Skid Row and Buckcherry Ignite Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom [Photos]

On March 5th, the legendary hard rock bands Skid Row and Buckcherry brought the third leg of their “Gang’s All Here Tour” to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. This was the second show in the Metro Vancouver area, having their first one at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, two nights before.

It was a bit unconventional setup where the last performer hopped on the stage at 10:30 pm, which is usually the close time for a weekday concert at the venue; this was not due to any delays but just how it was scheduled. It did not affect the show at all, though.

The Canadian band Sierra Pilot was the opening act, injecting a dose of youth into the lineup. The group recently released a new single, “Turpentine,” and entertained the crowd with their energetic performance.

At 9:00 p.m., the first headliner hit the stage. Buckcherry showed up with their characteristic ’80s rock star flair. They wasted no time and started with the perfect song, “Lit Up,” which caused the reaction the band was looking for.

They followed up with two relatively new songs, “So Hott” and “54321,” from their album Hellbound, which kept the fans going crazy. During their set, Josh Todd, lead singer, could not stop dancing all over the stage in true rockstar fashion. Buckcherry did a total of 12 songs, visiting all their discography and closing with their most famous track, “Crazy Bitch.”

The time arrived for our second headliner, Skid Row, came to a euphoric crowd, most of which, based on a quick survey made by band guitarist and backup vocals Scotti Hill, were over 40 years old, expected when the band was founded in 1986.

They started their set with “Slave to the Grind” from their 1991 album of the same title. Their new vocalist, Erik Gronwall, born a year after the band was founded, has a great voice and knows how to perform and engage with the fans; he is a perfect fit.

They continued with “Big Guns,” “18 and Life,” and “Piece of Me” from their self-titled first studio album from 1989, which awarded them the Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist in the 1990 American Music Awards.

As the seventh song of their set, they covered “Psycho Therapy” by the Ramones and later returned to their first album with “I Remember You.” To close out their 12-song set, they sang “Youth Gone Wild,” which left the fans fired up and wanting to continue the party.

Skid Row and Buckcherry (w/ Sierra Pilot) @ The Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver, BC) on March 5, 2024

48 photos