Saturday, August 11, 2012

Buckcherry: All Lit Up Again

Buckcherry is one of those bands whose songs you hear all the time played over a concert venue's speakers during set changes, but until last night, it was a modern rock band that I'd never got to hear live in concert. When I heard they were playing at the casino in Walker, I decided to attend - it was a good excuse to drive up to northern Minnesota on a beautiful Friday afternoon, anyway.

I headed up north right after work that afternoon, basking in nature's beauty during most of the drive. The show didn't start until 8 pm, and there were no opening acts, so I had plenty of time to catch a bite to eat and enjoy the slower, laid-back pace a bit before the show. The concert was held in a large tent outside the casino, with reserved seats in front and the general admission area consisting of basically standing room behind the seats near the sound board.

Promptly at 8 p.m. Buckcherry hit the stage. Although frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson are the original members still in the band following their early 2000s breakup, I thought the band did a good job of keeping the crowd entertained throughout. It's been said that Todd is now sober, but it didn't stop him from singing about the temptations of days past in songs like "Rescue Me," "Lit Up," and the regular set closer "Crazy Bitch." They stretched over a dozen songs into just under 90 minutes onstage, with Todd taking time out to explain to the crowd some of the inspiration behind writing the songs "Lit Up" (inspired by one of his first jobs) and "Crazy Bitch" (think of a young Madonna as her career started to take off).

Normally, the casino offers a free slot play coupon, but after a long day, I decided to bypass this option, deciding instead to grab a late supper and catch the Vikings highlights on the tube at the hotel after the show. It was my first show at Northern Lights in 2 years, and I have to say, they definitely do a good job of keeping rock fans happy!

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