100.3 The Bear’s Annual Halloween Howler is one of the area’s must-attend parties of the year!
The Bear’s Annual Halloween Howler was in it’s 28th incarnation this year (should have been #30), and as always – is one hell of a party. This year featured Steel Panther, Black Stone Cherry, and local heavy hitters Revolution Engine. This year’s event was held at the River Cree Resort & Casino.
Steel Panther hold a very dear place in my heart – they are the band that got me my start as a “professional” concert photographer. I was working as a stagehand and happened to be talking to Satchel outside, and I mentioned that it was impossible to find a media contact for the band. He laughed and told me they’d recently fired their management, and that was likely why I was having trouble. He offered to talk to the tour manager and hook me up with a photo pass. The photos I took that night are still some of my most favorite I’ve ever taken. Within 24 hours of posting them, I’d been contacted by a few different publications asking me if I’d like to shoot for them. I worked as a stagehand for this show as well, and it was almost a 16 hour day before I went home. So worth it though. I love watching everything and being a part of the production team that makes shows happen.
Revolution Engine started off the show at 9pm, and delivered a 45-minute set of mostly originals. Their most notable cover was Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”. RE’s originals also flow heavily in the vein of what RATM does, a very politically charged, high energy rock with an uplifting message. These guys are fantastic, and a superb addition to this event. Check out their video for “Business Suit Bonfire” HERE
Black Stone Cherry was next, and man oh man – I have been missing out. These dudes rock HARD. The sheer energy of their show was massive. What a powerhouse these guys are live. They were all super chill during our interactions during they day… and then they unleashed hell on that stage. The photos speak for themselves. From the first note of “Me and Mary Jane”, their southern fried brand of rock was super in your face. The band was all over the stage, and guitarist Ben Wells was just this explosion of energy through their entire set.
Finally, the main event – STEEL PANTHER! They’re one of those bands that spoofs on the 80’s metal culture, but their musical ability is anything but a joke. Michael Starr’s voice just has this unreal range and he hit can screams like nobody’s business. Satchel has some of the tastiest licks – and as far as I’m concerned. one of the best guitar tones in the entire industry. Watching that dude play makes everything look effortless. This was my first time seeing them with their new bass player Spyder, but he seems to be a great addition. His character fits the role in the band perfectly, and dude brings it on stage. Their set was 60 minutes compared to their usual 90, but contained all the usual antics, women on stage, and flashy swagger that only Steel Panther can bring. As usual – an incredible show, and a killer party!
Gallery is below, Enjoy!
