Concert in your area for Rock, Folk & Blues, Indie & Alt, and Country.
Formed in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, it might surprise you to learn that the original line up which came together in the late 60s/70s, did not contain a single member by the name of Marshall Tucker. Instead their slightly misleading name was accidentally borrowed from a local piano tuner and was set in stone when their album of the same name was released in 1973 and certified gold just two years later.
The band followed up their album with the start of a relentless, decade-long touring schedule which saw them playing more than 300 shows a year. They began to impress fans and fellow musicians on the road including the likes of fiddler Charlie Daniels and blues guitarist Elvin Bishop.
The band soared through the 70s, finding huge commercial success for albums like ‘Searchin’ for a Rainbow’ and ‘Carolina Dreams’ however the 80s brought hard times for the band. Their bass player and co-founder Tommy Caldwell was killed in a car accident and whilst a replacement was bought in, the band was never able to recapture the success they experienced in the 70s.
As the band moved into the twenty first century they have continued to release albums and are still a popular live act playing up to 150 and 200 shows a year. They even experienced crossover success when the band were mentioned in Nelly’s remix of the song cruise which eventually went 6 times platinum.
Lead Vocalist Josh Todd founded Buckcherry in the mid 90’s after bonding with guitarist Keith Nelson over a mutual appreciation of AC/DC in a California tattoo parlour. After recording music together, they added a bass player, Jonathan Brightman, and a drummer, Devon Glenn, and toured local bars and clubs in Hollywood, under the name Sparrow.
After gaining a local fanbase due to their classic rock n roll style, they were quickly snapped up by Dreamsworks Records, and forced to change their name to legal reasons. The band claims they named themselves after a draq queen in Hollywood.
Buckcherry released their self-titled debut studio album in 1999, which was a commercial and critical success, with the album certified Gold. Following on from the album, the band toured extensively, with highlights including an opening slot for Lenny Kravitz and playing at Woodstock festival.
They quickly followed with a sophomore album “Time Bomb” in 2001, however they album was considered by fans and critics as a disappointment, and with various artistic differences and member changes within the group, the band eventually broke up in 2002
After Todd and Nelson flirted with a project with Guns N’ Roses member Slash, and wrote and produced records for other bands such as Velvet Revolver, they decided to reform Buckcherry for a second stint in 2005.
They unleashed their successful comeback album “15” in 2006, which marked the completion of a successful return for the group as it was certified platinum. Since their return, Buckcherry have continued to write fruitful albums, including 2013’s “Confessions”.
Since their comeback, the band have played on massive tours with rock behemoths KISS and Motley Crue, and contributed music to movie soundtracks such as the “Avengers Assemble”
The Marshall Tucker Band has been around for almost 35 years. It is really hard to believe they have been around so long. They are one of the best pure Southern Rock bands that came out of that era. Their line up has changed over the years but they are still touring the country playing small towns and small venues.
I saw them at an outdoor concert in a small town in Western North Carolina. There were about 1,000 people at the show and it was nice night. The band set up was very simple but the music was timelines. They did all their classic rock stables including “Can’t You see” and “Fire On the Mountain”. They closed with their rock anthem “Heard it in a Love Song”. The crowd sang to almost every lyric and they were left with wanting more. I am not sure how many of the guys were originally but they were all good and it was a lot of fun. It made me feel very nostalgic for that time and age. It was also a very cheap concert and the crowd was very good and into the music. If they ever swing through your town you should check them out. It is well worth it.
Buckcherry have been a band out of time for as long as they’ve been together. Formed in 1995 they were too late to fit in with the Glam Metal scene of their native Los Angeles, too late to ride the wave of grunge in the early 90’s and a little bit too early to truly capitalize on the post-grunge boom at the turn of the 21st century. However, if you don’t fit in you can only stand out, and that’s exactly what Buckcherry do. They’ve built up a devoted fan-base by not only fusing the two genres that they missed the boat on the first time around better than anyone else around, but also by regularly turning in staggering live show after staggering live show which anyone can see to this day. Combining the street-born swagger of golden era Guns ‘n’ Roses with the tuned down riffs and heavy angst of Silverchair and Shinedown, a Buckcherry concert can stake a legitimate claim to being a melting pot of the last thirty years of American rock. Everything that made it exciting, edgy and life affirming can be found in spades along with Keith Nelson and Stevie D.’s duelling, scything guitar work, while all being conducted to perfection by Josh Todd, a frontman who could be the dictionary definition of commanding. The band hasn’t missed a step live as they come up to their 20th year as a band, and they’re only getting better. So anyone looking for the best time they can have with some sensational riffs and amps turned to twelve can’t go wrong with an evening with Buckcherry.