In a new conversation with Cameron Buchholtz of “Rock 100.5 The KATT FM“, Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd opened up about the band’s identity and their distinct path through the rock music over the past three decades. Todd explained that maintaining a classic rock and roll sound has frequently placed the California outfit in a unique position compared to their contemporaries.
“We’ve kind of been on our own island our whole career. It’s 27 years now, 11 records, and who would’ve thought just being a traditional rock and roll band that we would not fit into any kind of genre of rock at the time?” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
“When we came out, it was, like, rap-rock bands and what I call shoegazer rock, where they’re wearing Buddy Holly glasses and looking down at their shoes,” Josh continued. “And so we came out and we were just different. And we had songs that worked on radio, and voilà, we got to have this great career.”
Addressing the fact that Buckcherry has frequently shared stages with iconic 1980s artists like Tom Keifer of Cinderella, Scorpions, and Skid Row in recent years, Todd noted that their versatile style allows them to adapt to almost any live lineup seamlessly.
“It’s funny, a lot of the ’80s rock guys that are still touring, they always wanna pair up with us. And we get lumped into that genre a lot, but our first record was in 1999. And we can go play with all the active rock bands. We do all that. It’s nice. We fit into any kind of package, and we just kind of adjust our set accordingly to whatever fits. And it’s been a lot of fun,” he concluded.
The band is currently winding down the final legs of their 2026 “Roar Like Thunder” tour. The summer routing includes a series of co-headlining dates with Black Stone Cherry and special guest Tyler Bryant.
The upcoming second leg of the tour kicks off on June 26 in West Fargo, North Dakota, and wraps up on July 25 in Pueblo, Colorado. Notable festival appearances and major stops along the run include a July 2 performance at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a July 12 appearance at the Rockin’ Thunder festival in Edmonton, Canada, opening for Creed.
The itinerary also features an appearance at the Rockin’ The Island festival in Welch, Minnesota supporting Stone Temple Pilots, a performance at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater in Kentucky supporting Bret Michaels, and their annual show at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip during Sturgis Bike Week. Following a festival stop at Rocklahoma in Pryor, Oklahoma, the group will conclude the run at The Vanguard in Orlando, Florida.
To close out the year, Buckcherry will join forces with Scorpions for an eight-show residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, running from September 17 through October 3.
The group’s latest studio effort, Roar Like Thunder, follows the sonic template of their previous releases, 2023’s Vol. 10 and 2021’s Hellbound. The 10-track record was tracking and recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, alongside veteran producer and songwriter Marti Frederiksen, who has previously helmed projects for Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Jonny Lang, and Sheryl Crow. Every track on the album was collectively written by Josh Todd, guitarist Stevie Dacanay, and Frederiksen.
At present, Josh Todd remains the only original member in the active lineup. He is joined on stage by Stevie Dacanay (guitar, backing vocals), Billy Rowe (guitar, backing vocals), Kelly LeMieux (bass), and Francis Ruiz (drums).
Final Run Of ‘Roar Like Thunder’ tour dates:
- July 31 – Riverside, United States – Riverside Casino & Golf Resort (Opening for Stone Temple Pilots)
- August 1 – Jefferson City, United States – Cole County Fair
- August 3 – Kansas City, United States – Knuckleheads
- August 4 – Des Moines, United States – Wooly’s
- August 6 – Gould City, United States – Bates Corner Bar and Grill Outdoors
- August 7 – Carpentersville, United States – Jamborees Day @ Carpenter Park
- August 8 – Cadillac, United States – The Venue
- August 11 – Kearney, United States – Joe’s Honky Tonk
- August 13 – Sturgis, United States – Sturgis Buffalo Chip
- August 15 – Beaver Dam, United States – Beaver Dam Amphitheater (Opening for Bret Michaels)
- August 16 – Pelham, United States – The Caverns (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 18 – Huntington, United States – The Loud (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 19 – Waynesboro, United States – The Foundry (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 20 – Asheville, United States – The Orange Peel
- August 22 – Fort Lauderdale, United States – Culture Room
- August 23 – Key West, United States – Key West Theatre
- August 25 – Fort Myers, United States – The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 26 – St. Petersburg, United States – Jannus Landing (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 27 – Destin, United States – Club LA (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- August 29 – Kalamazoo, United States – Michigan Mac and Cheese Fest
- August 31 – San Antonio, United States – Aztec Theatre (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- September 2 – Houston, United States – House of Blues (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- September 3 – Dallas, United States – House of Blues (w/ Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant)
- September 4 – Norman, United States – Rocklahoma
- September 6 – Orlando, United States – The Vanguard
- September 17–October 3 – Las Vegas, United States – Opening for Scorpions
