1991: As usual, this page, as with a great part of the rest of the site, would not have been possible without the help of ex-BOC roadie, Sam Judd, and it's his notes which inform many of the facts contained herein...
Have you got anything to contribute to this page? Reviews, missing info, ticket stubs, posters etc etc - if so, let me .
This gig was at the Omni in Oakland, CA.
Opening bands were local bands: Black Tide, My Victim. Both were terrible.
Here is a setlist contribution for my first ever BOC show... Februrary 12th 1991, Sacramento - CrestTheatre.
The only thing is it's not exactly in order, and I will indicate a "?" if I'm not sure about the song... But I think this is pretty darn close to what they played, using your site's other Feb. '91 gigs setlists helped a lot, and jogged my memory.
Again, I am definitely off in the actual order, but pretty close. Also not 100% sure about if they did Buck's Boogie or "Before The Kiss". By the way - this show kicked ass! The band/show was amazing. Too bad I've never been able to find a recording of it...
My most distinct memory for that show is seeing the "4 guitar line-up" during "Red & Black" at the end for the first time, as that was my first b.o.c. gig.
Also - Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs and now in Deep Purple, joined the band onstage for "Roadhouse Blues", on guitar.
Thursday 02/28/1991 - Amazing Grace/Blue Oyster Cult: Sinbads, Williamsville, NY
Notes: I went with Kitty and Adrian, I was just shy of 21, but I chalked up my ID. I got through, Adrian didn't.
Set list (not in order):
Back in the 80's through early 90's, The Stone was a great (if grimey) nightclub venue for the S.F. bay area Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scene. It's since closed down a long time ago.
It held maybe around 600 people, maybe 700. Well, since being late to the party (a BOC fan) this was my 2nd time seeing the band in four months. I had just seen my first BOC gig, in February, at the Crest Theatre, in Sacramento, and about a month or two later I was reading the SF Chronicle entertainment section, and saw the Stone's ad for upcoming gigs, low and behold, the legendary Blue Oyster Cult was back, this time in San Francisco.
My high school buddy, Tony S., and I made the trip from Stockton, and met up with another good friend of mine, Dave O. for this show. We got to the Stone, and if memory serves me right, Bolle and Melne were outside of the club handing out BOC fanclub flyers, and hanging out while we waited in line to get in.
Later, we watched the opening band The Four Horsemen, who rocked out with a Southern rock-boogie flair. Those guys were one of the better opening bands I've seen. But that night it was all about BOC!
The band took the stage to the usual "Blade Runner" background theme music playing, and ripped into "Stairway To The Stars", followed by "O.D.'d On Life Itself" and a real hidden gem, "Transmaniacon MC", which was a real treat. The crowd was packed full with die-hards (who else?) and was loving it all.
At this point, the band was playing strictly old stuff, as this was a good year away before any new material in the setlist. Eric and Buck were in fine voice and good spirits, always giving SF a killer show, as they do.
Bassist Jon Rogers, drummer Ron Riddle, and of course, the one and only Allen Lanier, on the keyboards and guitar rounded out the lineup. It goes without saying Buck Dharma was amazing on the guitar that night, but I'll say it anyway.
Getting to see the band in a small club is always a memorable experience, the intimacy and vibe is right on, powerful and immediate. Other highlights were... the whole show! Really, though - hearing "Unknown Tongue" and "Black Blade" back to back, was awesome, and a powerful version of "Astronomy", "Take Me Away", "ETI" and "Before The Kiss, A Redcap" were a lot of fun as well.
Of course, "the big 3" brought down the house, back when they used played "Burnin' For You", "Godzilla", and "Don't Fear The Reaper" all in a row.
Though not quite as lenghthy a setlist as the Crest show, from a few months before, I had no complaints, having seeing the mighty BOC twice in three months.
The encore was a rip-roaring version of "The Red and The Black" and I remember watching Allen, Buck, Jon, and Eric stand there just a few feet in front of me wailing away, and I still have a vivid, visual memory of that moment.
On the recording of this show, you can hear someone (maybe Bolle) say "that's the wimpiest kick drum I've ever heard"... LOL. True, Ron Riddle's bass drum was not up in the mix enough, but other than that - no problems.
Another great, rockin' BOC show for the loyal SF and Nor Cal fans. This was also (correct me if I'm wrong) the last time the band would play any other venue than Slim's, when in San Francisco.
The show at New George's in San Rafael, California on 91-05-06 was the last time Diz-Busters was played.
Eric asked me and Sandy Pearlman before the show if we desired anything special for the show and we both at the same time said Diz... and that's it...
The version went down somewhat weird with a minor misunderstanding between Buck, Ron Riddle on one hand and Jon Rogers with Eric and Allen on the other.... it sort of was... shall we dare saying it... somewhat untogether... and not to be repeated again to this day... maybe this can all change now that we're in the 2000s ;-)
This show kind of sucked, I thought. The place was small, hot, poor airflow... I think it may have been a converted skating rink or something (and, if memory serves, burned to the ground not too many years back).
Standard setlist, nice Roadhouse... and during Zilla someone in the front gave Allen a giant inflatable Godzilla and he paraded around the stage with it.
June 8th 1991 at Boomers Public House was in Rock Island, not Moline. This also was an outdoor gig.
I remember my first show. BOC had consumed my life since I was 11 years old and I had to wait 10 long years to see them with my own eyes. I was finally 21 and they were playing at Biddy Muligan's on the north side of Chicago. It was June 20 something 1991. It was a long time coming, I was finally going to see my only favorite band. But suckiness was about to strike, I got real sick days before the show. High fever (103.5), weak, crap coming outta both ends, ugh! But there was no way in Hell or this life that I was gonna let some stupid ass virus ruin this night!
My husband and brother, his girlfriend at the time and I drove up there and were early enough to be the very first in line to get in the door. We waited and waited as the line grew and what little strength I had vanished. When they finally let us in, my brother dragged my sorry ass quickly to the stage and parked me leaning against a speaker that was right in front of Buck's mic. I was so close my boobs rested on the stage. I was in a dream like state, brought on by the fever, though I convinced myself it was the sheer awesomeness of being where I was, finally.
The place filled up fast and it was squashing room only. As we endured the opening band, my head was spinning. Everytime I turned my head, I got a huge wiff of what I at any other time I would salivate over, but not tonight, too sick, beer and weed. By the time the support act left the stage, I had to go to the bathroom. Ugh. As I was squeezing my way through the mushed sea of fans, everything went black and I passed out. I dropped, but it was so packed, only my knees hit the floor, lol. As I went down, I grabbed some dude's arm. I'm sure he thought I was just some wasted doofussy chick and he yanked me back up and pushed me through the crowd.
I returned to my spot, at Buck's feet and as BOC took the stage, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like an epiphany(sp?). I was able to stand and make it almost through the whole show, I couldn't turn away, I couldn't rip them from my sight, the men who had so much influenced my life since I was 11, shaped my brain into the person that I was.
I can't remember the set list at all, sorry. But inevitably, I had to go outside and get some fresh air or I was going to pass out again. I listened from the sidewalk, I only missed the last couple songs. But that was ok, I was there, I got to see them with my own eyes, hear them with my own ears, I experienced the magic. They had played for me.
Oh, I had brought my T&M album with me (just in case, lol) and handed it to my brother's girlfriend before I had to get out of there and after the show she went to see if she could get it signed. As she was standing there, some one pushed her from behind and sent her over some line that was painted on the floor. As soon as she did a certain person (I won't name names, but his name starts with an S) screamed at her for going over the line and sent a fist flying into her face! Needless to say, my album didn't get signed, lol, as she called the cops instead. And we spent some time outside that evening listening the this person try to explain to the cops why he punched a female fan in the face.
That's the story of my first BOC show.
This set list is from Miwaukee's Summerfest show a year after Imaginos came out. This was a special gig for my girlfriend [later wife] and I and my younger brother Eric and girlfriend, Sandra [later wife].
Sandra knew a disc jockey at the local Milwaukee rock station 93QFM. He got us back stage BEFORE the show. We were waiting for the van with them to arrive which was cool. They pull in and right away we kind of descend on them especailly Buck. I have some pics of this, a tad blurry, but not bad. We all had ourpics taken with EB and Buck. Mine is with an arms folded EB looking tough in a cut off sleeve blue jean jacket and Buck holding his gtr. like he's playing it. I have a pic of Jon Rogers writing down the set list as Buck was reading them off to him. Right before that hit the stage I over heard Buck tell the roadie to "let these people watch from here" so we watched them from the wings stage left.
I have some very cool shots of them from behind and side. I will write the set list like Jon wrote it down. Actually got it at end of show.
I did get my cassette of Imaginos signed by Buck and still have that today...
July 5th at the Beacham Theatre in Orlando, Florida.
About the only thing I really recall from this show was a bunch of 'contest winners' parading onstage in Godzilla masks during the song.
I have info on this show. The opening band was called Rights Of The Accused.
I can confirm this show took place on this date and featured Foghat...
1991 - 25 Aug, Country Lodge, Lime Lake, NY, USA, Shadowfox and Peer Pressure Project opening
For the 91 gig there were 2 openers (as per the stub): Peer Pressure Project and Shadowfox (Shadowfax opening would have been something, since they were an 80s kind of New Age/Ambient group -- talk about contrasts!).
Country Lodge, Lime Lake 1991 - See above minus the snow ;-) Another redneck kind of bar. I remember this show being SCREAMING loud!! My buddy who had never seen them said he needed to go outside at one point (they were letting people stand on the porch and in the parking lot to smoke or whatever) and we both commented that outside the sound was at what normally be considered concert volume. Yikes!
This gig was in a small area near the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee. I notice on your gigs you go from August to October with no gigs. I saw them that Sept on the Old Style stage at this park. Cheap Trick played after them but we left before they played.
At this show we talked to Buck briefly over a small fence before the show and also Allen who seemed reluctant to come over but did anyway.
Set list was probably the shortest I had seen them do, but not that short:
As I recall I could not get camera in, had to back to car. Also no ticket stub for this. It was pay at gate and get hand stamp. You'll have to take my word on this one.
After researching a bit, I was delighted to see that the 13 December 1991 show coming up in the bands' tour dates. I attended that show in Danville, IL I was 14, and coming from "rock-type" parents, my mother got me tickets to that show.
My memory of the set list is fuzzy, however, as far as I can remember, the set list was the same as that of the 02 November show in Albuquerque,NM.
Although I was young, I was a big fan even then and there's no stand-out memory of the two set lists being any different. I remember thinking to myself that they didn't play "Astronomy"... and one of the cats from Foghat pushed over Allen's keyboard setup when they came out. THAT has certainly stood out in memory, as when the band took the stage, Eric apologized to the audience that "someone wasn't being too professional".
Hope this helps your site out as far as research goes. Love the giglopaedia and thanks for the hard work of having this up for fans like me to be able to go back and not only reminisce but learn of what was.