There are very few bands out there that will show up to a gig and put on a rock show without any boundaries. None of that watered down, stick to your curfew, tell the audience what they want to hear bullshit. I’d go out on a limb to say that one of those bands is Buckcherry. Another such band is their main support, Joyous Wolf. Between the two of them, we were pretty much guaranteed a good time.
Playing at Portland’s Hawthorne Theater, with temperatures outside pushing up into the high 90’s, people piled into the venue and it only got hotter. In fact, it was so full, it was difficult to lift your beer to your mouth. Don’t worry about me though. I’m resilient. I made it work.
After a couple of openers, it was time for it to get heavy.
Joyous Wolf, in support of their newest EP titled A Place In Time, did what they do best… turning the entire Hawthorne Theater into their own personal living space. As if the pit and the barrier didn’t even exist. In fact, I don’t think there’s a venue that’s been built yet that can contain the energy Joyous Wolf puts out. Last time Joyous Wolf came to town, they were confined to the front lounge, but there would be no such limitation this time. Front man Nick Reese covered every inch of the stage and more. During the last song of their set, he motioned for the crowd to part, then launched himself out onto the venue’s main floor. There, he danced and grooved through the last song of their breathless performance.
Connect with Joyous Wolf (click icons):
Buckcherry made their way up to the stage, opening with a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, right off their latest album, Warpaint. Later in the set, lead singer Josh Todd shared a tale of the first time he did cocaine, snorting a line off a Ouija board. Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll. If that’s what you came for, Buckcherry was going to deliver it on a silver platter. Everyone present was pushing, dripping with sweat and rocking their asses off as they surged toward the barrier. If that sounds like your bag, these kings of the genre are out on the road until the end of the year. Get some!
