2013: BOC still on tour forever!!
Have you got anything to contribute to this page? Reviews, missing gig support band/venue information, ticket stubs, posters, handbills etc etc - if so, let me .
NB: Any gigs mentioned here that haven't happened yet are listed purely as a matter of convenience, so don't take them as set in stone, by any means. Never travel to a show based on it being listed here in advance - always check first with the ultimate keeper of the BOC gig schedule, blueoystercult.com, where you will find the most up-to-date giglists and links to venues etc...
The boat ride was a blast. Great fun, and the shows were terrific.
We were winded out on the deck performance slot friday night and we shifted gears on the fly and did an impromptu acoustic set in one of the night clubs on board. Very much fun and well-received.
Would gladly do this again, all the bands were good and the vibe was fabulous.
Due to high winds on deck BOC were forced inside for what turned out to be an amazing unplanned accoustic set. They had to borrow most of the instruments and basically 'winged it'.
We did 2 standard sets and one acoustic. We did Astronomy acoustic!
Setlists...? Hmmm... best guess:
1st Show:
Acoustic set:
3rd Show:
That's as close as I can get...
A video clip link from this show:
Setlist:
BOC opened. Both BOC and Foghat had short sets. Entire show including band changeover ran from 8PM to 10PM.
Setlist:
Note: The re-entry passes to get back in the Wolf Den had the band name "Soft White Underbelly".
I see you've already got the setlist up from the 1/19/13 show from the Mohegan Sun. Just a few notes to throw in on the show.
First off, the band sounded great. I thought Richie was a little high in the mix (conversely, Buck was a little low), but that could be where my seats were at. But still smoking.
Glad to see the RU Ready opener (last few Mohegan trips saw TR&TB opener. Great song but glad to see it mixed up).
Rest of the set was pretty standard.
I liked the Cities on Flames encore. Nice surprise (as I anticipated Hot Rails).
BTW: There was no opener - BOC were the only band on the bill.
Buck Dharma and Richie Castellano (both on acoustic guitar) and Andy Ascolese (on bass) played a four-song acoustic set in the Peavey Booth at NAMM 2013.
There was no Eric Bloom - although Jules Radino seems to have been at NAMM, he didn't play.
They played:
Here are some video clips:
BOC were scheduled to appear at the Legends Jam (5pm on the Grand Plaza Stage) on the Friday of NAMM 2013.
Going from Buck said in an interview with Vintage Rock's Junkman, they played:
I don't know if BOC ended up playing the first three or indeed did any others, but I know they played Bohemian Rhapsody because there's a link to a clip of it below.
The Legends Band line-up was:
Here's a clip:
Opening act was "Old Salt Band"
BOC followed with a regular set and Gary Hoey sat in for LDOM only midshow.
I connected with Gary Hoey on LinkedIn and we emailed each other. Turns out he'd recently moved to NH and I invited him to the gig in Plymouth. He came, he played, and we all had a good time.
This was a great show to look forward to. I heard that some of my boys from MA were thinking of going to this show. As this was in the same town as my alma mater, Plymouth State College, I couldn't resist!
We all bought our tickets before Christmas and then got a couple of rooms at one of the only motel in town just up the hill from the center of town. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and checked in. So we settled in for a few hours and then drove downtown and parked the car.
After bringing the crew on a guided tour of my college life locals, we diverted to "Biederman's" deli to grab a couple of pitchers of beer and some pastrami sandwiches. Great place and if you have spent any time in this town in the past, you know about "Biederman's"!
After wandering down the main street in town we entered the Flying Monkey. Back in my college days, It was a very cool place to see a movie but we never had music like this! I'm very jealous of the students going there today.
I have the set list:
The opening RU Ready was another great opener! Wish they would bring this back! I had not seen Black Blade in a while so that was a treat to catch and the always good LDOM. Buck never ceases to amaze me during this song. His playing just seems to elevate when they perform this song.
And a nice Cities for the encore left us drifting out into the cold Feb night air feeling good. Went back to the motel and partied with some other BOC fans we bumped into in some other rooms there. The whole evening reminded me of a typical night back in my college days,
Had a great breakfast the next morning at the Main Street Station Diner right in the middle of downtown Plymouth. Highly recommended.
After a brief goodbye, my friends were on the highway going south and I was heading north heading into Vermont. I don't normally give up winter weekends as I am a fanatical skier, but I am glad I did this time around!
Just a nice time with my old friends and as this was my first performance I had caught in the Flying Monkey, I was impressed to the point that I remember thinking it would not be my last!
Here are some video clips:
Here is the set list for the BOC Arlington Hts IL show on Feb 16 (copied from setlist off the soundboard):
NB: Buck's Boogie was definitely played. It probably was before Black Blade but I'm not sure.
The following is the set list from the BOC show in Atlantic City, NJ on 3/16/13.
Great show, sound was great. Perfect water was switched out after a short conversation on stage between Buck & Eric. I'm guessing it replaces Buck's Boogie.
Here's the setlist from last nights awesome gig in Corona, CA:
I don't even know where to begin with writing up this awesome show because it was so awesome. So, as per usual, I'll start with the setlist. Wow:
I mean, just look at it! "R U Ready 2 Rock"? Really exciting to hear a new opener, as much as I adore TRATB. "Perfect Water"? What a treat! I've never heard it before live and people seemed to like it. My first "Black Blade" in a few years by my recollection. And "Summa Cum Laude" and "Cities on Flame" as encores? Just awesome.
Anyway, on to the recap...
I showed up at the venue at about 5 PM, way too early for anything since the doors opened at 7 PM. I can't help being early, though, even when I know there will be nothing to do. I went over to this café place and got a personal pizza. It was okay.
At about 6 PM, I sauntered back over to the venue to beg the Marquee 15 workers to let me in early. No dice. I did get to hear the soundcheck, though, by pressing my ear up against the wall. They played "Summer of Love", "Harvest Moon", and "Summa Cum Laude".
Fast forward to 7 PM. The doors opened and the big line that had formed outside began to wander aimlessly into the venue.
The Marquee 15 is a really nice place to watch a show. The general admission gets to stand in front of the dining area. Hahaha, people that paid $65 + an entrée got ripped off! Suckers! Meanwhile, here I am, parked at the very front of the stage literally right in front of where Buck and Kasim would be standing. Too bad I didn't have a camera, because it was literally the best view I've ever had at any concert (except of course when I'm playing the concert).
So it's 8 PM and the bands still haven't started. How late are we going to be here?
There were two opening acts: Kanaan Road and Souljourners. Kanaan Road was okay. They were very enthusiastic, which is always cool. Didn't care much for their brand of music, sort of a 90's country rock hybrid. Two of their guys wore cowboy hats and just looked kind of silly. My view was so good, the lead guitarist's crotch was right in my face for practically every solo. Yeesh.
Souljourners was awesome! I can't wait to learn some more about this group; all really talented guys with an obvious passion for heavy prog rock. To cap their set, they brought out the drummer from Kanaan Road to play a real shredder of a guitar solo for a great cover of Pink Floyd's "Time". Talented dude. That cover of "Time" was actually one of my favorite moments of the evening.
My dad and I met Shadocal (Randall) and some other people, including a nice family (Wayne, Jennifer, Austin, and Megan). Hopefully Austin was able to get Eric to sign his drum! Congrats to Shadocal on his 50th BOC show, by the way. It was only my ninth show, but it was also my ninth show in about five years, so that's not too bad.
The view was phenomenal. The curtain was pulled open and I was really excited to see the boys for the first time in 2013. As usual, they did not disappoint.
R U Ready 2 Rock: My first ever! Yeah, I know. I'm young. I get it. It was fantastic. My dad thinks this song is extraordinarily cheesy, and I agree, but it's still an awesome opener. Something was wrong, though. After a while, Buck's guitar seemed to disappear from his amp onstage. If you listened carefully, you could still hear it in the house, but it was really difficult because of Kasim's thumping bass. Anyway, the song didn't disappoint, and it was refreshing to hear something new for an opener after hearing TRATB for the last 4 years or so.
Golden Age of Leather: Solid version, but I couldn't hear Buck's guitar again. I did get a chance to hear some of Kasim's bass work, though, because it was so loud. This guy is the real deal when it comes to bass players. I get the sense that Rudy Sarzo wasn't the hardest worker in the world when it came to playing every line with perfect accuracy.
Burnin' For You: Standard. Still couldn't hear Buck's guitar.
Shooting Shark: Still no guitar from Buck, and at this point, I think Andy had caught onto what was going on with the amp and set to work trying to fix it. He didn't fix it in time for the solo, though. Richie's solo was great as usual, though. Richie was such a great find for BOC.
ME 262: Buck's amp problems have been fixed! Well... temporarily anyway. This was the first song where we had Buck's full crunching guitar lines, and it was glorious. Probably the best version of ME 262 I've ever seen live.
Perfect Water: Such a treat! They played it a little sloppy, but, as Eric said, it was kind of a special occasion. They like to break out the big guns for us California people. I think it's probably to be expected that it wouldn't be perfect, since they play it so rarely. I've never gotten "Perfect Water" live before, and it was exciting nonetheless. Buck's guitar cut out again mid-song. It was really starting to become an issue. I was just praying inwardly that it would be fixed by the time LDOM rolled around...
Black Blade: Buck's guitar was absent the whole time, but Kasim's fantastic bass work made up for it. I never realized how complex some of those lines are! At this point, some of us in the crowd had started having private conversations with Buck about his absent sound. He was clearly frustrated, but remained professional about it. My dad and I think that he wasn't even aware that he was having amp problems because he hears his guitar through his in-ears, but we're not sure.
As for Black Blade itself, Eric had an A+ moment of the night, telling us the full story of Elrich and Stormbringer. I really hope someone recorded this show so that I can get the full effect of this story. I wasn't able to hear too well, because some annoying chick behind us was trying to elbow her way to the front of the stage so she could hang all over the stage.
LDOM: Here it was, the moment of truth. After a lot of complaining that "the sound roadie" was "doing a really [horrible] job" (according to the [mean person] behind me), it seemed that Buck's guitar problems had finally been fixed. Richie's solo was fantastic as usual. Buck's turn. He proceeded to blow us away with the first full solo that we could actually hear. Sadly, just as we were reaching the climax of the solo, the amp cut off again. It would have been so nice to hear the end of that solo. *sigh*
Godzilla: Andy finally got the amp working (permanently this time) just in time for Kasim's bass solo. As much as I usually lament bass and drum solos, for some reason, I really found myself enjoying these. Jules' solo went on too long, though.
DFTR: A pretty standard version. The noodle beforehand was great.
It took the crowd (a lot of hardcores) about 5 seconds to start a "B-O-C" chant. It took the band about the same amount of time to come back out to the stage. I think they were eager to play a lot more, because the crowd was loving it.
Summa Cum Laude: This song is awesome. This is where the hilarity started. I was so excited to finally hear this awesome song live, that I was singing every word. The annoying chick behind me asked me what song it was. I turned around to tell her, and turned back to find one Jules Radino laughing hysterically behind his drum kit and looking right at me. Realizing that he must be laughing at my adoration of this most obscure song, I grinned back and held up the box set I had brought. I looked over to see Kasim laughing, too. I'm not sure if there's some sort of private joke going on about this song, or maybe they were just happy to finally see someone who actually liked it, but either way, it was awesome and funny.
Cities on Flame: I was a bit skeptical about this song as an encore, but it worked brilliantly. Buck's guitar was super loud, almost as if they were trying to make up for the lack of volume earlier. Works for me. This was actually my favorite version of Cities that I've ever seen in person. Again, I really hope that somebody managed to record this show.
After begging for one more song and not getting it, I quickly made my way over to the staff door and asked if the band would be coming out for autographs (I wanted to get my box set signed). They said they didn't know, but after a moment, Richie was out and greeting everybody. What a classy dude. My dad fawned over Richie for a while, but I had to get over to the other side of the room and talk to Jules, who had appeared just seconds after Richie had finished signing the box.
Jules didn't recognize me at first, but after giving the box set to him, I think it dawned on him: "You're the guy who likes Summa Cum Laude!" We laughed about it while he signed, and I joked about how "If you guys ever play Steppin' Razor, I'll be singing along with that one too!" Jules is a pretty awesome guy.
Kasim appeared a few minutes later, hobnobbing with the people that were in my section. I went over there and had a talk with him about how much he's inspired my bass playing. He thanked me and graciously signed my box set. I then received a tip from one of my section-mates that Buck was out and walking around.
Of course, as soon as I found Buck, he was surrounded by about ten people. Good luck trying to get him to sign anything. People kept asking him for pictures, but he tapped me on the shoulder and motioned to me to follow him over to where Kasim was talking to some people so he could sign my box set. I just can't get over how classy all these guys are. True professionals, yet so personable.
Speaking of personable, Eric did not make an appearance after the show, but he did end up signing Austin's drum.
Other notes:
Annoying chick kept trying to go backstage and kept getting kicked out by security. She then had the nerve to complain to me that all these unimportant people could just walk in and out, like this tall geek in a green sweater. I then proceeded to explain to her that people named Woody that happened to be the band's sound guy have special backstage privileges that she didn't have. I think she was pretty drunk or something.
I bought the On Tour Forever t-shirt (finally)! Only $30. Hopefully it doesn't shrink... yikes!
My dad's favorite song of the night was... drum roll please... "Summa Cum Laude"! Wow!
I can't wait for the next one... seems like it will be in Santa Cruz, depending on when the Agoura Hills show is rescheduled for.
FYI - I'm in agreement with the setlist from this show. Eric signed my 8 year old son's drum on-stage during the show! He had everyone's signature except his and Kasim's, and now he's so happy. He also got pics with all of the band.
I also just wanted there to be somewhere in the record about the dumbest lady I've ever seen at a show. She spilled all of her beer onstage on a power outlet and next to Buck's pedal board, grabbed the knobs on Buck's guitar, and then after the stage crew cleaned up her beer, she spilled more beer in the exact same place.
Then after the gig, she snuck behind the curtain on stage, and fell on top of a roadie carrying Richie's pedal board, and actually knocked him down on the stage. He almost dropped Richie's gear. What a lame bitch she was.
Here are some video clips:
3/23 Cannery Casino, Las Vegas:
Great show!
A video clip link from this show:
External Review
External Review
Just letting you know that there are no other bands on this bill. Just BOC.
Unbelievable gig last night - sure were a lot of people in the crowd that had been waiting a loooooong time for the Blue Öyster Cult to hit Sydney!!
But here's a little snippet of info about some guest musos that I think is worth adding to Hot Rails:
Since this Australian tour was set up by local rock legends The Hoodoo Gurus inviting BOC out to play their "Dig It Up" festival (Sydney show is tonight), a couple of the Gurus joined BOC on stage for their headline show.
Guitarist Brad Shepherd came on for "Last Days Of May" - already a massive guitar jam song, adding another guitarist made it even more epic, with a lengthy jam and Richie, Brad and Buck each playing lead for a while.
Then for the final encore "Born to be Wild", Brad returned, joined also by Gurus' bassist Richard Grossman (Kasim switched to guitar) for a massive 7-man rock assault.
Some video from this show:
Band running order:
Half an hour between each band? Good luck!!
Some video from this show:
Some video from this show:
External Review:
The reviewer above said the gig was at The Palace in the headline of his review, but all other sources have it down as the Prince Bandroom, so I'm going to stay with that unless I see evidence to the contrary...
Band running order:
Some video from this show:
As well as BOC's short set, Eric and Buck also featured during the Hoodoos set as well as part of a massive 'Kick Out The Jams' jam at the end with Radio Birdman's Rob Younger, Dave Graney (Moodists), Kim Salmon (Scientists), Cyril Jordan (Flamin' Groovies) and Peter Case (The Nerves):
Blue Oyster Cult Galatyn Park
Wildflower Art and Music Festival
Viewpoint Bank Stage Richardson, TX
Saturday 2013-05-18
Setlist
Hello, here is the Chico, CA set list.
Really good show.
Got the setlist and band order for the May 31 Houston show. B.O.C opened, then Kansas, then 38 Special headlined.
Setlist:
Now my take on the show. B.O.C . only played for 35 or 40 minutes because they were the opening band, but they gave a great effort and the audience responded well.
I got to talk to Richie and Jules after their set and they were very cool. Got a few pictures and Richie gave me his pic. Cool.
Fargo ND June 7 2013 Setlist:
Band sounded pretty good in Shawnee, KS last nite (we were right up front slightly left; mix can get a little skewed sometimes if one is too close to the PA... I suspect it sounded good from the board.)
Couple of changes to the set list from what I was used to the last few times they've been though They did Career of Evil and Golden Age of Leather. No Transmaniacon. No Buck's Boogie. No Cities on Flame.
Closed with Hot Rails to Hell. Other than the usual from this lineup. Kind of wish they'd lose Black Blade. It never really works for me live, and they have so many other songs in their catalogue to draw from.
Played right at 1 1/2 hours with the encore. Eric tried to sing a bit more than usual with mixed results. His banter between songs was pretty entertaining, but he just doesn't have the pipes anymore. But no sense beating that dead horse.
They got a great response, Buck and Richie shredded Last Days of May as always. Good show.
Other band on the bill: Monsters Ink:
Janet Jameson - vocals/violin
Dennis Lafoon - vocals/keyboards/bass
Rod Lincoln - drums
Terry Swope - vocals/guitar
External Review:
The setlist as best I can remember - after a 6PM soundecheck of Harvest Moon - was:
Great place for a show. Really good turn out and the stage is a big pavillion for all weather.
They had barricades around the back of the stage so you could see the crew set up and the band kind of psych themselves for 15 20 minutes before the show, I was all alone back there.
During this time I got some great photos of Buck and Eric in preparation and Richey and Jules came out to where we were and did some pictures.
My 8 year old son in a T&M shirt scored a brand new pair of drum sticks from Jules. VERY COOL. Except now he wants a drum set...
I'm a huge BB's fan, and Brian Wilson's. So are the Bouchard Bros and Allen Lanier. I'm sure Eric is too, but he doesn't wax emotional about it like the rest of us. Eric was deep into R&B at the time. The younger current BOC likes the Beach Boys, but you sort of had to be there to really dig 'em like I do.
I explained to my son when he was young that the Beach Boys were the primary artists speaking to the inner adolescent male psyche in that era of pop music. He became a huge fan, especially of Pet Sounds.
I'd love to do anything with Brian. As for Kokomo, I don't really count it as true "Beach Boys," but I do think it's a lot of fun to sing. I love harmony singing.
Schedule for the day:
7.00 am: Poker run registration for Choices and Freedom to Cowboy Up.
7:30 am: Community breakfast.
8.00 am: Strut your Mutt @ BOBStock Humane Society pet fun walk.
9.00 am: Zumba for S.A.R.A., Inc.
10:30 am: Clearly Confused
11.00 am: Benton Street Riot
12 Noon: Hear Me Out
1.00 pm: Blindsided
2.00 pm: Bittersweet Band
3.00 pm: Lexy Greenwell
3:30 pm: Attick Attack and Phil Riley
5:30 pm: Loaded Dice
6:30 pm: Mega Music presents Katey Laurel
7:30 pm: Synthetic Elements
9.00 pm: Blue Oyster Cult
BOC 7/12/13 Santa Cruz, CA
Set 1 (6:30 pm):
Set 2 (8:30 pm):
Blue Oyster Cult
2013-07-12
Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA
Eric Bloom: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Buck Dharma: guitar, vocals
Richie Castellano: keyboards, guitar, vocals
Kasim Sulton: bass, vocals
Jules Radino: drums
Early Show:
Late Show:
Here is the Redding, CA setlist. July 13th, 2013 (there was no opening band):
Very good show, great theater, awesome crowd. Thanks Redding!!
Drove up from San Francisco, which is about 4 hours north/west to see the mighty BOC perform in this old historic beautiful theater of the past that has now been converted to a music venue. Capacity crowd is about 600 people, and I would say that the place was very close to full capacity! A fantastic turn out for a population of Redding that is about 90,000.
BOC came out full throttle, and the energy translated throughout the audience and back to the band. Buck was all smiles, and Eric was digging the fan appreciation! I have seen many BOC shows, and I was astonished at the energy that took over the place. When you have standing ovations, and clapping during songs, that is something that you just do not see at rock shows these days, or rarely.
Ritchie and Buck have become the best guitar combination in the rock world, reminding me of the early days of Def Leppard when Phil Collen and Steve Clark would have there twin guitar assault!
Last Days of May, with Ritchie taking the first half, and Buck coming in at the end, sent the crowd into a frenzy! The newest member of the band, bass player Sulton and drummer now veteran, Radino keeps the back beat hard and tight with Eric, Ritchie and Buck, bringing music to new a new level of crisp perfection from the diverse song list!
The Vigil was as good as ever... goose bumps and hair standing on back of the neck was commonplace throughout the audience. Other musical highlights, Shooting Shark, Golden Age of Leather, Cities on flame, Hot Rails to Hull.
Before the show started, a warning was bestowed upon the crowd about staying seated and to move to the side of the theater if you wanted to groove! Well, towards the end of the show and the double encore, fans rushed to the stage and danced in delight to Hot rails to hell and Cities on Flame.
BOC proved once again, that they have no peers, and after 45 years, BOC music is still fresh and alive!!! Can only hope they make Redding an annual stop, on the tour that goes on forever!!!
BOC hit the stage at Harborfest after a compact but solid set from their buddies Foghat.
Danny Miranda was back on "monster bass" and the boys opened with The Red And The Black.
Highlights for me were The Vigil, Black Blade, LDOM, and Hot Rails (appropriate on a hot, lakeside summer nite).
Met a few cool BOC fans including one guy who hadn't seen them since '82 in NJ. Richie sounded great and forms a dynamic pairing with Buck.
Eric commented via Facebook on some of our pics from the gig that the black SG is to be retired shortly...
Looking forward to seeing them again On Tour Forever.
Saw BOC at the Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso, IN today. 20 miles of backroad country driving. Won tix and 3 BOC CDs from radio station. How can you beat that? A free BOC show a half hour from my house?! AND something new to stuff in the 12 disc to boot!
Nice tight show. Eric got a little corny at times, but what else is new? Was surprised to see Danny Miranda up there. Haven't seen BOC for over a year and had heard there was a new guy on bass.
Stage is a brand new brick and cedar structure and sound system was first class. Usually we are sweltering this time of year here in the corn belt, but not tonight. Unseasonably cold Canadian winds made it sweatshirt weather instead of Tshirts and shorts. Seating was spacious with only 300 VIP seats in a section that could have easily held twice that many. So overall is was a memorable BOC show with plenty of rabid BOC fans on hand besides myself. Was surprised to not see any of the usual motley crew of Midwestern BOC fans in attendance.
Here's the set list as best I remember, but if anyone contests it they may well be correct. This is pretty close though. Tickets were crappy home printed ones off the internet. A sheet of paper which they scanned at the door. I can send a copy if you want it.
I saw the show last night in Corvallis, front and center.
The band brought energy even though they were up at 4:00 AM eastern time to fly from New York to the West Coast.
The music was good but the vocals were barely audible from my vantage point.
It was great to see Danny Miranda again he works well with the band.
Jules was awesome and I still need to get a drum stick from him one of these days.
Richie and Buck were great in Last Days of May.
Eric was a great story teller before a few of the songs and made us laugh when he was on the floor playing the keyboards and rocking out.
I will be at the Clark County Fair tonight to seem them again.
Here is the set list:
Another Great show with better sound this time around. I had front row, right side as you face the stage.
I was rocking out with my 2 sons, my brother, and a friend from childhood. Security made us sit down because the people in the back complained.
I got a set list after the show and got Richie and Jules to sign it.
Here is the set list:
Here is the set list from the show:
The show was about 65 minutes long. BOC opened for 38 Special. I would have much preferred that BOC was the headliner but that was not the case on this night.
I was there about 75 minutes before the show started and was right at the front of the stage and stood just to the right of Buck.
They were sounding checking just as I arrived. At the end of the sound check they played Harvest Moon without Eric.
Danny Miranda was playing bass, along with Jules, Ritchie, Buck and Eric. They should of been able to play a little longer.
There was no encore at all.
Fantastic show, free with paid admission to the fair. Crowd estimate was 4000, most on the top side of middle age like myself. I was a rabid fan in the '70's and caught them in concert twice in 1973 and 1977 at Vet's Auditorium in Des Moines.
Venue was the Budweiser stage and the beer tent was nearby.
We were 90 minutes early, so I grabbed a front row seat on the left side so I could see Ritchie and Eric in action. I was not to be disappointed.
We witnessed the sound check. Eric had not yet arrived, so Danny Miranda manned the keyboards and a roadie the bass. When the sound got dialed in, we knew it was to be a great show!
After sound check, I slipped around to the side of the stage where Buck came over to talk with a few of us fans. He's a great guy.
I chatted with a some of the fans while the place was filling up. Many had seen BOC in the past, this was to be the 15th time for one fellow!
The opening tune the Blue Oyster standard, The Red and the Black. I was not disappointed to be sitting right in front of Ritchie - he rocks! I wasn't sure if I would like the slower tempo that The Red and the Black is played today, but I quickly got over it. J
The set was as follows:
Eric and Buck were as entertaining as ever. Jules and Ritchie are awesome. Ritchie shared some lead riffs with Buck and proves to me that he fills Allen's guitar shoes quite nicely. The bass left me a bit wanting to be honest. Perhaps it sounded better on the other side of the stage.
Overall it was great show. The crowd had a wonderful time, especially me.
Today, the world just got a little bit crappier... from BOC's Facebook page:
ALLEN GLOVER LANIER 1946-2013
We have extremely sad news to report.
We've lost our friend and bandmate Allen Lanier.
Allen succumbed to complications from C.O.P.D.
He is survived by his wife Dory, sister Mary Anne and mother Martha.
Although he retired from touring in 2006 Allen returned to the stage for what turned out to be his final appearance, reuniting with BOC at the 40th Anniversary show in New York this past November.
DFTR sweet man. We love you and miss you.
Eric Bloom posted these thoughts on his own FB page:
My great friend Allen Lanier has passed. I'll miss the guy even though we hadn't spoken in a while.
He was so talented as a musician and a thinker. He read voraciously, all kinds of things, especially comparative religion.
We drove for years together, shared rooms in the early days. We partied, laughed, played. All BOC fans and band members will mourn his death.
Ultimately smoking finally got to him. He had been hospitalized with C.O.P.D.
It was Allen who heard some old college band tapes of mine and suggested I get a shot as the singer in 1968. A lot of great memories, over 40 years worth.
Maybe he's playing a tune with Jim Carroll right now.
Buck posted this note on his own site:
We are all shocked and saddened to learn he was gone. Feels like the circle is broken, for the band.
And this from Joe Bouchard:
Thank you to all my friends and fans who have posted their condolences concerning Allen Lanier's passing.
It is a very sad day for us all.
I worked with Allen for many years and I loved the style and attitude he brought to the band.
Some of my favorite Allen parts among many were his piano intro to Joan Crawford, the synth solo in Flaming Telepaths, the wild organ solo in Diz-Busters, and his amazing piano intro to Astronomy.
He was quite critical of all of the us in the recording process and kept us honest when he could.
His health was not great in later years, he played on tour as long as he could.
Even after I left the band, and he came back into the band, I felt he brought back a certain rebel attitude that Blue Oyster Cult needed to be authentic.
We got to play together one last time back in November of 2012 for the 40th anniversary concert.
As I've stated before, my favorite moment that night, by far, was in the middle of one song, probably OD'd On Life Itself, where I looked over at Allen and he looked at me and we started laughing spontaneously.
The music sounded so great and it felt like just the decades fell away and we were back in the 70s.
R.I.P. Allen. It was great knowing you.
And finally from Albert Bouchard's Facebook page:
I am still very sad about losing my dear friend and bandmate, Allen.
He was an awesome guy and I learned a lot from him. He was extremely generous and we shared everything.
He was a true mench and always a perfect Southern gentleman. He was also the first real intellectual that I ever met.
He's irreplaceable in my life.
RIP my brother.
:-(
As a tribute, Steve Schenck sought permissions for, and made available a clip he recorded on his phone of the band rehearsing "Career of Evil" with Patti Smith for the initial (pre-Sandy) Best Buy gig:
Steve Schenck captured this clip on his phone. Glad it exists. We rehearsed 'Career' a couple more times after, and Patti understood how we did her pre-chorus. She'd never sang it with us before.
Of course it's magic now that Allen's gone. How many times in history did you just wanna go back in time and be there?
My answer to Buck's question is "every f**cking day"....
First time I had seen BOC since the '70s. This show was put on by WZLX Radio, Boston.
I was at the concerts 12/31/75 in NYC Academy of Music. I don't remember which one (probably the first) they recorded On Your Feet or On Your Knees.
Thank you for your site! You bring back a lot of great memories.
I was at this concert at Boston's DCR Hatch along the Charles River - the band that opened for BOC was Boston's own "Ghosts of Jupiter."
Danny Miranda did not play this concert, nor was it anyone I knew. EB introduced him as being from Long Island but I didn't catch his name.
EB also made the mistake of introducing him before his bass solo saying, "on the drums..." EB then apologized, meaning to say "bass"!
Some video from this show:
Various clips have appeared on Facebook of a well-attended BBQ event in Jules Radino's backyard held to celebrate the 5th birthday of his son, Julius, featuring BOC playing along with his kid on drums on "Highway to Hell" etc.
At this stage, I have no way of knowing how many songs were performed, but there was a full array of gear so there could well have been a mini-set - it wasn't just a spontaneous accoustic thing.
If anybody knows, please let me know so I can document it.
Here is the set list for the Sacramento show, with Bachman and Turner.
Awesome set from BOC!!! Great crowd!!! Wonderful evening!!
BOC stole the show!! The guys were on fire!!
This was my 5th BOC show.
BOC played really well that night, loved the Hot Rails to Hell encore - that's the first time I've ever seen them play that song live!
The other songs they played are getting old - I wish they'd change up their setlist. Last Days of May doesn't need to be played every gig, nor does the Red & the Black.
So many other songs to choose from - Lips in the Hills? Subhuman? I thought a perfect song for them to perform, while in CA, would be "Shadow of California!"
Bachman & Turner, which performed after them, sounded terrible - I couldn't bear listening to them anymore after about 4 songs and left.
Foghat opened this show. This was my 17th BOC concert, the first was in 1979. Numerous technical problems. Kasim's bass quit during Black Blade. The band soldiered on, with Richie attempting to add bass at the keyboards.
Buck's guitar quit during his solo on Then Came the Last Days of May. They got it fixed, and he picked up where he left off. It quit for good during DFTR, and he finished the song using Richie's guitar with a capo at the 2nd fret.
The gates opened right before BOC's sound check, and they played Harvest Moon in it's entirety. Major Bonus!
Setlist:
I made the 3 1/2 hour drive to see The Band for the 3rd time in 6 weeks. Show 38.
The show was delayed due to power issues so the gates did not open until 6:00 PM.
This put everything behind schedule.
Everything that contributor John Morehouse reports is correct.
I thought the band played with great energy and professionalism during the equipment issues.
Due to the late start we did not get to hear Buck's noodle or an encore as the show had to stop due to time issues. I was hoping to end with "In Thee" for Allen.
Eric noticed the New York Mets hat that I was wearing and made a baseball comment and played to the crowd.
I got another set list and see that they added The Vigil in between The Shooting Shark and Black Blade.
I hope they add a show before years end at the Emerald Queen Casino.
Here's the Set list:
I just wanted to say thanks for putting together this great BOC resource :)
I have been a fan since I was a kid in the 70's and first heard On Your Feet, Or On Your Knees.
I finally got to see them at the September 11th show at the LIthia Amphitheater, it was AWESOME!
Here is the set list for the Hollister, CA show.
Outdoor show at a small winery. Awesome well behaved crowd. The opening band - The Robert Berry Band - were very good.
A friend and I drove the three hours from Sacramento, we were not disappointed!! Up next - Lake Tahoe!!!
Ashley's setlist is incorrect. O.D.'d was played after The Vigil. I only know this because of how loud I was screaming for Lips in the Hills immediately after Vigil was played (since they were apparently willing to bust out deeper cuts for this show).
Anyway, I saw Eric make a hand gesture at Jules that looked like a mountain (Hills?), but it ended up being O.D.'d for some reason. What a tease!
I goofed a set list? I stand by my list. I actually told my friend I did not know why Richie was at the keys at that particular time.
No big deal. It was great evening!
The boys played the Vegas BikeFest tonight. Foghat opened, and played for an hour, and BOC only got an hour also, so kind of a short set.
No encore.
No Richie, obviously because he just got married (big congrats!). Andy took his spot, and did a fine job, but nothing outrageous. Buck was the only solo in Last Days, but it sounded to me like he stepped it up a bit- it was fantastic. The sound was excellent, too. I'm usually front row and expect not to have good vocals, but they were clear, and so was Buck and the keyboard. I talked to Woody after and told him it sounded great. Enjoyed the double ending on Cities. Thought that might be the encore, but it turns out none, something about a curfew for the BikeFest. Eric sounded the best he has in the past! All in all, considering the boys were most likely worn out from the wedding last night, they put on a very good show.
Here is the link to my vid of a Richie-less Last Days:
Here is the set list for Lake Tahoe.
Beautiful day on the lake. We had second row center tickets. We felt like we were sitting on the stage. Very awesome!!
Mr. Bloom has a brand new SG. Being right in front of his amp, I must say he was getting a great tone out of his rig this night.
He mistakenly announced Dancin in the Ruins before Burnin' for you. He also made mention of last year's snowstorm that prevented him from playing. We barely made it into Tahoe before the roads closed that day.
Ripping solos from Richie and Buck all night. Packed house, fun boisterious crowd.
Thanks for a great night guys!!!
Here's the setlist:
This show marked the 4th time my wife and I saw BOC in a 150 day period in 2013.
Here's the setlist:
Set List:
BOC finally headlined Nashville! The played the Wildhorse Saloon, which is an excellent venue for both sound and stage. Eric made the comment at the end of the show - "See, Nashville isn't all country."
Opening band was a country band called Old Dominion. They were very good, but the country thing didn't go over too well with a few (obnoxious) rock-n-roll fans near the front of the stage. There was some inappropriate yelling, but the band just went with it and put on a good show.
BOC really changed up the set list since we had seen them the last several times. It was nice to hear O.D'd and Dancin' again. And two encores, with the double ending to Cities was sweet.
The whole set was clear, heard the vocals and guitars at almost any spot on the floor. I thought Eric seemed pretty relaxed and took his time with intros to most of the songs. He talked the crowd up more than usual, promoting Richie's YouTube projects, and joking that he had Kasim's centerfold on his wall at home.
It was a great crowd - saw several BOC shirts and hats around. They seemed pretty "hard core"- heard lots of lyrics sung around me.
The only downer of the crowd was a couple who apparently smoked some "illegal substance" during Last Days (appropriate!), then got busted by security, but refused to leave peacefully when the cops showed up. They ended up being carried away - literally - in handcuffs.
We all got knocked around a bit in the process, and at the end of the show, Jules walked to the front of the stage and handed his drumstick to a high-school aged fan who took the brunt of the idiots resisting arrest. Very cool of him.
There was a meet and greet for some before the show, but Richie, Kasim, and eventually Buck came out front after the show and we got to talk for a bit. It was really an excellent venue for a show, both sound-wise and security-wise.
Here's a link to my video of Dancin' In The Ruins:
Columbus Nov. 2, 2013
5:30 Soundcheck:
9:00 Show:
Secada's Lounge, Magic City Casino Miami FL
December 7, 2013 Setlist
Set List:
What a surprise to see Kasim on Bass. Was he just filling in or did they bring him on full time? I'm a huge Rundgren/Utopia fan so it was a great treat.
We attended the BOC concert at Waverly Beach in Menasha Wisconsin last night (December 14th 2013). It was great!
Here is the set list:
Hope this helps! It is from Buck's set list. They changed it up and played the Vigil and Buck's Boogie in place of ME 262 on the paper set list. Also the Hot Rails encore was not on the paper set list.