2010: BOC still on tour forever!!
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Since this show was at a state fair, I naturally assumed it would be outdoors and general admission, and waited until the day of show to purchase my ticket. What a surprise to find out it was taking place in a small auditorium on the fairgrounds, and the tickets were for assigned seats - and without even realizing it, I ended up with a fourth-row, center-seat ticket! I had a great view, and had never stayed seated so long for any BOC show.
I think most of the crowd were probably expecting a lame oldies act, and many rude people were still chatting thru the first couple of songs. But before long, the band had won over the crowd in a big way, and many were cheering wildly by the end of the show.
I had never heard them play "The Vigil" before and was blown away - definitely one of their best later songs, full of great guitar parts and vocal harmonies. I was slightly disappointed not to hear anything from Secret Treaties, and out of two or three dozen times seeing BOC live, this was the first time I didn't hear "Cities On Flame".
But this was a great BOC show! This current line-up of the band totally screams out for a live CD and DVD. I really enjoy A Long Day's Night, and even though that line-up had Allen Lanier to make it 3/5 of the original band, the group now is truly a monster of energy, finesse and excitement, even at only 2/5 of the original members. Long Live BOC!
PS. There was no opening act or following act. Also, BOC will be playing the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, FL on 3/25/10, and I'll be there for sure!
Set List:
Shooting shark, Bucks Boogie and The Vigil may not be in perfect order but I believe the song list is complete.
This was actually in the other Las Vegas - tiny Las Vegas, New Mexico! It was a blast in a small, historic campus theater.
We drove from California to Las Vegas, New Mexico to see the guys. We stayed in the plaza hotel where the band stayed, and got to say hi to them all as they arrived on the university shuttle. I even got shake Buck's hand. Richie was just a few rooms down the hall from us. My wife wore the more cowbell shirt, while I wore the I got a fever, and the prescription is more cowbell shirt. My 5 year old son and 9 year old daughter both wore Godzilla shirts.
The show was opened by a very good cover band that played a killer Stevie Ray Vaughn cover as well as a heavy Barracuda cover from Heart. The setlist as best I remember is as follows:
It was an hour and 15 minute set per the program, and was accurate time-wise.
Eric gave a guitar pick to my son, and we had made a poster for Richie that showed him slaying the "Evil Dragon" with his guitar. He smiled when he read it from the front row.
Later at the hotel, Richie saw my wife at the computer and gave her a pick for my son, and commented on her more cowbell shirt, and said she wore it well. My wife was flattered. :)
I missed one of the 5 or so picks thrown by Buck, and I'm so bummed. I have all of the band's picks but Buck's.
Next up April in Upland California, and Pac Amp in July.
Opening band was Foghat (at least the current version).
Biggest news was that Eric Bloom was absent. Buck said he was down with a cold.
Show was obviously geared towards Buck vocal pieces. Castellano did good cover up/fill in work to accommodate the missing instrumentation.
Set list:
Castellano did vocals on Hot Rails.
Solo sections on Godzilla from Radino and Sarzo along with some Quiet Riot nods with a bit from "Come on feel the Noise".
Highlight was "Last Days" Castellano did a great job with the first solo like A. Lanier used to do, with Buck taking over and raising the bar with second solo.
Surprised though with the relatively small amp stack set up.
I went to this BOC show as well!I drove from Salt Lake City, UTAH which is about a 2 hour drive from Wendover to see the mighty BOC play, I can't miss these guys if I can help it!
It was a sold out show at the concert hall and the opening band was FOGHAT and they really sounded great with alot of energy which I was surprised on how I really liked them this time, Ive seen them 2 other times open for BOC, but this one was by far the best Foghat show ive seen. The Sound was great in concert hall so I was really looking forward to Blue Oyster Cult's set with this kind of sound.
Then the BOC intro started and the crowd was very excited to see the mighty BOC, everyone was on stage but Eric, they announced the band and the mic cut out, so it was already off to a rocky start.
The sound wasn't as good as Foghats which was very disappointing and Bucks guitar was really low, I really think they need to fire their sound guy as the last few boc gigs Ive seen they've had sound problems!!
After a few songs the crowd was just not into the show, it seemed to me I think we were all wondering where Eric Bloom was!
Finally after the song Buck's Boogie Buck annouced the band and told us that Eric was out with a cold!!I must say that Buck did step up as he could but still it was hard to feel in for Eric and It was funny to hear Buck talk so much at a BOC show! LOL!
I still think the show was pretty good even with no Eric but Im a HUGE BOC fan, I do really dig Rudy Sarzo in the band, He brings a ton of enery to the band and is always fun to watch on stage!!
Well,the setlist was a little short as buck just sung his songs and the ones Eric sings they left out from the set. The funny thing was after Reaper Buck told the crowd they were already over time and a bunch of people started leaving thinking it was over, and about 3 minutes later they came out for an encore and played Hot Rails To Hell with Richie Castellano singing which is always fun to hear!
Anyways, not the best BOC show Ive seen but you can't always have the perfect show plus it's never going to be the best without one of the main frontmen of all time, "Eric Bloom"...
Danny covered fine. Place was way-packed. I could hear some slight differences in some of the keyboard parts, but if I hadn't known I would not have guessed it was someone else - sounded basically the same.
On gtr Danny played well on R&B in the guitar duel part, but did not play a solo in TCTLDOM ala Richie or Allen Lanier. Richie brings some real intensity to the stage show which was missed. Was funny watching Danny watch Rudy.
I thought the band was great w/ Danny, but as a musician Rudy is on another level. Danny watched not with envy, but definitely with interest.
All in all, musically, if you just heard the show without knowing you would probably not guess it was a different line-up.
Set List:
How did Danny do on guitar? Check out Mike's clip below...
Setlist for March 6, 2010
Saw the 10pm show at B.B. King's, the band's regular New York club. Usual line-up.
Set list:
No encore. Eric made the point that their "time was up." B.B. King's scheduled a hiphop event immediately following the show, therefore only a nine song setlist.
Nobody expected a long show considering it was the second performance of the night. With the short setlist, Eric's role appeared limited. He was solo only on The Red And Black and Black Blade, and he didn't talk much to the audience.
Musically, they sounded better than the last time I saw them at B.B. King's. Buck's vocals were better than I remembered and Rudy is a great addition.
b.b kings 10 pm:
Big fan of B.O.C seen em 4 times in england over the last few years, but this sucked.
First off, in Europe B.O.C, like lots of american classic rock bands have a big following and play large clubs. Sadly in america they are reduced to playing "rib fest" style events, but i was expecting something cool for this hometown show.
b.b kings is the opposite of rock and roll. people sitting eating there dinner and talking, while what was one of Americas great bands plays in the background. People stand up to apluade the band and are told to sit down again. A far cry from the lazers, dry ice and joints of there 70's heyday.
Performance wise. b.o.c are lazey. they may be great musicians but theres no effort or sense of enjoyment coming from the stage. I cant stress this point enough, 11 songs is not good value for 45 bucks. A short predictable set list, that doesnt even touch on many of the bands best albums.
no encore as "this place has a strict deadline". Pull the other one, they said exactly the same thing in Manchester last year (leaving a very pissed off capacity crowd). How about dropping the drum and bass solos and going on a bit earlier? maybe give your audience value for money? Na - take the money and run.
Early Show (7:30):
Let me begin by stating it was an incredibly stupid idea to drive to Times Square from Westchester on Friday night as the NYC metro area was impacted by a Nor'Easter. I'd say it ranks right up there with hopping on the LIRR some 30 odd years ago to see them play at Nassau Coliseum (on a double bill with Rush) during an ice storm on Friday the 13th. It's the nature of being a fan, and when it comes to BOC, I plead guilty.
That said, it has been at least 25 years since I last saw them perform, a few blocks away at Bond's on Broadway in the early 80s. On second thought, perhaps it was L'Amours in Brooklyn. Regardless, on with the show:
The Band:
Eric Bloom: Lead Vocals/Stun Guitar/Keys/Imaginary Cowbell
Buck Dharma: Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals
Richie Castellano: Guitar/Keys/Lead Vocals (HRTH)
Rudy Sarzo: Bass/Vocals
Jules Radino: Drums/Cowbell
Straight from the audience to the stage, Danny Miranda on guitar for Reaper.
The Set List:
Impressions:
While it was no surprise to learn the first show sold out (600 seats), it was bit of a shock that everyone actually showed up. To my ears, the band is less of the faceless democracy it once was, with Buck front and center on lead vocals for almost the entire set in addition to his lead guitar work.
Eric was definitely appreciating the opportunity to interact with the hometown crowd, including a large contingent of close friends and fellow NY Met fans.
After the first few minutes of TRTB, my initial impression was that this latest lineup was just as capable as the original and sounding much like they did at the SWU shows I had witnessed at The Bottom Line, Hammerhead's and My Fathers' Place.
The set ran approximately an hour and 15 minutes. I felt the set list could have been expanded by one or two picks from the last two studio albums or by adding a deep cut or two from the first three albums at the expense of tightening up the solos.
What has always separated BOC from their peers is the quality of their songwriting, and it's a shame so much of their catalogue is no longer performed live. Someone in the audience shouted they should "...play it all" in reference to their first album. Great idea. I could easily imagine the band playing their first three albums in their entirety in front of the hometown crowd on successive nights in NYC. Perhaps even invite some of their former collaborators along for the ride - Joe, Albert, Allan and guests. Patti Smith, anyone?
Back to the future, the new additions (to me) are terrific. Sarzo adds a nice dose of energy to go with his aggressive style of playing, complimenting the confident and economical drumming of Radino. Most impressive was Richie Castellano, who adds a distinct dimension to the band by interplaying a robust lead guitar as a counterpoint to Buck on a number of songs.
As it turns out, I bought my first guitar, an imitation Les Paul Starbust, from his Dad at the family's music shop on Ft. Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn, NY.
That memory, and creating a new one, was well worth the price of admission.
Went to the show last night at the Hard Rock 3-25-10. This was my 32nd time seeing BOC, and they sounded great.
The place was packed wall to wall. When they came out on stage you could see the look in Eric's eyes as he pulled down his glasses he seemed really surprised to see a full house on a Thurs night.
He only sang on two songs, but he sounded great. I think since its been a couple of weeks since there last show this gave him some time to rest.
They were super tight and full of energy. It was a great show. I think deep down all us true fans know the end is near. I would love to see Richie and Jules take the reigns in a couple of years it keep it going. They do a fantastic job.
The set list was:
Saw BOC last night at Ventura theater. Set list
This was the first time I've heard the Vigil, and it was outstanding!!! There was several interesting bits in this show.
They had a great spooky keyboard intro to Black Blade that I've never heard before!
The Ventura Theater now has the front 1/3 of the floor space blocked off with table for dinner. Eric commented on it because it looked empty up front, and all of the dieheard fans like us were forced to stay 50 feet back against a rail, or go to the balcony. He said he didn't remember it being like this in the past, and preferred the old setup. It was clear he was none too pleased, nor were we.
Eric told a whitty joke about Sarah Palin that got a twilight zone type of guitar reaction from Richie that was funny. The crowd reacted kind of stunned. I heard a few cheers, and a couple of boo's but mostly quiet. He also spoke about California legalizing pot while introducing the last days of May.
Rudy's monster bass intro was different. The Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, and Ozzy tunes were all different ones. It was the pre-solo riff to Cum on feel the noise. It was Here I Go Again from Whitesnake. I'm pretty sure it was Bark at The Moon from Ozzy.
We got to meet all 5 guys afterward & they autographed my cowbell!!! I had to convince Eric I wouldn't sell it on Ebay. After I told him we drove from California to New Mexico in February to see them, he knew I was going to keep it. It's going in my display case today!!! Jules gave my 5 year old son 2 drumsticks, and he's been amazed all day. :)
The opening band, I've had the displeasure of seeing now Twice. They played Agoura Hills last year. They are called the Feisty Piranhas. Someone needs to tell them to turn their freakin' amps down. They are so loud that any small amount of musical talent they have gets destroyed in a blender of loudness that sounds like a trash compactor that's jammed.
Also, they screw around like kids the entire time they're on stage blabbing to each other, all speaking on the mic at the same time so you can't understand anything they say. They look like they're in their 40's but act like they are 12. They invite all of their friends on stage, and it's so unprofessional.
The worst part is the mom and dad that dance like idiots in the aisles by themselves as if these guys are going to be famous. I'm so embarassed for them. They've bankrolled a custom-painted trailer to move their gear, and it's clearly a case of kids of rich parents trying to buy fame.
Well the boys were back in Ventura County. I need to say that the Ventura Theater has lost its luster over the years and now it is just a c**p hole. It smells of piss and vomit, the drinks way over priced and generally not a great place to see a show unless it is a punk band.
10th time seeing BOC, first time I saw the band was on the Black and Blue Tour.
BOC did a fine job of getting us into the show but we could not get closer then 20 feet unless you had a wristband or knew the security, it was really lame. It was a bunch of fools in front of the stage dancing and yelling it up, us, the fans were 20 feet back and did our best to give back to the show, but in the end there was a huge hole left in the crowd as these fools danced and drank their wine.
Highpoint: Shooting Shark. Oh my god. I have never been so impressed by a band live. They took their time and really played. Again this is why BOC, even in a lame theater can connect with the fans. It was, beautiful.
Low point: Dont Fear The Reaper. Enough with the cow bell bull s**t, we remember when the song was, what it was, Don't Fear the Reaper. They phoned the song in. Do extend solo's, no real work, just 4 minutes then off.
The boys are coming back to play an outdoor festival in Reseda this summer, its in a park. Lets hope the faithful return and see them.
BTW... If anyone from the band reads this: Play the Canyon Club and drop Feisty Piranha. Have a puppet show open or, add $25.00 to the ticket and play a longer set. Play an album in its entirety, whatever, but get rid of Feisty Piranha. They are not even good in a Punk way, they do suck.
Once again another fun concert! Although, a sad one for me also. I'm a huge fan and go to as many shows as possible. this one was the last B.O.C. concert I'll get to see with my best friend, and a huge fan also. Russ Jones Passed away just three days after we saw the boys. he will also be on tour forever. The shows will never be the same without him.
By the way, the show was great as usual. Richie Castelano is a great addition to this band! Jules and Rudy were great also. Outdoors in Stockton.
The weather was perfect and it was packed. Buck and Eric were in great spirits, and recognized us as usual.
Rest in peace Russ, my brother. I'm sure you will be with us at the next show.
Sunday night brought back Blue Oyster Cult to Slims nightclub in San Francisco. They have been coming to this venue for close to twenty years in a row! This 500 seat venue was about 95% full and BOC did not disappoint. Opening up with Golden Age of Leather shocked many in the audience, but a great pleasant surprise!
The set list as follows: GA of Leather, ODd, burning for u, vigil, black blade, harvest moon, last days of may, Godzilla, reaper, encore: Hot rails to hell.
I noticed many teenagers in the crowd! The demographics of the concert were amazing, people ranging in age from 80 to 13. Most of my friends were in agreement that Harvest Moon and Vigil took best song award. With Hot rails to hell getting many votes.
I also brought two BOC Virgins, one a notable guitarist with the Stroke 9 band... he is now a certified BOC fan, and the other one said he is "Now a better person."
The sound was amazing. it seems that BOC has slowed the pace a little bit and you could hear every note perfectly and the lyrics were like someone telling you a bed time story. Clear, articulate, and rising above the music.
Bucks voice is strong and Mr. Bloom sounded awesome. He was also very talkative with the crowd. The supporting cast Rudy, Ritchie and Jules were flawless... Rudy's playing on the Vigil took it to another level!
Cant wait for there return. How many more times are left? These quys are the best at what they do and that is rock!! From speed metal(hot rails to hell) to rock... nobody does it better.
Is it safe to say that BOC is the best live band in the world? The answer is "YES."
I can never underestimate how fortunate it is to be a BOC heavy in the Bay Area these days. Always an annual appearance at Slims in the New Year, and occasionally a Summer gig in Santa Cruz down the coast.
They say the West is nice this time of year and Sunday was one of those idyllic days of high temp beach weather. So I hiked to the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge, listened to the Giants (baseball) game on the radio and soaked in the sun in anticipation of the nights gig.
I live in close proximity to the venue and can walk there in 20 minutes. Very cool as I have in the past taken planes, trains to catch a set. One of the rare bands I travel to see.
The moon was bright and bold and as I got nearer started to feel the excitement. When I arrived, the opening band was at it. So I stood on the curb outside the door until they were off the stage. A contingent of BOC crazies were milling about of all ages. Lots of younger fans which makes me proud and plenty of us "mature" die hards.
Suddenly a car pulls up directly in front of me, a sedan from which Ritchie emerges. The driver then lept out and it was Don Buck himself at the wheel. How appripo.
This was a show of firsts for me after 30 plus years: Buck wore faded blue jeans he probably wears around the house on Sundays and no COF in the setlist; ok by me. the unusual, to say the least, choice of opener was also a portent of the gig to come.
Alas, no ETI (my all time fave).
So it was with another evening with the Cult. I was so close in the Buck Zone (sometimes a dangerous place to be) that I could see the cracks in the finish of the battered Cheeseburger and read the time on Bucks watch.
Can't wait until next year... or this Summer should the Old Gods return.
We saw BOC last night and it was awesome as usual! I finally got a pick from Buck Dharma and so did my daughter!!! We're so happy.
I must say this about KLOS's Mark & Brian DJ's that showed up as an opener. They are a couple of disgusting pigs that never grew up. They're pushing 60, and think they are teenagers. They had what was clearly an adult sexually explicit diatribe that was horrible because we had to cover my kid's ears. No warning in advance, and really caught us off guard. I did not go to a BOC concert to see a women flatulate on stage from her vagina, or see a beauty contest where every contestant was asked personal sexual history questions.
Set list:
Only BOC could make such a horrible start to an event with morons like Mark & Brian still be a great night!
No opening band, but there was an interminable event put on by local disc jockeys "Mark and Brian" before the boys took the stage.
Other bands on the bill:
6-Speed Overdrive (local band)
Georgia Satellites
Setlist:
I am pretty sure that songs are correct, but I'm not quite sure about the order. The Red and The Black was definitely first and the encore is correct.
Here's a setlist from last night's show:
Set list for may 29 2010 at Sam Houston Racepark. It was a little unusual. Buck had a real raspy sounding sore throat, so maybe they changed it up. I was very happy with their solid performance,though. They have never disappointed me. B.O.C. puts out a vibe that they enjoy what they do and for a fan that's what I like to see.
Here is the set list:
I am almost 99 percent positive this is the setlist, but see if anyone collaberates...
I was at the Blue Oyster Cult show in Houston Saturday, May 29th at Sam Houston Race Park and kept a written setlist.
Just letting you know that the gentleman who was "almost 99 percent positive" has a good memory. My setlist is the same.
I wrote down the Foghat setlist for that concert:
I was front row at Rib America in St. Louis, standing in the heat and passing thunderstorm! Foghat was delayed about an hour due to the storm, but put on a really good show. As is customary, Jules stepped in and joined on drums at the end of Slow Ride. Very cool.
BOC rocked St. Louis as usual! Aaron wasn't there to do their intro, so that was weird. The only bummer was Buck's voice - still noticably hoarse from the Houston show. So the set list was definitely geared toward Eric for a change.
Richie did a great job of stepping in on vocals on Burnin' and Last Days. It was cute, I saw he had jotted down the first couple words of each verse of Last Days and had Andrew tape them down just in case. And he just about forgot to come back in on vocals after the guitar solos! (Buck gave him the eye...)
Rudy brought out his new bass solo, still a tribute to his former bands, but a nice change-up. All in all, a terrific show once again!
Here's a link to some of my photos from the gig:
I was at the St. Louis show on the last day of May 2010. Michele's review was spot on. Richie assisted with vocals and did a good job masking Bucks throat issues.
Richie sang lead on Hot Rails, but from where I was standing Buck and Eric were still lead vocals on their respective tunes.
Foghat had a ton of Marshall amps and their sound was very audible. BOC used minimal gear yet still sounded crisp and thick. It was a good mix in the middle.
I wasn't at this show, but there is a recording up on Dime. Setlist:
According to the show notes, the show was cut short due to a thunder storm. Last Days of May was cut from the planned setlist.
BOC Setlist from Skagit Valley Casino (2 shows) tonight (actually, last night now):
First Show:
(NO ENCORE)
Second Show:
Buck, Eric, Jules, Richie, and Rudy
Set lists for both shows:
Show 1
NO ENCORE
Show 2
I had requested of Eric to hear something they don't play often, and I suppose my request was granted one way or another with "Teen Archer," a song I've only seen performed one other time. Out of the 19 songs they played during the night, 14 were unique, the remaining 5 (Burnin', Boogie, LDOM, Zilla, Repear) were repeats from the first 14. 14 songs for a night ain't bad in 2010, that's for sure.
What I found really odd is Eric only sang 3 songs (not counting his dual lead vocal w/Buck on the Godzillas) the entire night. Quite frankly, Eric is sounding the best he has in years and it's puzzling why he's not taking advantage of this to belt out some old favorites.
Speaking of sounding great, it boggles my mind that this band continues to up the ante year in and year out. I know I say it every year, but there really is something magic that happens when this band comes to the Pacific Northwest. See my (and other's) review of the show at Emerald Queen on Oct 24, 2009. I can easily cite that as the best BOC show I've witnessed in the past decade, but tonight's outing came damn close. This lineup is just phenomenal.
I was right in front of the stack at stage left, second row, for both shows and despite it being LOUD, the sound was also crystal clear. The Pacific Showroom is a rather small venue compared to the typical auditoriums BOC plays in this area, but that makes for a much more intimate setting. Acoustics are great. They played a double header in the same venue back in 2008, and I remember thinking the same thing that time around.
I can't end this mini review without mentioning Richie Castellano, a guy who is constantly upping his game and continually bringing something new to the group's sound, a facet I've noticed since he switched from bass to guitar/keys in 2006. His solos rival some of Buck's best work.
I've been saying since, like, 2004 that we're lucky these guys are blessing us with another year of shows. If you'd have told me at that time they'd still be playing in 2010 I'd have laughed in your face. I hear they've already booked a show or two into 2011. Here's to another decade of BOC!
I drove for 5 hours to see both shows taking my son on his 23rd birthday. The band just keeps getting better and the never disappoint. There were only about 25 people that saw both shows.
I was lucky enough to get the bands set list from both shows. They added The Vigil to the first show, and pulled Black Blade. The Encore for the second show was Cities on Flame. I will be seeing them again in July in Lincoln City Oregon
Show 1 7:00 PM
Show 2 9:30 PM
BOC played an intense set Saturday night in the very accommodating South Shore Room at Harrah's Lake Tahoe.
Eric was a bit under the weather for this show, so he only sang the show opener The Red & The Black and his bit of 'Zilla towards the end of the set.
He did however do all the introductions and some banter with the audience, but could also be seen coughing sometimes during songs. Get well soon, Eric!
The band even made an on the fly song switch, as the set list taped to Buck's monitor showed Black Blade to be played, but was dropped in favor of The Vigil. Thanks for the Set list, Buck... The song list to the right is exactly what they performed.
So we were treated to mostly Buck's vocal expertise tonight and he was in fine form vocally and of course as always, fantastic on the Cheeseberger.
Rudy as usual, was displaying great energy, prowling all areas of the stage and tearing it up on bass.
Jules seemed to have arrived late, as we spotted him with his go bag heading backstage about 10 minutes before Showtime, but played strong all night.
Ritchie played a tasty guitar solo during Last Days and also had good energy throughout the show.
The audience was into the show as well, with the band receiving several standing O's throughout the night.
Buck really made one young man's night. Right after the encore of Hot Rails, He came over to the edge of the stage and signed this kid's CD copy of "Fire of Unknown Origin" and handed him his pick... He had to be 10 years old. Way cool. And so it goes without saying (but I will anyway), a very Enchanted Evening was enjoyed by all.
Setlist from Craig, Colorado (June 19).
Another surreal concert with BOC headlining the annual Wittle the Wood concert in Craig, NE Colorado. A scorching hot day with the band taking the small stage at about 5.45 in the afternoon in front of a fairly large local crowd.
Before starting, they had to wait for the announcement of the prizes for the Chainsaw Wood Sculpture competition (!) with a character called Bongo Love taking the main prize.
Accepting the award, Bongo launched into a Rasta-type song and dance, with Jules quick to take the initiative by providing the beat for Bongo's short routine.
The set started-off fairly laid back and didn't really take off until the later stages of Shooting Shark. A blistering version of ME262 followed which set the tone for a strong end to the gig. Black Blade was dropped from the set listing (for ME262) and Cities on Flame was the encore.
About an 80-90 minute concert despite only playing 10 songs. The local organizers decided to print some t-shirts so there's a few slime green shirts in circulation in the Craig area with BOC on the back at the top of a list of performers.
Here's the link to the website for the local newspaper.
30 June 2010 Set list:
Most Ive been able to gather online so far, no fan reports - songs in this article, dont know if any missed:
I have the setlist and review for the July 3rd show at Baytown, Texas. Written setlist:
Now the review: This was an awesome show. The weather cooled off after a rain in the afternoon.
B.O.C. was on their game with their playing and singing. I think this lineup (I've seen them several times with this lineup) works really well together.
One other thing that was cool, about 3 hours before the show they did a sound check and played Harvest Moon and Black Blade,so we got a bonus, how cool was that!!!! Anyway I can't wait to see them again when they come back to the Houston area.
The opening act was a local band called Madigan. Dave Madigan is the leader of the band, I think, and a really great guitarist.
Just discovered your site and thought you might want this link to a recent BOC article here in Texas:
Another great show at Ribfest... and, as Redcap says... Man, do they love this pace! Knoch Park is a huge, wide open spot for a festival, and it all was extremely well organized I thought. The weather wasn't bad- the rain shower held off until right after the show (and I mean RIGHT after!)
They all seemed in a very good mood, despite half their gear not showing up on the flight. It wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that they couldn't play The Vigil without it (Eric called it out loud, and Buck just shook his head and said NO!).
We got a good set I thought, hadn't heard Harvest Moon or Golden Age in several shows. Eric was very chatty with the crowd all night. It was funny- right after the opener, Eric calls to Richie to play a little "Desparado" on the keys in honor of Desparado "The official ribs of Blue Oyster Cult".
A great show on a great holiday!!
Here's a link to my pictures:
Setlist:
The Oyster Boys can still bring it. Rudy Sarzo is a great addition to the band bringing lots of energy and movement all over the stage. He holds down a mean bass line too.
The Paddock area was packed when the band took the stage and ripped right into 2 of my favorite songs from the first 2 albums.
At first the sound mix was a bit off and you couldn't really hear the vocals and the overall sound was pretty muddy, but it could have been because I was off to the side of the stage. As I moved around to the front it was much improved.
Was kind of disappointed they didn't play "Astronomy" which is my favorite BOC song of all time but "Last Days of May" is right up there and they jammed this song harder than I remember from the earlier days. Richie's soloing was simply awe inspiring! This song was clearly the highlight of the show.
Love Bucks new look, the beard and longer hair makes him look much younger and edgier. Would still love to see him come out in his white suit of days past.
It's been about 5 years since I've seen them and it's great to see that they can still bring it and rock with the best of them.
Setlist:
We went to San Diego fair to see BOC. It was awesome as usual. The other review is incorrect about the set list. Song 2 was Teen Archer. They actually tricked everyone by announcing Before The Kiss, and then said they were going to do something different, and played Teen Archer. It was most excellent and triumphant! They also didn't play Golden Age Of Leather. It was The Vigil. I'm 100% sure about this set list.
This may be somebody BS'ing but I actually think I met someone connected to the band in the front row. He Claimed to have written the last track from the debut album called "Redeemed". I looked it up today, and there is someone named Harry Farcas in the credits. The story he told me was that he roadied, and took care of the house that BOC lived in.
http://www.blueoystercult.com/Studio/SWbios.html tells the story about him as "A one-time amateur roadie for the band, Harry Farcas was also a folky-style guitarist, and helped write "Redeemed." Farcas is now an iridologist in Southern California."
Makes sense that he'd be at a San Diego show. I'm sure there's lots of interesting stories about the band he could tell.
Setlist:
I was at the Blackbeard Pirate gig. The band never sounded better. The guys were smoking hot. The stage was set up facing down a narrow street in the old business district. All of us long time fans were there early to be at the front of the stage. Harvest Moon was played at the sound check.
I have looked at your set list but these are my recollections and hopefully someone else might help confirm:
Red and Black definitely started things. I think that the second song was OD'ed because the band continued with that high energy beat. I was surprised to hear Bucks Boogie early so I have that at number 3 followed by Shark and Black Blade.
Burning was definitely later so I have that at number 6. And I was disappointed that they did not play Last Days. The band did a Rudy Sarzo medley of sorts (riffs of Quiet Riot/Whitesnake/Ozzy)followed by an energetic bass solo. Then came Godzilla and Reaper. Hot Rails was the encore.
The band played a solid hour and a half. The crowd was enthusiastic. I saw a few fellow BOC tee shirts in the crowd and even an Eric Bloom shirt (and a Bill Nelson shirt-any BeBop fans out there?)
Despite the beers we'd consumed beforehand, I can assure you that each song on the above setlist was entered into the Blackberry as it was played, though I couldn't tell you all the songs they played snippets from during the Rudy Sarzo IntroMedley.
Eric sang very little - It was mostly a Buck night. Ritchie sang on Hot Rails. The obligatory Intro preceded Reaper.
Another item of note is that Chik-Filet (a US fast food chain), just before the show, distributed a few hundred miniature cow-bells...
Setlist:
This was a free show with Foghat on the Enfield, CT town green. We showed up at 7:15 and Foghat was already on stage when they were scheduled for 7:30. They put on a nice show and covered all of their biggest hits. When their fans left, I was able to just walk up to center stage on the barrier.
Unfortunately, I could barely hear the vocals since their were no monitors facing me and the PAs were hanging off the sides of the stage facing straight back into the crowd. I thought about moving back in the crowd to catch the vocals but I was having too much fun and the show was over before I had a chance.
After Burning for You, Eric made a criss-cross motion with his arms in front of each band member, which I understood to mean cross Shooting Shark off the setlist (oh well, at least I got to hear The Vigil for the first time).
Despite the short setlist, they played for the good part of two hours, with extended jams on almost all of the songs.
Richie Castellano was excellent on guitar, had a few solos of his own, and really put on a show during Last Days. I miss the MK I solo from OYFOOYK but Ritchie and Buck were smoking hot on on this one.
The crowd was great. It was a sea of people as far as I could see behind me but there was little shoving and no fighting for once. With no vocals from the Oyster Boys, I could hear tons of voices in the crowd singing along on Burning For You, Godzilla, and Reaper.
I really like the current lineup and the band played with more energy and enthusiasm than I have seen in 29 years. My wife got to experience what I have seen and felt for years of being front and center on the barrier.
After the show she says, "Oh my God, its like he's looking me right in the eye, nodding his head and smiling, like he's saying, 'hi I'm glad your enjoying the show'" Nicely done!
Eric did a nice job with the show review. I do need to add that they played Harvest Moon after Burnin' For You.
HUGE crowd. Probably 5,000+ people in attendance.
Here is the set list for the BOC concert 15 July 2010 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the Club Regent Casino:
Word on the street is the show got rained out midway through. The band were forced off the stage by torrential rains after LDOM.
Setlist:
I saw Blue Oyster Cult again last night. They are paired with Foghat.
BOC opened the show and Foghat closed. Both bands were great. They will reverse it tonight, and I will be there again.
A short set list that was still awesome. The band was tight and they played with a lot of energy. You can tell that his band enjoys what they are doing. I also picked up the set list after the show, I now have 6.
Now, here's the list.
Here is the set list from last night:
(NO ENCORE)...
They shared the bill with Foghat, and were first up. Unfortunately, the show seemed to lack energy, and the sound was not quite right. It sounded like Woody kept adjusting and trying different things, and by the time they got to DFTR it was ok, but they did not seem real happy. It was dissapointing that there was no encore.
Anyway, I am going to go again tonight, and will be writing a full review of both nights...
Here is the set:
Tonight was leaps and bounds better than last night, IMHO. I must mention that Castellano completely owned the title of guitar god last night. This man is absolutely incredible on guitar. Fast, precise, full of intensity... blew me away.
BOC had second billing tonight, but, yet again, no encore. I guess when Eric starts waving, they really are leaving the stage, and do not return. I was looking forward to Hot Rails, or anything else. I don't like DFTR as a finish.
Overall, much better show tonight, a lot more energy, and some good energy coming from the stage.
In case anyone else was wondering, the echoey Buck piece usually played before DFTR is often referred to as "Buck's Noodle". When asked, Buck himself calls it "Intro to Reaper"...
I agree with the other poster, Eatbliss, This show had a lot more energy.
I had hoped for an Encore of either Cities on Flame, or Hot Rails to Hell. I was also hoping for a few more songs.
It is not often that you get to see 2 guitar gods on one stage, Richie and Buck were great. We met Richie and Jules after the show and thanked them for a great performance.
I took my 16 year old and his friend because I wanted to show them real rock, with passion.
Costa Mesa:
I think that's it. Short Set. Eric Apologized and said thats all the time they were given. Some is better then None.
A packed arena show it was. Sunday night we were ready to have our ears melted. A Foghat tribute band of the same name (only 1 original member, the bassist) opened, and played 6 songs. They were solid, but nowhere the calibur of BOC. I wish it had only been BOC. The highlight of the opening show was watching Bobby Rondinelli (BOC's old drummer) play with the Foghat tribute.
BOC started heavy as usual with Red and Black. We stood up in the pit the entire track. Burnin was 2nd, and got the entire crowd lathered up even more. Buck's Boogie was smokin' hot tonight. The sound was great at Pac Amp even up close to the stage. The band's energy was very good tonight. Eric was rather chipper with his banter to the crowd. Last Days of May was next, and featured a scorching guitar solo by Richie. One of the finest I've seen him do.
Zilla was next with the Rudy bass solo & Jules drum solo. Jules kicked ass tonight. A tom heavy solo with lots of big rock quads. They closed with Reaper, and it was only a 6 song set, but very exciting nonetheless. Orange County is strict on noise after 10PM, and the band was done at 10PM. There was no encore which left everybody kinda bummed. We're going to see them at the concert on the green in 3 weeks, so this was a good bit of foreplay.
Richie talked to us and my daughter, and he is absolutely one of the nicest guys in music period. I must say that there are some really obnoxious people in Orange County. There was one guy that kept blabbing at Richie without even letting him talk. He said Richie would have to remember him next year as if it were a contract or something. As if....
We also got to talk to one of the regular roadies, and he is also a great guy. He's got blonde spiked hair. He gives set lists to my kids, and they put them in their rooms. He asked if we were going to the Mid-State Fair the following day, and we wanted to so bad. Work obligations darn it. I would like to know his name if possible, and put him on my facebook friends. If anyone knows him, tell him thanks.