Buckcherry released one of their best albums, “Hellbound,” on June 25th and have wasted no time hitting the road post-pandemic in support of it. As always, their touring schedule is relentless, performing almost every night of the week. Josh Todd [vocals], Stevie D. [guitar], Kelly LeMieux [bass], Billy Rowe [guitar], and Francis Ruiz [drums]were an unstoppable force tearing the Sherman Theater to pieces creating an unforgettable night for their fans!
The band opened their 90-minute, 14 song set with the fiery track, “So Far,” then hit their audience with the perfect one-two punch of “So Hott” and “Ridin’.” These songs quickly established the band’s intention to raise the bar for live music and shake the cobwebs from our ears due to the 2020 pandemic. Buckcherry has spent their entire career perfecting and crafting their songs to stand the test of time as well as to deliver them in rapid-fire succession. Tonight’s show included songs “Lit,” “Too Drunk,” “Gluttony,” and “Sorry.” Three new songs from “Hellbound” were introduced into their set, “So Hott,” “Hellbound,” and my personal favorite, “Gun,” which is about Bonnie and Clyde.
With his unique and instantly identifiable voice, Josh tirelessly jumping around the stage like an acrobatics instructor keeping the crowd fired up and entertained. He exuded rock-star charisma and sang all the songs with heart and passion. I asked Josh prior to the show what fans can expect from the band tonight? He replied, “We want to be unforgettable! It doesn’t matter if we are playing to 100 or 100,000 people. It’s all the same; we are going to come out and f**king destroy! That’s the mentality you have to have.” He should consider his mission a success tonight as everyone in the audience tonight was grinning ear to ear from their ultimate Rock & Roll party.
Stevie D. sporting a clean-shaven mohawk, and new guitarist Billy Rowe of Jetboy fame gave the songs the heft and propulsion needed to bombard the crowd with their sonic riffs. The duo paired nicely together in their six-string sting to keep the fans captivated. Stevie took all the solo and put on a searing pyrotechnic display with his extended arsenal of guitars.
Keeping up with the duo’s guitars playing is drummer Francis Ruiz and bassist Kelly LeMieux. Francis‘s drum kit took a monstrous beating as he picked up more power with each passing song, and Kelly played in the pocket, allowing the two guitarists to soar.
The night ended insanely just as it started with “Crazy Bitch” and “Dead.” The band, with its newer members, have an excellent chemistry and the band ran like a well-oiled freight train straight out of Hell. With no props, pyro, or stage gimmicks, these five guys just rocked out to groove-inspired songs with insanely good riffs and leads. The Sherman theater was loud, and Buckcherry reciprocated it by giving them an outstanding performance!
BUCKCHERRY Setlist:
So Far / So Hott / Ridin’ / Out of Line / Lit Up / Hellbound / Somebody f**ked With Me / No More Lies / Too Drunk… / Sorry / Gluttony / Gun / Crazy Bitch ((with Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Proud Mary” snippet and extended band jams in the bridge)
Encore:
Dead
Photo Gallery:
