Last Saturday night (Sep 14), Buckethead played at 9:30 club as part of a nationwide tour. The virtuosic guitarist known for his unique attire – a KFC Bucket on his head and a slasher film style mask – played an exciting set that involved a wide range of genres and showcased his impressive techniques. With only himself and a drummer (who also sang) on stage, the show also had plenty of interesting quirks, including nunchuck tricks (while playing guitar!) and a toy giveaway at the end. The crowd was mostly made up of millennial metalheads and older appreciators of guitar music.
The show started mellow, but that quickly changed as Buckethead unleashed his array of skillful guitar tricks. Buckethead’s discography includes 650 albums (including 31 “serious” studio albums), which widely feature his guitar talents. During the first couple of songs, using techniques reminiscent of those of Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, he made his guitar sound like a DJ scratching a record disk through the power of sheer volume and special guitar effects pedals. Most of Buckethead’s other songs feature simple heavy metal chord progressions that he took a unique spin on through the use of unorthodox techniques and a ton of effects. For example, he created this “stuttering” effect by rhythmically altering his pickup switch (which basically changes the tone of the guitar) instead of strumming. The crowd also went wild when he started swinging some nunchucks in one hand and shredding using the other, a trick he loves to do at many of his shows.
After that, we were treated to a fantastic cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, whose slow tempo, heavily distorted guitars, and pure angst made it a perfect song for Buckethead to put his own spin on. This was the first time we heard the drummer’s singing, which really did Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals justice. Buckethead also played Tommy Iommi’s solo note for note as a tribute, in addition to adding his own share of shredding. Immediately afterwards, we got to hear one of Buckethead’s most well known songs – “Soothsayer” – where he exchanged the powerful distorted tone of guitar that he’d used thus far for a cleaner sound overlaid with a delay effect (which creates an echo sound). The crowd went crazy as the song slowly went from mesmerizing clean guitar riffs to epically skillful guitar solos. The intermission followed after another heavier song which got some of the younger folks in the crowd moshing and headbanging.
In the back half of the show, Buckethead switched guitars, exchanging his classic white Gibson Les Paul for an acoustic guitar. After a short and technical bluegrass tune, he played another classic– “Interworld and the New Innocence”- a peaceful solo guitar piece that mesmerized the audience. After that, he and his drummer played a variety of covers, ranging from “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys to “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac, both of which the crowd adored. Following the acoustic covers, Buckethead returned to his classic, effects-laden style of heavy metal, which really amped up the energy of the crowd. thoroughly enjoyed the masterful display of guitar virtuosity that closed off the show. Before his final song, Buckethead did a classic tradition of his – a toy giveaway. Following the giveaway, the audience erupted in applause as they thoroughly enjoyed the masterful display of guitar virtuosity that closed off the show. Overall, this concert was fantastic. As a guitarist myself, I greatly appreciated his mastery of the instrument and impressive use of amazingly weird guitar tricks.
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