As the music and hairspray world was recently rocked by the shocking news of the departure of their original bassist, California rockers Steel Panther have been endlessly reviewing submissions from their global search for a replacement.

Michael Starr, Satchel and Stix Zadinia have been watching over 1,669 individuals submit their videos playing various songs from the band’s catalog as well as explaining why they would be the perfect replacement. The collective brain trust of metal’s sexiest trio has narrowed the submissions down to the final 32.

In a March Madness bracket style competition, the band is reaching out to the public to help narrow them down to the final 8. Each day, two new finalists will be posted here, and the public will have a chance to vote on who they think should be the band’s new bassist. Early entries by Rikki Dazzle and Rikki Thrash have made it to the finals and both musicians will perform live with the band during their December shows.  

“Two Finalists are in, Eight More To Be Selected. That's where you come in! Welcome to The Road to the Road Tournament! From over 1669 submissions, we've narrowed the field to the top 32 and we want YOU to help us determine the top 10! Every day between now and December 24th, we're featuring two bassists as we work our way through the bracket below. All you have to do is check out the videos and vote for your favorites! Let the games BEGIN!!,” exclaims Steel Panther.

Steel Panther will be rounding out the rest of the year with a handful of select tour dates. The band has eight shows remaining that will make stops in Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN; St. Louis, MO; Colorado Springs, CO; and Tempe, AZ. The band will be ringing in the new year in Suquamish, WA. All information on tickets and tour dates can be found here.

Tour dates:

December
4 - Las Vegas, NV - The Barber Shop *
8 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom #
9 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone #
10 - Indianapolis, IN - Old National Centre #
11 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant #
16 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios Live *
17 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre *
31 - Suquamish, WA - Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort *

* - Featuring Rikki Dazzle on bass
# - Featuring Rikki Thrash on bass

(Photo - David Jackson)