Jergels welcomed back Steelheart for the second time in the past year for a full band performance on Wednesday evening. With support from 9 Sundays and Xander Demos Band, the eighties glam rock band delivered an up close and personal set as frontman Miljenko Matijevic was notably energized by connecting with the lively crowd.
Miljenko joins his band, which features guitarist Joe Pessia, drummer Mike Humbert, and bassist Kevin Chown, for a handful of show dates in the United States on the heels of solo acoustic performances on the Monsters of Rock Cruise earlier this month.
As it turned out, these “electrified” performances were just as intimate as the shows he played acoustic in the little pub known as the Cavern Club on the cruise ship. In fact, the frontman left his band to sing from the crowd level on more than one occasion last night.
He ventured up to the balcony while singing a bit of the Doors’ classic “Roadhouse Blues” to commemorate his time performing with the band, and to honor of frontman Jim Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
While most in attendance recall the Steelheart band’s early years with sleazy cuts like “Gimmie, Gimmie” and “Eileen,” the true crowd pleasers were the ballad “I’ll Never Let You Go” and of course, the Rockstar singles from the fictional band Steel Dragon where Miljenko provided the vocals for actor Mark Wahlberg.
The show kicked off with the explosive “Blood Pollution,” which was the first of three singles from the Rockstar movie performed last night, and concluded with a sing-along to “We all Die Young,” where Miljenko rejoined the audience to close out the evening just as he’d done on his last visit. The show ebbed and flowed with transitions from glam to blues to jams and acoustic guitar. And, the only disappointment (especially for those down front) was that “She’s Gone,” was notably skipped over in the set list that was visible on the stage. That make the evening end a bit prematurely, but nobody could deny what a special evening it was.
Fans can find upcoming tour dates including a show this Saturday at the Landis Theater at steelheart.com.
About Us:
We are an independent, non-profit publication…in other words, this is a labor of love. If you enjoyed our photos and reviews, or if you want to share some love in appreciation of a photo we captured. You can help support our publication with tips through PayPal. You’ll find us under kara@tprs.com. Thank you for your support!
You can also show your support by following us @ThePureRockShop on Facebook and Instagram (or simply follow us everywhere here!). We’ve got a full recap of the Monsters of Rock Cruise coverage coming at you as well as review of upcoming performances from Michael Monroe, L.A. Guns, Dorothy, Nashville’s Rock N Pod Expo, M3 Rock Festival, and more!
Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 3/27/2025.
