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Buckcherry Struts The rock band brought up the energy level at the Cactus Club with American Heartbreak and Tinfed By Sarah Quelland THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE seeing a dirty rock & roll band in the flesh. Last Friday (Nov. 10), the Cactus Club hosted two bands that are looking to carry on the tradition of that old-school sweaty rock & roll sound established by bands like Cheap Trick, Aerosmith and the Cult. San Francisco's American Heartbreak kicked off the night with its trashy punk spirit and pissed-off lyrics, performing songs from its debut, What You Deserve, and its new release, Postcards From Hell. Tinfed took the night in a different direction with its appealing brand of electronic rock (which would likely have complemented Electrasy's sound, had the band not canceled), before Buckcherry brought the energy level back up. It's not surprising that Buckcherry cites Iggy Pop, Kiss, the Sex Pistols and AC/DC as major influences. Weathered, tattooed frontman Joshua Todd looks a bit like a young Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), and he performs with a similarly brash swagger. Still, despite a huge industry buzz and major-label support from DreamWorks Records, Buckcherry remains a pretty mediocre band. Its raucous rock & roll strut works great in rowdy bars and clubs, but it's not enough to camouflage the band's merely average material. San Francisco's high-quality rock outfit Swarm fills the niche much better. To be fair, Buckcherry does have a good stage presence, and the band could have the potential to come back with more ammo on its next album. As it was, Buckcherry put on a fun show, but one that was far from groundbreaking. This Thursday (Nov. 16), LIVE 105 will be broadcasting live from the Cactus Club with the DJ With No Name. ... Friday (Nov. 17), Curbside celebrates its CD release at the Cactus with the Shitkickers, Riff Raff, Uncle Lucifer and Motiv. ... On Saturday (Nov. 18), Outtaline, the Wunder Years, FreakbomB, Two Minute Warning, HBA and Merrick participate in a Brian Deneke Tribute concert. In 1997, Deneke was the victim of a fatal assault with a vehicle during a melee between the punks and the jocks in Amarillo, Texas. Since his death, punk bands all over the country have organized memorial concerts. This event will be held at the Brass Rail on the Santa Clara University campus. Tickets are $7, and the bands start at 6pm. ... Movement, Shortie, Zero2 and Local ODdity are putting on a show Saturday (Nov. 18) to try to boost flagging attendance at the all-ages Gaslighter's Music Hall in Gilroy. If more interest in the club isn't generated, bands could lose the space as a place to play. LIVE 105's The DJ With No Name's Local Lounge Volume 2 compilation is in stores now (try Rasputin's in Campbell). The second disc in the series features Insolence's "Jump Up," Outtaline's "Mickey" and Drist's "Sterile," along with songs by the Dwarves, Divit, the Blue, Orixa, Glitter Mini 9, Dryspell, A.F.I., Magnified, Artbox, the Sick, Link 80, See Jane Run, Tiger Army, Blue Period, Loose Lips, the Nerve Agents, the Flames, Throttlefinger and Slender. ... Marilyn Manson's latest, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death), was released last Tuesday (Nov. 14). Don't look for the band to come through the Bay Area any time soon though. Marilyn Manson kicked off the "Guns, God and Government" world tour on Oct. 27 in Minnesota and will continue to tour throughout the eastern and southern parts of the country. Early next year, it takes off for Europe. As of yet, no West Coast dates have been announced. Visit www.marilynmanson.net for updates. PLAN AHEAD: Maximum Indifference, T-1, Hustler and Zero Hour, Nov. 16 at the Usual; Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen and Doro Pesch, Nov. 16 at the Fillmore in San Francisco; Badly Drawn Boy, Nov. 16 at Bimbo's in San Francisco; No Use for a Name, Nov. 16 at Palookaville in Santa Cruz and Nov. 17 at Slim's in San Francisco; Monkey, Nov. 17 at the Britannia Arms in Cupertino; the Misfits and Impotent Sea Snakes, Nov. 17 at Maritime Hall in San Francisco; Slightly Stoopid, Nov. 18 at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz; Moodfrye, Left Out Lamont, Jimmy 2 Times and the Fantastic Five, Nov. 18 at the Fishbowl in Sunnyvale; Anger Management Tour with Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Eminem and Xzibit, Nov. 19 at the San Jose Arena; Peter Murphy, Nov. 24-25 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco; Machine Head, Nov. 25 at Maritime Hall. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]