Good old hard rock returns to the SunDome on Thursday

YAKIMA, Wash. — Next week, rock returns to the Yakima Valley SunDome when the Avenged Sevenfold/Buckcherry tour comes to town. The two hard rock bands kicked off the second leg of a co-headlining tour Wednesday and roll into Yakima next Thursday.

"The first leg was great; that's why we're doing it again," says Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd. "It was really successful; we get along with those guys great. They're Southern California boys. I grew up in Southern California, you know. It was like hangin' with guys I went to high school with."

Also on the tour is Papa Roach and Saving Abel. And although none of the bands are necessarily household names, thousands of concertgoers are still stoked for some raucous rock 'n' roll to rattle the SunDome.

"I'm not really a huge fan, I'm more of a medium fan but I think it's going to be a really good show," says 28-year-old Meagan Paullin, who bought her boyfriend tickets as a birthday present.

"I haven't been to a concert in years and years," adds Paullin.

At local rock radio station KATS 94.5-FM, there's been quite a buzz since the show was announced last month, says morning show host Todd Lyons.

"This is the first time in eight years there's been a rock concert with bands currently on the rock charts," notes Lyons, who'll be at the show "with bells on."

The show he's referring to is the 1999 SunDome performance by Mötley Crüe. And, in fact, it was another mainstream rock band that kicked off the SunDome in 1992: Def Leppard, who still hold the venue's attendance record.

But to match the more than 8,000 Def Leppard tickets sold, "we'd have to sit some people on top of each other," says Greg Lybeck, assistant general manager for State Fair Park.

Next week's general admission show is a mix of stadium seats and an open, standing floor area. About 6,500 people will pile into the SunDome if it sells out -- which it could, says Chris Moore of Knitting Factory Entertainment in Boise, Idaho, the promoter of the show.

"I think this area is excited about rock music," says Moore, who happens to be a 1990 East Valley High School graduate whose parents still live here. He also worked as the ticket office manager for the SunDome from 1992-95.

At about $40 a ticket, the concert is relatively inexpensive and Moore says the tour is selling well across all markets. And even if A-list status seems elusive, Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry have built die-hard fan bases over decade-long careers.

"We have an army of fans who love what we do," says Buckcherry's tattooed and toned Todd. "I think it's just a matter of time for it to become mainstream."

Branded an unapologetic sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll party band, Buckcherry's breakthrough came in 1999 with the cocaine-loving single "Lit Up" off the band's debut album, followed by the hits "Crazy B**ch" and "Sorry" from its third record.

Buckcherry is now on the road in support of its fourth album, "Black Butterfly," which came out in September and features the hard-hitting track "Rescue Me" and the sexually explicit first single "Too Drunk."

"Nobody writes songs about partying anymore," defends Todd. "There's no great rock 'n' roll party anthems anymore. There's a huge void for it and that's why I like to write them."

With more of a metal edge, Avenged Sevenfold's hits include "Bat Country," "Seize the Day," "Almost Easy" and "Afterlife."

Evolving from a rock-rap outfit to a straight-forward rock band, Papa Roach's well-known songs include "Getting Away With Murder," "Scars" and "Forever," while new band Saving Abel -- the only non-California band on the bill -- received plenty of air play last year for the song "Addicted."

All four bands are on major labels, and even those who don't recognize their names should recognize their songs.

"People can't believe we're getting all four (bands)," says KATS' Lyons.

"I'm glad for our listeners," he adds. "There's nothing better than live music when it's performed by people with a passion for it -- when it's loud and proud."

That's part of the reason Paullin is going. It's a bonus that the show falls on her boyfriend's birthday, but she also thinks the combination of blaring, fun music, plus some beer and good friends, will make for a great time.

"I'm more excited about this than anything else that's come to town recently," says Paullin, who doesn't describe herself as normally a big rock fan.

While this is the first rock concert at the SunDome in recent memory, it follows quickly behind two highly attended performances in 2008: the sold-out Carrie Underwood concert in May and the all-but-sold-out George Lopez appearance in October. (Audience capacity varies from show to show depending on the stage configuration.)

And with every SunDome success, the easier it is to convince promoters that Yakima is a rock -- and pop, country, comedy -- city.

"Hopefully this leads to many more," says the SunDome's Lybeck.

* For links to all the bands coming to the SunDome on Thursday, visit on.yakimablogs.com.

If you go

WHO: Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry
with Papa Roach and Saving Abel.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Yakima Valley SunDome, 1301 S. Fair Ave.

HOW MUCH: Tickets cost $39.75 and are available through TicketsWest, 800-325-7328, www.ticketswest.com, or the State Fair Park ticket office, 248-7160. Parking costs $6.

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