You Can Still Be A Sexy, Crazy Bitch In Comfy Clothes - Buckcherry at Xfinity Live! Philadelphia

Last night I was sitting on the couch in yoga pants and a hoodie watching Happy Feet with my nephew and scrolling through my Twitter feed.  I happened to come across a tweet from Buckcherry and learned that they were playing a free show at Xfinity Live! Philadelphia.  "What?!  How did I not know about this?!"  Jay was on his way over because the plan was to veg out and watch scary movies.  That changed real fast.  I shot him a text - "So Buckcherry is playing at Xfinity - let's go!"  "Ok."  I love that he goes with my flow.

So I threw on long johns under a pair of jeans, (the show was outside,) my Doc Martens, and ran a brush through my hair.  There was no time to slut it up, being that we live about a half an hour from the sports complex, the gate had already opened, and it was cold outside.  We missed Lit, but made it well before Buckcherry went on.

We got there around 9:30, and on top of free admission it was free parking.  Score!  Was I thankful for the long johns I had put on?  Yes.  It was quite humorous watching all those women freezing their asses off and having trouble walking around on the brick/concrete ground.  For as crowded as it was, it was pretty easy to get to the bar as well.  Another score.  And I really can't say I minded spending over $6 for a Coors Light when I didn't have to pay an outrageous amount of money to park or see one of my favorite bands up close and personal.
The show itself was great - Buckcherry rocked the house.  I expected no less, dancing around in my Docs, the previous night's makeup, and showing my support for Concord high school's football team with my hoodie.  I think the last time I saw these guys was back in 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center.

It just goes to show you never when your night will take a turn for the awesome.  I was planning on laying on the couch in sweats while watching movies.  I ended up seeing one of my favorite bands, for free, and getting the chance to say hey to Josh Todd and Stevie Decanay.  Pretty fucking cool.  They love their fans and know how to make us all feel sexy, even in comfy clothes.

You never forget the first rockstar to reach down your shirt and cop a feel.

Guitarist and photographer extraordinaire, Stevie Decanay.

Decisions, Decisions

311 just added a show to their spring tour in Las Vegas.  On February 19th, of course.  Because that's the same day as Buckcherry in Philadelphia.  And the same weekend my brother and sister in law decided to have the Mid-Winter Classic down at her parents' beach house.

It's not like I can afford to fly out to Vegas right now anyway.  (When I say I don't regret anything I've done, like blowing my money on various trips and concerts around the country too much, too fast, it becomes a little more of  lie every day.)

But going to see Buckcherry would be a lot less expensive than a night in Atlantic City.  And flying to Vegas.

Good things come to those who wait though, right?  To those with patience, and those who make a valiant effort to get their shit together, even though it's going to take a long time?

Hopefully.

Someone Read My Mind

Since I am such a head case, I always have to make sure I have things planned that I can be excited for.  Otherwise my mind starts to idle and the demons inside come out to play.  So I thought I'd share that I am going to this come hell or high water.  I mean, how can I not when it combines two of my favorite things, Buckcherry and Jagermeister??

Also, Sweet Cyanide has a show in NYC this Saturday night that I really, really,  really want to go to, but I'm not hiking up there without a partner in crime, and my friends, well, can really suck sometimes.

The Concert Timeline

My very first concert was at the Spectrum in 1997. Lauren's dad took her, Andrea and I to see Bush and Veruca Salt. We were thirteen.

When I was 14, my dad took my brother and I to the now non-existent Stone Balloon to see Reel Big Fish. They were one of my favorite bands, and still remain in the top twenty. They played at the Stone Balloon again the following year and I went with Samantha to see them.

At the end of my freshman year of high school, my friend Samantha had an extra ticket to the Y100 Feztival, so we got to leave school early and go to the E-Center in Camden to see Everclear and Green Day.

When I was 15, Samantha, Lisa and I went to see SILVERCHAIR and Lit at the Trocodero in Philly. We were so excited we couldn't help but act like retards. Samantha's mom dropped us off in Chinatown and we waited in line freezing our asses off for what felt like an eternity, smoking bootlegged cigarettes thinking it would help keep us warm. (See what I mean about retarded?) I remember having to pee so bad that Sam and I ran across the street to a Chinese restaurant to see if we could use their bathroom and when the hostess refused Sam started crying and she let us in. I'll elaborate more on Silverchair in another post.

My first 311 show was right after my junior year. One of the best.

That same summer I went to Warped Tour 2000 that was held in the parking lot of the E-Center in Camden, NJ with Bridget and her two younger brothers. It poured down rain as we were waiting in line to get in, and then didn't rain for the rest of the day. There were so many bands on the bill that I can't remember everyone that played. I do remember getting to see The Long Beach Dub Allstars, which I was ecstatic about because I never got to see Sublime live. Green Day was one of the headliners as well.

Oh so many concerts...I'm having a hard time remember them all. Taproot, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Incubus, Dave Matthews Band, Trey Anastasio, Liz Phair, tons of music festivals, tons of 311, Motley Crue, Buckcherry, and not to mention all the local rock bands that I go out to see every chance I get.

Stay tuned for posts about each of my concert experiences...

Buckcherry

I first discovered Buckcherry about ten years ago in the now-extinct Rainbow Records. I was browsing for CDs, not looking for anything in particular when I noticed the album art on their first self-titled disc.

I thought it was so cool that I picked the CD up, read the song list on the back and bought it, having never heard of these guys before. As soon as I put it on at home I was hooked. No-frills cock rock. LOVED IT. And that was the beginning of my obsession with this particular band. Especially Joshua Todd. Yeah, yeah, it's all the about the music. And believe me, it is. But I'm a horny groupie too so I can't help it! Josh Todd is MY King DirtyBoy Rockstar. I don't care what anyone says. It's in his look, his stage presence, that distintive voice of his. And two words: "The Cut."

Through the years Buckcherry has remained one of my Top Five favorite bands. I had thought they fell off the grid for a while after Time Bomb was released, but then my brother, of all people, played Crazy Bitch for me before it hit the radio stations. I of course ran out to pick up the new album, 15, as soon as I could. As well as a tank top with "Crazy Bitch" scrawled across the chest. I got my aunt one for her birthday too, because that's how we roll. That summer we wore those tops everywhere in Dewey Beach; she became known as "CB-1" and I was "CB-2."

It wasn't until the WMMR-B-Q in May 2007 that I finally got the chance to see them live. The 'R-B-Q is an all day musicfest put on by the local rock station I listen to. I was sitting at the kitchen table having my coffee when I heard that Buckcherry was on the bill, as well as Evanesence, Chevelle, and Velvet Revolver, so I quickly rounded up the troops for a day of tailgating and Rock & Roll. That day will have to be another post in itself. It was a fucking BLAST.

Three years later I finally got the chance to see Buckcherry headlining a tour at the House of Blues, and to meet the band. TO MEET THE FUCKING BAND. I went broke scoring VIP tickets and booking a room at the Showboat in Atlantic City for myself and two of my best girls and it was worth it. All I could think of was how bad I wanted to tell these guys the impact they had on my love for rock, that began over ten years ago. And make Josh Todd aware of the fact that I've been fantasizing about him since I was fifteen years old.

Being the diva that I am, I made sure I was going be responsible for a few jaws hitting the floor when I walked into the room where the band was. Actually the entire casino for that matter. A red satin corset trimmed in black lace, a black pleated skirt and knock-em-out-drag-em-down stilettos. Trust me, in the right outfit, you can do anything.

So we wandered around the casino until it was time for the Meet & Greet and I did my best to ignore the stares from creepy old guys. We were stoked up enough for the show that it didn't really matter. I was in groupie-mode and thank God I had my girls to keep me cool. I really didn't want to act a fool when it came time for me to be face to face with five guys that have rocked my world for so long. Especially Mr. Joshua Todd who has unknowingly participated in some of the filthiest scenarios my Dirty Mind (that's a song reference too!) has come up with. The PR guy handed out a 10x10 promo shot for the Black Butterfly album to all of us, and I had brought along a photo I've had of Josh Todd for years, when the only tattoo visible was CHAOS across his abs. This was back when Calvin Klein was running his "Dirty Jeans" ads. It hangs on my wall directly across from my bed to this day, but now it's adorned with his autograph.


Once we took our place in line, the next half hour or so was a blur. As soon as we we entered the same room where Stevie, Jimmy, Keith, Josh, and Xavier were sitting, I went weak in the knees. "Don't act a fool Don't act a fool" I kept saying over and over in my head. Then before I knew it I was standing face to face with the band I've been obsessed with for years. And I told them that. I handed the Calvin Klein ad to Josh for him to sign, and asked if he remembered it. Then I lifted up my skirt to give them an eyeful of the tattoo on my right thigh. I of course had to ask the guys to sign my tits as well, what groupie would forget to do that? They were happy to do so of course, and Josh even reached in to cop a feel of my right one, making that face that guys do so well that says, "Damn baby!" I think I even flashed one of the roadies because Keith told me the guy hadn't seen a nice pair of tits in years. We all then got our pictures taken with the guys, and I had my pose all planned out.

According to my girls, as I was walking away from the group after having my picture taken, Mr. Todd eyed me up and down like he wanted to devour. I didn't believe them. We ran up to our hotel room to drop off our stuff before the show started, and I collasped on the bed in a giddy heap, on Cloud 9. "He seriously looked at me like that?!" "Yes! I swear!" I was in heaven, and we haven't even seen them perform yet.

We made our way back down to the House of Blues for the show. And it was fan-fucking-tastic. It was a relatively intimate show, being that venue is not that big. I switched into "concert mode" almost immediately, and it was kind of hard for my girls to communicate with me because I was so into the show, sucking every ounce in possible and taking photos as well.

That was one of the best nights of my life. The concert was amazing. So hard to put into words. I also went to see Buckcherry open for KISS in October. I'm not a big fan of KISS, but I wasn't going to pass up a chance to see Buckcherry again. It was another amazing show as well; I managed to catch a guitar pick thrown off the stage by Keith, and my girl Kathy tossed a bra up on stage, which was fucking hilarious. I can't deny I was a little disappointed that their set was so short, but I guess when you open for a huge band like KISS, you take what you get and are happy to even just be there. I look forward to continuing my love affair with Buckcherry's music for as long as they keep cranking out albums. If I wasn't a Rock and Roll Princess before I discovered them, I sure as hell am now.

The Groupie Label

I'm sure I tend to come off as just another groupie. At least I'm a groupie who KNOWS the music. Who understands the muscianship between 3, 4, or 5 people playing together on a stage. One who has the albums from 10 or 20 years ago.

I picked up on Incubus when I was 16, before they hit it big. I'm not dissing or intentionally offending people who start following musicians when they hear a hit on the radio for the first time. I've done that too. As soon as I heard "Pardon Me" by Incubus I went out and got the album, along with previously released ones. I learned the music. I listened to it over and over again. I familiarized myself with Incubus's style, and their evolution as a band, from Fungus Amongus up to Morning View. Yes, I thought Brandon Boyd was incredibly hot. But what made him even more attractive was his songwriting. I met him at the Electric Factory after a show one night, and we held a full blown conversation amisdt the crowd of people that had gathered. I told him how much I loved the music. How it captivated me, and that I thought his style was unique. He listened intently, nodding and expressing his genuine appreciation of my fanship. There was no "Yeah, thanks, do you have a pen?" Other girls were grabbing at him as were talking and he completely ignored it. I wasn't gushing over his looks, I was tapping into a love we both shared, a love of music. I wasn't giving empty compliments either, and he picked up on that, which is why I think he gave me a few minutes of his time. The same goes for the rest of the band. Incredibly nice guys who were probably still in awe of their newfound fame. DJ Kilmore was an absolute sweetheat, joking with me and flashing a beautiful smile. They were happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs. I have a framed poster hanging on the wall that each member had signed, minus the drummer because he didn't come out.

Me with Brandon Boyd, circa 2001

I was at Incubus concert at Hershey Stadium in Pennsylvania a few years ago with two of my best girls, Jenny and Dara. The three of us were avid Incubus fans. We sang along to all the songs. And in between songs could not help but get a little excited over Brandon Boyd, especially when he took his shirt off. It was fucking sexy! There were three bitches behind us talking shit the whole time. I guess they thought the only reason we were there is because we were teenyboppers? Jenny and Dara managed to talk me out of turning around and slugging the ringleader of their little group.

I usually don't mind being called a groupie. Or a groupie slut. It's not hard for me to leave my mark if I feel so inclined when I'm at a concert, except it's quite difficult when the band is relatively mainstream or has a huge following like 311. Yes, I am a 311 groupie. But I do not want to sleep with the guys in the band. I would die for a chance to interact with them as humans, not false gods. The same goes for Billy Corgan.

I've got typical groupie stories. I fucking flew to Chicago for one night just to see The Last Vegas. And went broke to get the chance to meet Buckcherry. And stood outside of the Electric Factory to catch glimpses and autographs of various other bands. And I bought another copy of a Liz Phair CD so that I could meet her. I've lost count of how many times I've had my tits signed by musicians. It's all in so much good fun. Sometimes it borderlines obsession, (okay, sometimes it IS obsession) but I love my music, and I love when a musician can reach into my soul, or my pants haha, and grab it by the throat.

IT'S ALL FOR THE LOVE OF ROCK AND ROLL.