Buckcherry announced a new slate of live dates Wednesday.
The band made the announcement through a press release distributed to the media. The tour is a co-headlining run with the rap-rock group, The Lacs. The 15-date run is scheduled to launch Jan. 7 in Kyle, TX and to run through Feb. 6 in St. Petersburg, FL.
It also features performances in cities nationwide, such as Columbus, OH; Wilmington, DE and Dallas, TX. Core will join the tour on select dates in the run. The tour’s schedule is noted below.
BUCKCHERRY + THE LACS ON TOUR: 1/7 — Kyle, TX — The Railhouse Bar 1/8 — Houston, TX — Rise Rooftop 1/9 — Texarkana, AR — Crossties 1/11 — Dallas, TX — Tree’s 1/12 — Oklahoma, OK — Diamond Ballroom* 1/14 — Fayetteville, AR — JJ’s Live 1/15 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Live 1/16 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade 1/18 — Columbus, OH — King of Clubs 1/19 — Warren, OH — Packard Music Hall 1/21 — Corbin, KY — Corbin Arena 1/22 — Jim Thorpe, PA — Penns Peak 1/23 — Hopewell, VA — Beacon 1/25 — Leesburg, VA — Tally HO* 1/27 — Wilmington, DE — The Queen 1/28 — Pikeville, KY — Appalachian Wireless Arena 1/29 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverfront Live 1/31 — Knoxville, TN — Cotton Eyed Joe’s* 2/1 — Birmingham, AL — Iron City* 2/2 — Destin, FL — Club LA* 2/4 — Ft. Lauderdale , FL — Culture Room* 2/5 — Ft. Myers, FL — The Ranch* 2/6 — St. Petersburg, FL — Fergs* *Buckcherry + Core only
Buckcherry’s upcoming live dates come on the heels of an extensive tour run that wraps up tonight in Jacksonville, NC and that launched July 30 in Columbus, OH. The band’s ongoing road run is in support of its latest album, Hellbound.
In related news, Buckcherry is scheduled to follow up its tour with the Lacs with a co-headlining tour with Fozzy in Australia that is scheduled to run from Feb. 21 – 26. The tour’s schedules are noted below.
BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR: AUSTRALIA: 2/21 — Perth — Amplifier Bar (Buckcherry Only) 2/22 — Adelaide — The Gov 2/24 — Brisbane — The Triffid 2/25 — Sydney — Max Watts 2/26 — Melbourne — Max Watts
More information on Buckcherry’s new album and tour is available at:
Veteran rock band Buckcherry returned to the road in June. The band’s tour, which launched June 1 in Kansas City, MO, came on the heels of the cancellation of more than 100 shows in 2020. The cancellations came as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two of the tour’s upcoming dates are in North Carolina – Sept. 4 in Charlotte, NC and Nov. 1 (the tour finale) in Jacksonville, NC. Needless to say, the band’s shows have featured and will feature plenty of songs from Hellbound, the band’s latest album. The songs, from beginning to end, offer something for all of the band’s fans. That is shown through the album’s musical and lyrical content alike. ‘54321,’ the album’s opener is just one way in which the album shows how much it has to offer audiences. It will be discussed shortly. ‘Wasting No More Time,’ the album’s latest single, is another example of how much the album has to offer listeners. It will be discussed a little later.
‘No More Lies,’ the album’s midpoint, is yet another example of how much this record has to offer. Given, not every listener will enjoy every single song on this record. However, the diversity and accessibility in the album’s musical arrangements and lyrical themes brings everything together to make Hellbound a presentation that is bound to be a successful new offering from Buckcherry in the long run.
Buckcherry’s latest album, Hellbound (the band’s ninth album), is a presentation that will appeal widely to audiences. Given, not every fan will enjoy the whole album, but every fan will enjoy parts of the album. From beginning to end, the record’s musical and lyrical content does plenty to support those statements. The album’s opener, ‘54321’ is just one way in which this is proven. The song’s musical arrangement creates a high-energy opening to the 34-minute album. The driving guitar line at the song’s center joins with the solid time keeping and vocals and bass to create a sound and stylistic approach that is immediately familiar for the band’s established audiences. At the same time, audiences can also make a comparison to works from The Sex Pistols what with front man Josh Todd’s vocal delivery style. The guitar solo even gives a hint of some punk influence. So all in all here, the song makes for a strong first impression in the band’s latest outing. The arrangement is infectious throughout its nearly three-and-a-half-minute run time, too showing in part what makes the song stand out. The energy exuded through the song’s arrangement pairs well with the song’s lyrical energy to show even more why the song in whole stands out.
The lyrical content featured along with the musical arrangement in ‘54321’ will engage and entertain audiences just as much as the song’s musical arrangement. That is because of the message that it seems to present. The seeming message in question is one of proud defiance. Speaking more specifically, the song’s message comes across as a proudly defiant statement that the subject does not care what others think about him. This is inferred as Todd sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Gettin’ cornered was a bad decision/Finding trouble was my disease/I’m boarded up and it’s like a prison/Cut me off if you want to breathe/I keep on waiting for another outcome/I keep on waiting for the chips to fall/All I wanted was a breakout and to have fun/Now I want it to dissolve/All these things have crossed the line/I must have told you a thousand times/I think I’m gonna have to cut you loose/You keep on talking ’bout my attitude/5, 4, 3, 2, 1, goes another one/Now you’re on the run, are you having fun/5, 4, 3, 2, 1/Are you overrun/Chaos left undonе, it’s a megaton.” This comes across as the subject telling another person that he is done with that other person, that the relationship (whether plutonic or romantic is beside the point) won’t last because that other person has nothing but negative thoughts toward the subject. That sense of self confidence is evidenced even more in the song’s second verse, in which Todd sings, “I get in trouble with imagination/I’m likе a butterfly without any wings/I left a mark all across the nation/On my own I don’t need anything/I’m deeper in it and it’s lasting so long/I hit the limit and I dropped the ball/I thought I left it in the past but I’m wrong/Now I’m bouncing off the walls/I should leave this all behind/And I ain’t ever gonna change my mind/I see these mother******* playin’ a fool/Acting so tough cause they’re breaking the rules.” The song’s third and final verse puts the final accent to the inferred statement as Todd sings, “18 miles away from the conflict/Burnin’ out like a flame, where’s the target/I cleaned out my safe cause I’m rotten/I will do just fine at the bottom.” Looking at all of this seeming statement, it proves a fully accessible theme. When the accessibility in this message and its strong tone pair with the power in the song’s musical arrangement, the whole shows clearly why it is such a notable entry in the album. It is just one of the songs that shows how much Hellbound has to offer audiences. ‘Wasting No More Time’ is another notable addition to the album.
‘Wasting No More Time’ stands out in part because of its musical arrangement. Its musical arrangement is the polar opposite of that featured in the album’s opener. It is a much more subdued, blues rock style composition. Listening through the three minute, 33 second opus, Todd’s familiar vocal delivery style pairs with the song’s instrumentation to give the whole an interesting hybrid approach. The instrumentation at times lends itself to comparison to works from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. That is most evident in the verses. The choruses on the other hand give the song more of a modern pop rock sensibility. Again, the whole makes the arrangement in whole unique from the rest of the album’s entries. When the subtle approach taken to the song’s arrangement pairs with the song’s equally contemplative lyrical theme, the whole proceeds to show even more how much the album has to offer listeners.
The lyrical theme featured in ‘Wasting No More Time’ comes across as a statement about letting go of the past and just living life. This is inferred through the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “We come from broken homes, coast to coast/It’s hard to accept when there’s debts unpaid/We all have lived, we all have sinned/We all get shattered when we’re feeling that pain/But just a little love gets me feeling like/I figured it out, rid my doubt/So come in my house/Pain ain’t the killer when it’s making you strong/Helps you along and guess we learn from it all/And I know things have change/SoI need something to kill the pain/I’m getting’ older and recognize/Gonna have to face it/I ain’t wasting no more time.” The song’s second verse makes the seeming message even clearer as Todd sings, “When we set the stage, and look for change/It’s funny how the story kinda looks insane/The lines are crossed, the point is lost/And all you want to do is go and turn the page/And when I hit the road I can separate and be with my thoughts/Walking the walk, let go of my loss/Don’t blame the sinner/It’s a waste of your time/Look to the sky, it’s gonna open up your mind.” What is so interesting here is that while the combination of these contemplative thoughts and subdued musical content works, other similar songs have been crafted whose musical arrangements are much more fiery. Those songs work just as well. It is just interesting that the band chose the more subdued approach in this case. Regardless, this approach continues to show the diversity in the album’s musical and lyrical content. That diversity continues to show how much the album has to offer listeners. It is just one more example of what the album has to offer audiences. ‘No More Lies’ is yet another way in which the noted diversity shows through.
‘No More Lies’ stands out in part because of its own musical arrangement. The arrangement in this case is just as unlike the other songs examined here as it is from the rest of the album’s songs and as different as they all are from one another. The whole thing opens with an interesting almost 311-esque reggae rock approach before very quickly switching gears to a more southern rock vibe a la The Black Crowes. What is assumed to the bass line takes center stage in this song. The foundation that it forms is strengthened through the drums and vocals. It all makes for so much interest in itself. Adding to the interest is light overall approach taken to the arrangement alongside the song’s lyrical theme.
The song’s lyrical theme comes across relatively clearly as an all too familiar song about a broken relationship. This is made clear right from the song’s outset in which Todd sings, “I can’t get you on the phone/And I’m sitting home waiting for you/You think I do what I’m told/But baby you ain’t got a clue/I go out ridin’, glidin’/Baby I ain’t no fool/I hit the ground runnin’, gunnin’/Cause I got the right kinda tools/Looking out for you/Looking out for me/I know you’re lonely/Maybe I’m a fool/Maybe I believe/My one and only/Tell me what to do/Tell me what you need/You need to know that/Every time I see you/And every time I tried/You don’t even say hello/You don’t look me in the eyes/I know you don’t believe me/That’s what you’re telling me/All of the time/All them years, and all them tears/Broke this heart of mine/So don’t tell me no more lies.” This is a pretty rich and direct statement that leaves little if any doubt. The song’s second verse continues things as the song’s subject effectively begs the other person “What should I do?” in regards to getting that other person to be honest. This is another accessible message considering the scenario’s commonality among audiences. As with ‘Wasting No More Time,’ the pairing of this familiar lyrical topic with the song’s light musical arrangement makes for even more interest. Songs, such as this make it so easy for acts to go the all too common “oh woe is me” approach and use some deeply contemplative style musical approach. The band opted not to go that route here. It really makes for an interesting contrast between the two sides. To that end, such juxtaposition makes even clearer how much Hellbound has to offer audiences. When the whole is considered along with the other songs examined here and the rest of the album’s entries, the whole of the album proves to be a successful entry that will appeal equally to Buckcherry’s established audiences and more casual fans.
Buckcherry’s new album, Hellbound, is a presentation that is bound for success. That is proven through its musical and lyrical themes. Every fan might not enjoy the album in whole but the whole album will give every fan something to appreciate. Each of the songs examined here serve well to support the noted statements. When they are considered with the album’s remaining entries, the album in whole proves to be a positive new offering from Buckcherry that audiences will enjoy at the band’s live dates and in itself.
Buckcherry’s remaining live dates are noted below.
BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR: NORTH AMERICA: 8/3 — Madison, WI — Majestic 8/5 — Dubuque, IA — Five Flags Event Center 8/6 — Sioux City, IA — Hard Rock Hotel & Casno 8/10 — Columbia, MO — Blue Note 8/14 — Shiley Acres, VA — Shiley Acres 8/15 — Knoxville, TN — Cotton Eye Joe’s 8/17 — Hobart, IN — Hobart Theatre 8/19 — Ft Wayne, IN — Pieres 8/20 — Lombard, IL — Brauerhouse 8/21 — Escanaba, MI — UP State Fair – Grandstand 8/22 — Green Bay, WI — Epic Event Center 8/27 — Fountain, MN — Beaver Bottoms Saloon 8/28 — Walker, MN — Northern Lights Casino 8/29 — Clear Lake, IA — Surf Ballroom 8/31 — West Peoria, IL — Crusens 9/1 — Lexington, KY — Manchester Music Hall 9/3 — Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl 9/4 — Charlotte, NC — Park Expo Center 9/5 — Chattanooga, TN — The Signal 9/7 — Ardmore, OK — Heritage Hall 9/10 — Flandreau, SD — Royal River Casino 9/11 — Milwaukee, WI — Summerfest 9/12 — Flint, MI — Machine Shop 9/14 — Cleveland, OH — HOB 9/15 — Syracuse, NY — Sharkey’s Event Center 9/17 — Hampton Beach, NH — Wally’s 9/18 — Blackthorne, NY — Blackthorne Fest 9/24 — Santa Clarita, CA — Canyon Club 9/25 — Agoura Hills, CA — Canyon Club 9/26 — Montclair, CA — Canyon Club 9/28 — Tempe, AZ — Marquee 9/30 — Salt Lake City, UT — Royal 10/1 — Cheyenne, WY — Outlaw 10/2 — Billings, MT — Pub Station 10/4 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon 10/5 — Vancouver, BC — Rickshaw 10/7 — Calgary, AB — Eagle Event Center 10/8 — Dawson Creek, BC — Encana Event Center 10/9 — Edmonton, AB — Century Casino 10/11 — Red Deer, AB — Bo’s Bar Stage 10/12 — Saskatoon, SK — Coors Event Center 10/14 — Regina, SK — Conexus Art Center 10/15 — Winnipeg, MB — Burton Cummings Theatre 10/18 — Thunder Bay, ON — NV Music Hall 10/19 — Sault Ste Marie, ON — SOO Blasters 10/21 — Sudbury, ON — The Grand 10/22 — London, ON — London Music Hall 10/23 — Ottawa, ON — Barrymore’s 10/25 — Halifax, NS — Marquee 10/26 — Moncton, NB — Tide and Boar 10/27 — Moncton, NB — Tide and Boar 10/30 — Hampton Beach, NH — Wally’s 10/31 — Portland, ME — Aura 11/2 — New Bedford, MA — Vault at Greasy Luck 11/4 — Norwalk, CT — Granite St Music Hall 11/5 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom 11/6 — Farmingdale, NY — Mulcahey’s 11/8 — Baltimore, MD — The Recher 11/9 — Harrisburg, PA — Club XL 11/10 — Jacksonville, NC — Hooligans
After the band completes the North American leg of its tour, it will open 2022 with a brief co-headlining tour with Fozzy in Australia that is scheduled to run from Feb. 21 – 26.
The tour’s schedules are noted below.
BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR: AUSTRALIA: 2/21 — Perth — Amplifier Bar (Buckcherry Only) 2/22 — Adelaide — The Gov 2/24 — Brisbane — The Triffid 2/25 — Sydney — Max Watts 2/26 — Melbourne — Max Watts
More information on Buckcherry’s new album and tour is available at:
Roughly eleven years have passed since the up-and-coming blues/rock band Rubikon released its debut album The Hollow Men. Being that so much time has passed since that album was released fans couldn’t help but figure that the band would just be another that tried its hand only to fold soon after. However recently announced that it has in fact not gone away. As a matter of fact, it will release its third full-length studio recording Delta next month. The album, which will be released via independent record label Round Hill Records, boasts nine tracks of blues-based rock that will impress fans of Clutch, Deep Purple, COC, and even Zodiac to a slightly lesser degree. While the album boasts only nine tracks and comes in at a grand total of thirty-seven minutes, that does not take away anything from the whole of the record. Speaking of the whole of the record, the record is anchored by the full-on blues rock opus ‘Sermon.’ The song starts out slowly in its first few bars before really launching full force into a rather heavy piece that fans of both Clutch and COC will enjoy. The album’s opener ‘Live That Lie’ is another solid addition to this record. As is noted of the song, it is a work that is centered on the personal journey of the band’s members. Its heavy, blues-infused musical backing adds even more enjoyment to the song in whole. For all of the heaviness displayed throughout this record it isn’t without its softer side as is evident in the more reserved sound of ‘Wasting Time.’ This song starts off softly enough. But it doesn’t take long for the song to pick up even if only slightly in comparison to the album’s other songs. It’s just one more example of how worth the wait Delta proves itself to be . That is not to ignore the album’s other tracks. All nine of the tracks that make up Delta’s body each show in their own respective way what made the wait for this record worth it. All things considered Delta proves in the end to be a piece that any blues/rock aficionado will appreciate regardless of their familiarity with the band’s body of work.
Rubikon’s upcoming album Delta is only the third full-length recording that the band has crafted since forming in its nearly fourteen years together. Roughly eleven years have passed since the band released its debut album The Hollow Men. This new record proves quite well over the course of its nine tracks and thirty-seven total minutes that the decade-plus wait for this album was well worth it. That is most clearly evident in the album’s anchor ‘Sermon.’ The song’s bluesy/southern sludge rock sound instantly grabs listeners by the ear and refuses to let go. That is especially thanks to the transition of its slow, bluesy opening bars to the much harder, heavier riffs that make up the body of the song. The overall content presented in the body of this song in itself makes for plenty of enjoyment. The lyrical content incorporated into the song gives it even more enjoyment. Drummer/vocalist Diggs sings in this song, “I’m already dead/So long gone away/Lay my body down/Old-fashioned way/Old heart won’t last a day/Tryin’ to get back home/Sit here in them clouds/Watch over me.” Listening to this single opening verse, listeners would swear that they were hearing Clutch front man Neil Fallon singing instead of Rubikon’s drummer/vocalist Diggs. The similarity in the pair’s vocal delivery styles is striking. The similarity is just as striking as the song progresses through its near six-minute run time. That powerhouse delivery coupled with the song’s outstanding guitar work makes this song a solid anchor on which Delta can rest and a work that every listener will enjoy.
‘Sermon’ is a solid anchor for Rubikon’s new album. Drummer/vocalist Diggs’ delivery style partnered with the song’s musical content makes it a song that rivals anything ever crafted by the likes of Clutch or COC. It is just one example of what has made the decade-plus wait for Delta worth it. The album’s lead track ‘Live That Lie’ is just as solid an example of what makes the record so impressive. This mid-tempo rocker wastes no time grabbing listeners by the ear and holding tight. According to the band, the song is meant to be a commentary on the personal journey of the band’s members from who they were before to who they have become now. The song’s musical makeup does an impressive job of expressing that message. The contrast of the fiery energy exuded through most of the song to the more reserved sound of the song’s bridge, which comes nearly three minutes in, exemplifies that. That is of course not to ignore the song’s lyrical content. Diggs sings, “Well I’ve been knocked down in chains and lied to/That’s what you get when you don’t play the game/When I step out of line/You’ll follow.” These few lines in themselves paint a clear picture in regards to the comments of the song’s basis. The same can be said of the rest of the song’s lyrical content. What is present here is just a glimpse into the lyrical content’s ability to translate the song’s message. That content set alongside the song’s musical content makes this song an even more solid addition to this record and even more proof of why Delta was worth the wait both for the band’s long-time fans and for those that are less familiar with Rubikon’s body of work.
‘Sermon’ and ‘Live That Lie’ are both clear examples in their own right of why Delta was well worth the wait regardless of listeners’ familiarity with Rubikon’s body of work. While both songs exhibit in their own right plenty of enjoyment, they are hardly the only examples of what makes it so enjoyable. The band shows that for all of the heaviness and power exhibited, it also has a softer side of sorts, too. That is exhibited in the form of the slightly more reserved ‘Wasting Time.’ The song starts off as a fully acoustic piece that is just as certain to hold listeners’ ears as the album’s heavier material. Even at its highest points it still doesn’t get anywhere near as heavy as any of the record’s other songs. That is only one part of what makes this song so enjoyable, too. The manner in which the song’s lyrical content was handled adds even more enjoyment to the song. Because the vocal delivery style here is just as reserved as the music itself, it requires just as close of a listen. What can be deciphered from such an examination is that there is a lot of introspection here. The delivery style is a perfect match for that introspection, too just as with the song’s musical content. All three of the song’s elements connected, they show clearly why this song is just as key to Delta’s enjoyment as ‘Sermon,’ ‘Live That Lie’ and the rest of the album’s songs. All things considered Delta proves that while it was more than ten years in the works, it is an album that was well worth the wait whether or not fans are familiar with the band’s body of work.
Rubikon’s third full-length LP has been more than ten years in the making. Considering how long the wait has been for this record, it has proven with its nine tracks and thirty-seven minutes that the wait was well worth it. Whether for ‘Sermon,’ ‘Live That Lie,’ ‘Wasting Time,’ or any of the remaining half-dozen tracks that make up the body of the album, every element–both musical and lyrical–of this record proves itself important to the whole of the album. All things considered, Delta proves in the end to be an album that is a potential candidate for this year’s list of the best new independent recordings and best new rock records. It will be available Friday, August 21st via Round Hill Records. More information on Delta is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news at:
To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
philspicks 