At the tail end of the 1990s, boy bands and overly-produced Pop music saturated the airwaves, magazine covers, and much of MTV. For those who desired an abundance of grit and danger to their music, the Nu-Metal and Rap-Rock scene filled the void. That is, unless the only thing you craved was straight-up, old-school Rock-n-Roll and, at the time, almost no modern bands fit that mold. Luckily, on April 6, 1999, all that changed when Buckcherry released their self-titled debut album on DreamWorks Records.
What seemed like an overnight success, Buckcherry – Josh Todd (vocals), Keith Nelson (guitar), Jonathan “J.B.” Brightman (bass), and Devon Glenn (drums) – became huge standouts on Rock radio with their massive hit “Lit Up.” Suddenly a savior was born as Buckcherry carried the torch for Rock-n-Roll into the 2000s and beyond, releasing six more studio albums and achieving their biggest hit – the chart topping single “Sorry,” off 2005’s 15.
Over the years, Buckcherry continue to thrive as a wildly-popular live act, touring with everyone from AC/DC to All That Remains, and marking their territory as one of the top Rock acts to grace stages at major venues around the globe. With that, Friday, March 9, 2018, was no exception, as Buckcherry returned to Long Island, New York. A destination they are very familiar with, they would grace the stage of The Paramount down in Huntington Village for for a raucous set, where after a week of heavy snow and damaging wind, fans were ready to blow-off some steam with Buckcherry’s lively Rock-n-Roll.
Turning out early, fans among the first to enter The Paramount were greeted by a mellow room with David Bowie playing over the P.A. – and this was just the calm before the storm. Then at 8 PM sharp, Long Island band Dead Superstar took the stage to warm up the crowd with their groovy stylings of rattling Hard Rock/Alternative Metal. Led by frontman Terence Keith, Dead Superstar played a raunchy set featuring original numbers “Beware of the Knife,” “Pearly White Lady,” “Catch The Fire,” “Redemption,” and “Crossroads.” A real tight band, Dead Superstar were impressive, as musically the band is awesome and brings to the table a grungy tone that will please fans of 1990’s era Hard Rock/Alternative Metal.
Next on the bill was a really impressive young band out of neighboring Newark, New Jersey called The Revel. Founded by Lead Guitarist/Vocalist Dean D’Antuono and his brother, Guitarist Dillon D’Antuono, The Revel perform music soaked in the truest embodiment of Rock-n-Roll. A band so young they are practically just out of diapers, The Revel brought a performance to The Paramount stage reminiscent of an act with decades of experience. Impressing the crowd with songs like “Come Alive,” “Stuck on You,” and “Taking Me Down,” Dean’s performance as a frontman was flawless and the band as a whole have all the qualities of a great Rock band. Though the song-writing needs to grow the potential is profound, making The Revel a special band with a bright future. More than worth getting to a show early for, be sure to catch The Revel on a stage near you.
At this point, The Paramount was jam-packed with an energetic Long Island crowd who were primed for a great show. That in mind, around 9: 45 PM, the lights went out and Buckcherry appeared to an enormous ovation. Joining Josh Todd in the current lineup of Buckcherry – Rhythm Guitarist Stevie D., Lead Guitarist Kevin Roentgen, Bassist Kelly LeMieux, and Drummer Sean Winchester – busted the door down with show opener ” Ridin’.”
Right from the start Todd was at the top of his game as the ultimate frontman and raspy vocalist had the audience in the palm of his hand, and would not let go all night. “Fall,” ” Slamin’,” and “Carousel” had the crowd letting loose before Buckcherry offered up the first big climax of the show. Thereafter Todd’s crystal-clear explanation of the meaning behind the song, “Lit Up” had the crowd absolutely elated, jumping around, and chanting “I Love The Cocaine! I Love The Cocaine!”Although, we all happily and proudly know the beloved Todd has been sober for years, hence his healthy appearance and energy level.
Keeping the party going, Buckcherry dished out “Say Fuck It,” a partial cover of the Icona Pop hit “I Love It,” before blasting into “Tired of You,” “Tight Pants,” and “Sunshine,” easing any troubles on fans minds. Next, “Too Drunk…” described the overall feel for some spectators at The Paramount before the band changed up the mood with touching sing-along of “Sorry,” spreading love amongst all in attendance.
With the crowd still hot, “Gluttony” was the perfect predecessor to the strip club anthem everyone wanted to hear the most, Buckcherry’s big hit, “Crazy Bitch.” To many the high spot of Buckcherry’s performance, in utter bliss, this was the moment the roof was truly blown off the place. After teasing the audience that the show was over, Todd and company let their emotions flow into “Everything,” before one last surprise song. Introducing the jam by declaring Jim Morrison the greatest frontman of all time, the band broke into a decadent cover of “Roadhouse Blues” before snapping a photo with the crowd to officially close out the show.
A mainstay in their trade for nearly two decades, Buckcherry have been rocking audiences under an unrelenting dosage of catchy and high-energy Rock-n-Roll and display no signs of letting up. Simply put, Buckcherry just get better and better as time goes on, and Todd is one of the best vocalists and frontmen in the game today. Their current lineup is full of energy and ready to rock! Which leaves to wonder, what a new Buckcherry album will sound like when Todd and this group return to the studio? Only time will tell, but it is a blessing to have a few Buckcherry shows on tap while hopefully mixing in some Josh Todd & The Conflict dates as well.
Nonetheless, Buckcherry’s return to The Paramount was a hit and the crowd dispersed into the streets happy to be alive thanks to a great Rock-n-Roll show. Buckcherry have a couple of shows in the U.S. through April 14, 2018, before heading to Europe for a two week run in June. So if you are a fan of great Rock-n-Roll, be sure to catch Buckcherry live and experience the music first hand!
Photo credit: Dennis Brunelle photography
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