ATLANTIC CITY, NJ—With several tours and two CDs under their belt, the current line-up of Buckcherry is tight and polished, but without losing their edge. They’re still a gritty, sleazy, anthem-based rock‘n’roll band. With founding members Josh Todd and Keith Nelson leading the charge, the show they brought to the House Of Blues in Atlantic City was raw and energetic. Vocalist Josh Todd, never content to just perform, was constantly trying to engage the crowd until they responded to let him know they’re right there with him. Rounding out the line-up are Stevie D on guitar, Jimmy Ashhurst on bass, and Xavier Muriel on drums.
The majority of the set consisted of material from their latest release, Black Butterfly, and their platinum selling 15, and a few tracks from their self-titled debut and sophomore effort, Time Bomb, thrown in for good measure. “Lit Up” continues to be a crowd favorite, considering the fact that it launched them onto the world stage back in 1999, albeit with a different line-up that included Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols. The band recently covered Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” for NASCAR and decided to throw it in the set in AC—something they didn’t do the week before at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA. They do it justice and then some, including the dual guitar solo. Stevie D is quite an accomplished player and deserves a bit more spotlight than he gets, in my opinion.
Although most radio stations censor their material, the band pulls no punches in front of room full of ravenous fans and the show is not for the whole family. “Lit Up,” “Too Drunk…,” and “Crazy Bitch,” as well as Josh Todd’s banter between songs puts the show in the R rating category, so if you have plans to take the kiddies to the upcoming Kiss/Buckcherry tour this summer, consider yourself warned. Some other highlights of the night were “Rescue Me,” “Everything,” and the encore “Cream.” The four or five shows that I’ve seen over the past couple of years have all been consistently good, making Buckcherry a sure bet if you have a chance to get out and see them.
Photo Credit: Nadine Joy
