The Steelhouse has a reputation for booking great artists and bands. On September 26th, 2025, their reputation stayed intact with the iconic Tom Keifer of Cinderella fame and devoted rock and rollers L.A Guns.
L.A. Guns got things moving from the very start with a song off their 2021 LP Checkered Past. I can’t imagine there being a better way to kick off a rock and roll show than those first few notes of “Cannonball”. The band followed with a song off their self-titled debut album, “Electric Gypsy”. The show had just begun, and the crowd was already fully absorbed in the happenings in front of them. The band reached into their bag of music, which consists of 17 studio releases (14 original studio albums, 2 cover albums, and 1 re-recorded album).
With so much to choose from, it was a little disappointing that they were limited to an eleven-song set. With that said, the Gunners hit us with the song “Lucky Motherfxxker” which is from their April 2025 release, Leopard Skin. One reviewer called it, “a wild ride and quite possibly the most diverse album of their career”. Another says it’s a hook-filled melody drenched in delight”. It’s hard to argue either opinion. They completed their set with hard-hitting “Never Enough”, then a smooth version of “Ballads of Jayne” and a solo-filled version of “Rip and Tear”. The boys did their job as openers and then some. I hope to one day catch them as the headliner with at least a twenty-song set.
It’s been two long years since Tom Keifer and his band came to Omaha. The fans showed up hungry for a rock and roll meal, and they were not disappointed. The former Cinderella frontman provided a smorgasbord of music from not only his Cinderella days, but from his solo career as well.
Before the first note was struck, Tom and the band members huddled together for what has become a pre-show ritual. The set began with one of those solo career songs, “Touching the Divine”, from the 2019 album Rise. The 64-year-old Keifer had no issues maintaining a hectic pace during the 90 minutes he was on stage. He did have help, however, as guitarist Tony Higbee, bassist Luis Espaillat, drummer Jarred Pope, keyboardist Kory Myers, and vocalists Savannah Keifer and Tanya Davis all contributed mightily and with extreme talent and abilities.
Despite several throat surgeries and the threat of never being able to sing again, Tom belted each song as if it were the first time he sang them. Despite 35 years of performing, his intensity was never-ending. There aren’t many lead vocalists with the chops and presence of Tom Keifer. When you throw in his skill as a guitarist and pianist, there is even less.
As the evening closed with “Gypsy Rose” and a cover of The Beatles, “With a Little Help From My Friends”, the patrons left with ringing ears and grins on their faces. There are only a few dates left on this current tour, but the way Tom and his band performed on this evening, I’m willing to wager, there will be more chances to catch them in the future.
