personal space with a megaphone and a mission. Touring behind And So It Begins…, Deimer dropped tracks like “Look,” “Live or Die,” and “Dance” with spoken-word swagger and metal-laced bravado.

He traveled into the crowd. He called for phone lights. He promoted giveaways like a rock ‘n’ roll game show host. And when he covered Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar,” it landed like a smoke-filled sermon. Deimer didn’t just warm up the stage—he baptized it.

Next up, Buckcherry cranked the tempo and the testosterone. Josh Todd’s signature rasp tore through new cuts like “Roar Like Thunder” and “Keep On Fighting” while letting loose the full-on party anthems like “Lit Up,” “Crazy Bitch,” and a delightfully unhinged medley that mashed up “Sex Machine,” “Proud Mary,” and Prince’s “Irresistible Bitch.”

Oh yeah, and they covered Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69” like it was a song about actual sex positions. Buckcherry’s set was less a performance and more a bar brawl with guitars—dirty, loud, and a whole lot of fun. Josh told us there’s a new album dropping June 13. If the live show’s any indication, it’s going to punch you in the soul and then offer you a smoke.

At 9:45 PM, Steel Panther arrived. A few minutes late, but who’s counting when the drummer is elevated on a throne and two stripper poles flank the riser like sacred totems? The delay? Some tech glitch side-stage. The result? More time for fans to stretch and hydrate. They’d need it.

From the opening riff of “Eyes of a Panther,” the band pounced with their signature mix of musical precision and unspeakable filth. “It Won’t Suck Itself” followed like a love letter from the seventh circle of hair metal heaven, and then came the 12-minute comedy routine between songs that blurred the line between stand-up, roast battle, and full-on burlesque disaster.

When it came time for “17 Girls in a Row” and “Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World,” the stage transformed into an all-access rock ’n’ roll playground. At least 17 women—possibly more—stormed the stage, dancing, laughing, and living their best backstage-pass fantasies in full view of the crowd. With pole dancers spinning like leather-clad sirens on either side of the drum riser and the band egging on every outrageous moment, it felt less like a concert and more like a glam-metal bacchanal. Chaos? Yes. But precisely the kind Steel Panther sells by the pound.

During “Girl From Oklahoma,” Michael Starr brought a fan onstage and sat her on a bar stool, where he serenaded her like some kind of spandex-clad lounge lizard. But midway through the power ballad, the band spotted a topless woman in the crowd—because of course—and, without hesitation, invited her up too. What started as a tongue-in-cheek love song spiraled into a sweaty, topless, oddly heartwarming spectacle—part strip club, part rock opera, all Steel Panther.

“Community Property” had the whole crowd singing about genitals like they were sacred. “Glory Hole” was, well… look, if you know, you know. And if you don’t? Buckle up.

Michael Starr descended into the pit during “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight),” giving high-fives and singing directly with fans like a glitter-soaked prophet of poor decisions.

This show was a celebration of everything your mother warned you about. It was loud, lascivious, and completely unfiltered. If you weren’t offended at least once, were you even paying attention?

Waterloo might never be the same. And honestly? It shouldn’t be.

Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t supposed to be safe. Steel Panther just reminded us why.

Special thanks to Kevin Chiaramonte at PFA Media, Jamea Kollie at PFA Media, for their invaluable assistance in making this coverage possible. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Steel Panther

Buckcherry

Kurt Deimer

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Drew Osborne

I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.