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Buckcherry ripe for a comeback |
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Written by JORDAN GREENBERG / Photos by VIVIANNE J. ODISHO
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Friday, 10 February 2006 |
It's been 11 years since Buckcherry had their start in the L.A. hard rock scene. In 2002, after having recorded two albums and putting up two modest singles, lead singer Josh Todd walked away from the band he started…only to start it up again this past year.
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Buckcherry
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 Entertainment
 Art
Metro
Chicago, Ill.
February 10, 2006
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With guitarist Keith Nelson by his side along with three new members, the new Buckcherry has hit the road to promote the April release of “Fifteen”. Recently the band played in front of a mixed crowd at The Metro to show they weren't nearly finished yet.
Both teenagers living their youth and forty-year olds trying to recapture it crowded around the platform stage at Chicago's best-known North side rock venue to see what the new Buckcherry had to offer. The fans didn't line up to see pyrotechnics or expensive projection screens, they came for the music. That is why it was so satisfying to see that music is exactly why Buckcherry was there. Without wasting any time, Nelson picked up his guitar, Todd his microphone and the band ripped into their set.
They played a fairly even mix between their old material and “Fifteen”, punching up the energy with “Porno Star” from their 2001 album “Time Bomb” and “Crazy Bitch”, their first single from the new album. It's undeniable that Todd's lyrics are bent heavily toward the misogynistic, but two tracks from their self-titled debut, “Baby” and “For the Movies” prove that showcasing love instead of lust allows the music to adapt to the message, giving Buckcherry far more depth than the tired theme of sex, drugs, and sex.
Buckcherry is no doubt rich in musical talent, yet their stage presence leaves something to be desired. Todd has a way of singing with his eyes closed and head angled away from the audience that forces a strange disconnect between the two, and his band has no uniform identity appearing just as they are: piecemealed together out of the rock and roll wastelands. But their music is good hard rock made up of heavy drumming, screaming vocals, and eyelid fluttering solos, their set a mix of melodic ballads interspersed with driving odes to a live-for-today lifestyle. Buckcherry is indulgent yet still very satisfying.
With all of its elements solidified perhaps for the first time since the band's inception, Buckcherry is primed to revitalize an established fan base and deliver to a new audience, curious and easily excited. All of their hopes rest on the upcoming release of “Fifteen” and this tour will go a long way in helping their cause. It seems Buckcherry is ripe for a comeback. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
