Buckcherry’s Zesty Set Comes in Many Flavors

When it comes to sources of inspiration, Buckcherry sure knows how to pick ‘em. The L.A. quintet’s meaty sound is a simmering blend of fine rock ingredients: some twangy Black Crowes boogie, heaps of AC / DC crunch, a touch of beefy power pop a la Cheap Trick and a little Ziggy Stardust swagger. The mixture made for a potent debut album, the recently released “Buckcherry,” but at the crowded Viper Room on Tuesday the group spiced up its songs even more with its zesty stage presence.

Despite the glam-rock trappings the musicians sported (standard issue makeup and glittery clothes, with vistas of tattoos thrown in for good measure), they didn’t deliver the music with gratuitous flash--just megawatts of energy and lean, solid playing. The raucous spirit never let up, though the material ranged from up-tempo numbers that bashed with punk abandon to mellower pieces (not quite ballads) that embraced the audience with friendly, familiar chord progressions.

Frontman Joshua Todd is a curious but compelling cross between a sassy Steven Tyler and the spacily intense Perry Farrell. Second guitarist Yogi (added to the lineup since “Buckcherry” was recorded), bulked up the sound and served as a perfect foil for fellow ax-man Keith Nelson.

Buckcherry’s roots may be as obvious as the tattoos on Todd’s torso, but it pays homage to them with a fervor that is distinctly its own.