Live: Buckcherry Hellbound in Indianapolis

Buckcherry is one of the bands that just kept going during the pandemic. They kept writing and even played shows where they were able to. Now that they’re coming up on the 1-year anniversary of the release of their Hellbound record, they’ve hit the road with Blacktop Mojo and Sumo Cyco and the tour recently hit Indy’s Hi-Fi. The show was originally slated to take place at the Hi-Fi Annex- an outdoor venue behind the Hi-Fi, but heavy rain and winds forced the show to be moved indoors. It was also made to be 21+, which guaranteed it to be a party, which it was. The fun thing about this tour is that all three bands sound vastly different. Sumo Cyco opened the show with the heaviest set of the night. Much like Buckcherry- Sumo Cyco’s latest record came out around this time in 2021 and they were ready to unleash a lot of those songs to the public. Singer Skye Sever was more than ready with this being the fourth date of the tour and her energy was infectious. She jumped off the stage and spent time in the crowd more than once, made her way to the bar, climbed on top of it and did a whiskey shot, getting the fans more than fired up. Next up, Blacktop Mojo brought their southern metal roots to the stage and those in the crowd that didn’t know about them instantly fell in love. Singer Matt James’ vocals echoed through the bones of those in attendance and made their hair stand up and with his high notes he proved he stand up with the likes of legends. They were the sleeper band of the tour going in and everyone at the Hi-Fi was a fan before their set was over. Finally, it was time for Buckcherry to hit the stage and the party really started. From the opening notes of “54321” to “Crazy Bitch,” the crowd was doing shots, dancing and letting out any and all energy they had left. Singer Josh Todd didn’t take a lot of time to talk to the crowd as it was all business from start to finish. For many fans, it was still the first concert they’d been to since before the COVID pandemic and they made sure to cash in on their hard-earned money being spend and savored every second, making it a fun show for everyone there- even if they were there for other bands on the bill. -Reggie Edwards