2014: BOC still on tour forever!!
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...
BOC 2014 01/10 Maryland Live Casino, Hanover MD:
Members of BOC, including Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma will perform a mini acoustic set at the Peavey booth at the NAMM Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday Jan. 23 @2PM.
Here's a video of the entire set (Testament's Alex Skolnick guested on DFTR):
Great show at the Canyon Club on 24 January 2014 after several years absent from this venue:
Two nights of BOC in the LA area this weekend. We flew down for Sacramento for both gigs.
Our plane was delayed, we thought that meant our table for the Agoura Hills show was a goner, not so! We arrived around eight just in time to be seated about ten feet from stage center.
We were seated on elongated picnic tables set up in the middle of the dance floor. The food reviews about this place are very true - awful. With the exception of the cheesecake.
Very nice folks at our part of the table, thanks guys! A gentleman at the next table was brazenly filming the gig on a mini tri-pod.
We missed the first band. The next band was called the Desert Dragons. They were really good. They had to cut their set short because the guitarist blew his amp.
Then the mighty BOC!! The fun began when Buck destroyed the first verse of Burnin For You. We all had a laugh. He would have a similar moment the next night.
Eric said they had not played this venue in a few years. Then he said if we wanted to find info on past gigs we should go to Hot Rails To Hull!!!
Very good show with Buck and Richie tearing it up! Really nice ME262 and Shooting Shark!
Eric forgot to start singing on Cities on Flame during the second encore number. Another good laugh.
Really fun,well behaved audience. Very nice, well run venue in my opinion. Waitress rocked!
Another great BOC show.
I hadn't seen them since 2011 and I was really looking forward to this show. I think their last Canyon Club show was in 2007. They did not disappoint.
It was a night of absolutely stellar guitar playing from Buck and Ritchie. There was a few vocal mistakes, but overall, the show was great. The band sounds tight and Kasim is a good addition on bass.
I really loved "Last Days of May". Ritchie seemed to get the most cheers of the night for his blistering solo in this song. And Buck answered with a killer solo as well. Brilliant!
Another treat was "The Vigil", which is one of my favorite and overlooked BOC songs. I've only seen them play this song a few times, and this time was the best.
I was able to get some video footage of "The Reaper". It came out good. Maybe I'll post it on YouTube.
Long live Blue Oyster Cult****
RIP Allen. We miss you.
Hello, night two of BOC ripping up southern California! We arrive to find a very nice old theater in Beverly Hills.
Had a quick bite and beer at the bar next door, then into the show.
Jules was possessed this night, especially during Richie's solo during Last of May.
Richie's guitar went out for a minute so Eric talked baseball with us for a few. Eric told a story about his father taking him to the 1955 world series when he was 9. That made realize how old these guys are getting.
Buck forgot the words on the second verse of Last days of may. He was laughing and making us laugh. Really fun moment.
The audience was a little more rowdy and animated then the night before. We thought this was funny.
Beverly Hills? The staff really clamped down on the taping and filming. This really is too bad. It would have been a fun boot. I was unable to "document the evening". There may not be any good footage on Youtube from this one, unless someone was very sneaky.
Mike Watt was invited on stage for tratb. He was abusing Kasim's bass. He kept making this obnoxious popping noise. He did a good job, however, it really showed just how good Kasim is.
The lights were turned on almost before they were off the stage after one encore. We would have tried to keep them there all night.
It was a wonderful night with wonderful BOC fans from everywhere.
Next stop for us is the Slim's gig in the city this coming Saturday.
Hope you all have a nice time until then!
Here's a video:
On January 25th, 9 months ago 3 friends went out for a ride...
To see Blue Oyster Cult at the Saban Theater of course. My long time good friends Jason Bender and Scott Keeler hailing from Thousand Oaks, California like yours truly, joined me for some good eating, talks, drinks and smooth music at the Stinking Rose. The food, conversation and drinks were top notch, and could only potentially be rivalled by the amazing establishment singer who performed drums, piano, sax and sang to perfection. What a great warmup to BOC.
With the Oyster Boys soon to take the stage we hustled from the restaurant to the Saban Theatre. Looking up I grinned from ear to ear seeing Blue Oyster Cult on top of the establishment marquee. I said to the guys, "This is how it should be. Blue Oyster Cult headlining". Truth is the marquee was arranged in date order but still it was awesome to see BOC at the top.
We headed inside the Saban to get some drinks and waters only to hear the opening riffs to Summer of Love by BOC. In a mystical moment Scott and Jason and I looked to each other with giddy eyes and did not need to say a word. We were here to listen to THE legendary Blue Oyster Cult. So very awesome.
We headed into the theatre to take our seat just as Summer of Love came to a close. Some fellow fans smiled and commented, "Saving the best for last", we chuckled and grinned carefully shuffling to our seats. I love being among Blue Oyster Cult fans - intelligent, conscientious, witty folks - the best of rock fans. We looked to each other as we sat down looking to the stage realizing just how close we were to the band. We had to be a mere 10 feet, 15 feet at most from Buck Dharma. Man it was awesome.
Eric mentioned that it was nice to be back in LA. That as a child he was a Dodger fan back when they were in Brooklyn and that his father took him to see the Dodgers in a World Series game in '55. Someone mentioned that the Yankees "rule" which prompted Eric to fire back, "No, they just have a lot of money and pay a lot of money for a good team" (I am paraphrasing of course).
Eric then mentioned that Buck was going to sing the next song called "Golden Age of Leather" and shared with us the opening chorus so all could sing along. Having heard this song over a thousand plus times I belted it out with fervor, drink raised high in celebration partially noting the volatility of time, space and circumstances and realizing these are golden times to see Blue Oyster Cult.
I could not help but look to Jason and Scott as Buck Dharma electrified us with his mystifying guitar work and furious guitar duel with Richie. It was amazing. I've seen them 5 times live, but this one was just a cut above the rest. Everyone was spot on. Eric then shared that Buck would sing the next one and they broke out into Burnin' For You.
Jules was on his A game tonight as I paid very close attention to drum/percussion time signature. He was spot on if I can say so without evoking blasphemy (we all know that the drummer named Al that helped create the signature BOC sound is the gold standard for comparison). The song was well played throughout.
One of my favorite parts of the song was that I was really into it rocking my head forward and back then stared at Buck's hands as he did some middle riffs. I looked him in the eyes as if to say, "I can't believe how good you sound". He looked me in the eyes and raised his eyebrows up and down as if to say, "Yeah, I'm that good". I could have gone home right then. My admission cost was worth it only 3 songs in. Awesome-est concert experience ever!!!
During a song break someone shouted "play Astronomy!". My buddies and I said, "play Veteran". The band looked to each other and Eric went to the mike and said, "Buck's singing this one called Dancin' In the Ruins". Since I hadn't heard this track live I was stoked.
The band sounded great, better than band sounded on the album track. I think Jules, Richie and Kasim have staked their claim on this one as everything sounded so good. Without an introduction the band then broke into O.D.ed On Life Itself. My adrenaline shot to the roof as I had never heard this live and it is such a jamming song, hard hitting, uncompromising, intense, just plain guttural.
What makes it even more intense is to know that these guys started in '67 and have done this 47 years and have seen it all making the song autobiographical for them.
Harvest Moon was next as a momentary cool down for the Oyster Boys. I say momentary because the guitar solos and heavy riffs in the middle and end get the blood pumping hard again. Eric then announced that the next song deals with Extraterrestrial Life. Someone shouted ETI. Eric said, "No but it's like that one". He gave a narrative of visitors from outer space then said it's called "The Vigil" and Buck will sing it. I leaned over to my buddies and said, "This song is awesome live. The guitar solo is awesome. You guys will love it. I saw it live in 2011". Sure enough the Oyster Boys proved it so as they nailed it, the bass, drums, guitar work, vocals, just perfect.
ME262 was next. It was fast, hard and loud - as it should be. Eric took his guitar and pointed it at the crowd rattling it off as a pretend machine gun, making my pal Scott crack up laughing. One of the many highlights of the night.
Eric introduced The Last Days of May as a drug deal gone bad in Mexico. I leaned over and told my buddies the guitar work and solos and guitar duel with Richie on this song are sick. And so it was. Buck and Richie nailed it. I love how the guitar work goes all high and to another dimension then comes all the way back down seamlessly.
These guys are the best in show and whether the Hall of Fame ever gets their act together and acknowledges them or not, they are my number one band because of their relentlessness, talent, and organic nature. Seems everyone that pairs with Eric and Buck shines. Shows that they are great teachers, mentors and bandmates. If attitude reflects leadership Buck and Eric are Master and Commander of BOC.
Eric then did the narrative intro to Godzilla and mentioned something about the La Brea Tar Pits bringing the story close to home and the band broke out to a rumbling version of Godzilla. In the middle of the song, there was an "ode to Kasim", breaking out into instrumental renditions of Joan Jett "I Love Rock N Roll". Kasim did a pounding bass solo which was followed by a vicious drum solo.
Afterwards, Buck broke out into a guitar solo which led into Don't Fear the Reaper, an extended one like that from A Long Day's Night. Afterwards, crowd on fire, we urged an encore. The band left for a few then came back with Mike Watt to do an encore of The Red And The Black. It was pure music magic.
My buddies and I went to a local bar and grabbed some grub, listened to Karoake. One of the songs was Roadhouse Blues. I mentioned to my pals that that was a classic cover along with We Got to Get Out of This Place and Born to be Wild that was a concert staple of the early Oyster Boy. I accidentally set a napkin on fire at the restaurant, really set to "Burn out the Night". Classic.
Can't wait til La Mirada 2015.
The set list:
A few details:
Hello, BOC at Slim's!!! A ripping set from the guys!
We arrived in time to see the opening group - The Deadlies! They rocked. I thought so at least. Very well executed surf type rock. Really good guitar player/front man.
Then the mighty BOC!!!!
A really tight set. I did not notice any mistakes! Very good Shooting Shark and ME262.
Eric was on fire with the jokes, is there a more funny front man in rock, I don't think so! He was ribbing Buck about his steinberger. He then teased Kasim for appearing in Playgirl!
It is getting rather annoying with all the rookies chatting away their night. If one more person yells "cowbell", I may lose it on them. Really? After all this time. People get a grip!
There should be a t-shirt or poster made that says if anyone screams cowbell or Godzilla all night, they should be removed from the building. We get it, you have waited your entire life to see BOC. Even though they play your area ten times a year. STFU already! Rant over.
We were hoping for a special encore or song they haven't done in awhile, alas, no. It is still enjoyable hearing the songs they have in rotation. They still perform them enthusiastically.
Thanks for another great evening of rock!!
The mighty BOC showed up to Slims Nightclub in San Francisco for the first time in close to 5 years. After a run of 20 straight years, BOC was not allowed to return because of complaints from one particular person in the neighborhood about the noise. Because BOC is a rock band, they were singled out as one of the bands not able to return. But after 5 years, the mighty BOC, returned to one of their favorite venues according to Eric Bloom.
A close to sell out crowd enjoyed the Oyster boys clock through 12 songs, all of them sounding crisp, clear, and in perfect cadence. The new bass player has great chops and backing vocals to match. Eric's voice sounded as good as I can remember! Buck was Buck, Jules was playing effortlessly with great jazz soul! And Ritchie was nails.
My only disappointments are the following: Many of the hard core fans would like to see some new material played, Dancin in the ruins was a nice surprise, but many were anticipating some deeper cuts! Maybe Ritchie could start singing more songs from the catalog..Goin thru the motions, ETI, Shadow of California, Unkown tongue, the great sun jester.
His performance on Hot Rails was superb.
Also the introduction of the bass players and his contributions with past bands and playing snippets from his previous band associations is cool, but I think most would rather see that time for another BOC song.
The crowd surprisingly was kind of mellow! Although much appreciating the Cult, they were not as rabid in years past. I guess we're all getting older! As my brother and I discussed, this was our 5th decade witnessing BOC in concert.
Also the sound level was keep to a minimum, because of the particular neighbor mentioned earlier! A bit higher volume might have gotten the "sleeping tiger" crowd a bit more fired up.
Hope to see them for many more decades. They are on tour forever!!!
Setlist:
Some vids:
BOC are now playing at Block 33 in Thessaloniki and not the Principal Club.
Their listing is at:
Here are some videos:
Well, the South West lost its main rail connection yesterday in the terrible floods, so I hope this gig is going to go ahead as planned. If it does, here's the line-up for the sunday:
5.00pm: Doors Open
5.30pm: Screaming Eagles
6.45pm: Sweet
8.45pm: Blue Oyster Cult
10.45pm: Uriah Heep
1.00am: Screaming Eagles
The story around why there are no other UK dates is a bit sad - originally there were TWO UK dates in the works for Feb 6 and 7... and the Greek shows were set for the week following this Butlins show...
However, a BOC band member was unable to work the days following the Butlins gig as it was his mother's birthday... luckily the Greek gigs could move - and did so - but that unfortunately meant no other UK shows...
I was at the Minehead gig. Great fun, but it was clear that the set list was all about protecting Eric's vocal chords, Buck sang almost all the songs.
It seems likely this trend is set to continue. I only mention this as a potential explanation of the set list.
A clip:
I attended the show last Saturday at the Midland Theater in Newark, Ohio.
Just in case you were unaware, Eric Bloom mentioned your website to the audience and gave the address out. That's the reason I'm here today.
The Midland Theater is a restored movie/vaudeville house about 25 miles east of Columbus. It's where I grew up since I was 6 years old.
After High School and a shortened college career, I worked at the theater as a projectionist and stage hand for about 4 years, before becoming a local radio DJ.
I had been to see BOC in Columbus many times, but it was exciting to have the show right here in my hometown for a change.
Delighted very much as the band hit the stage with "(This Ain't the) Summer of Love", and rocks their way through a great combination of hits and deep cuts from the bands storied carrier.
During a loud reaction a guy tried to shout, "Last Days of May" from across the aisle from me, and the band, who I am sure didn't actually hear him over the commotion, obliged obliviously, and killed it.
Richie and Buck gave and exciting guitar exchange during the bands rendering of "Shooting Shark".
By the time the footsteps of "Godzilla" pounded his way in the aged auditorium, the crowd was worked up to an enjoyable frenzy for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and blistering encores of "Hot Rails to Hell" and "Cities of Flame".
Another added anticipation for me was knowing, from posts on his Facebook page, Kasim Sulton had joined the band on bass. As a huge fan of Todd Rundgren, I had seen him play with Todd both in Utopia and solo.
I had also caught Kasim as a member of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. As they had done with Rudy Sarzo, the band featured Kasim on a solo, introduced with a short medley of his past, that also included Meat Loaf.
It was all in all a marvelous evening, with BOC doing a full hour and 50 minute set as the only band on the bill for this night. Absolutely one of the best Blue Oyster Cult concerts I have ever attended.
Set list for April 18 at the Blue Ocean Music Hall:
Ritchie Castellano was away on his honeymoon so someone named Andy Ascolese filled in on keyboards/guitar... however Eric played quite a bit of keyboards during the set.
This was a show that I was definitely looking forward to. A couple of my BOC friends in Mass actually got volunteer jobs here either showing people to their tables or working the concession stand. They also get to see the shows for free. I was informed that BOC would be playing here in April so I got my ticket and marked my calendar.
The show would be my first one at this place. The venue is actually built out over the beach so when high tide comes in, the ocean is directly under the building! I thought that was a cool feature.
There is also a nice window inside that you can look out and down and see what the ocean is doing during the show. My friends said I would just love it there.
Had a nice walk around Salisbury Beach, bringing back memories of High School as I grew up a couple of towns over from Salisbury. I don't know how many times I was down here in my youth.
Grabbed some cheese pizza from the boardwalk and proceeded inside to get situated. Got in early to get to my table as all my other Cult friends were either working this show or sitting at another table so I sat down at one of the prime seats and got comfortable.
No more than 10 minutes later Dan Lawson came out and he and his band really impressed me. My friend Steve told me he had jammed with him in the past and that I was in for a treat as he was amazing as a guitarist. Definitely check him out if you get the chance.
As soon as Dan's band left, I started talking with a couple of ladies that were sitting next to me at the table. Two sisters that way back in the day saw BOC live once and loved them. They told me the show was around 1976 or 1977 so they hadn't seen them in approx. 30 years. Then, with straight faces no less, they asked me if I thought they might play Godzilla or Don't Fear The Reaper that evening?
I tried not to laugh... I think I told them that they had a very good chance of seeing those songs tonight and they were very happy!
The show itself was awesome. I did miss Richie though as he was gone on his Honeymoon. Andy Ascolese filled in for him but it wasn't the same. My first Dancing In The Ruins and a really tight Harvest Moon were highlights.
The best song of the night though, was Last Days Of May. Just another one of those incredible versions that you don't want to end. And of course, the ladies facial expressions when the boys play Godzilla and Reaper. Priceless!
Then after the show, you walk out and the coast line is right there. This setup was almost like the Club Casino in Hampton Beach, the next town up across the border in NH. When you get out of the venue, the ocean breeze cools you right down and sends you home feeling great.
Setlist:
** Andy Ascolese filling in again for Ritchie as he's on honeymoon. Eric said that Andy would be playing with them for the next couple weeks. I'll be seeing them again in NH in early May so we'll see if Ritchie is back by then.
I had the privilege of opening the show with my band, Murcielago. Buck even gave the guitarists in my band a lesson on how to properly play "Cities on Flame" when he finished soundcheck (video on our facebook page).
Saw the Oyster Boys at Siestafest Friday last (25 April 2014) and it was fantastic! Setlist was:
Opening acts were Evil Reign, S.A. Territories, The Selfish Machines, and Year of the Snake (in that order.)
Saw BOC in Phoenix last night at the Pressroom. They were fantastic as always. A blonde haired guitarist/keyboardist named Andy filled in for Richie who was said to have been on his honeymoon in Hawaii. Andy also sang lead on Hot Rails to hell.
Setlist:
The band was smoking, as always.
The Press Room! Ah, another fun BOC gig. They played very well as usual. Michael Nitro opened.
The Press Room is in a seedy part of town right across from the county jail!
The Press Room was formerly just that, a big square room that held newspaper printing presses. Printing Presses are long gone. The good news was although it was a standing room concert, you could sit outside the mainbar/printing press/concert stage area and there was seating and a food vendor there.
It was a rather warm evening but sitting in the doorway a nice breeze was present so it was not uncomfortable. Parked next to the Press Room behind the building was an old RV with the license plate "COB Tour", get it? BOC backwards.
The Press Room is still booking events, so they apparently have created a successful niche for themselves.
Foghat opened; Richie just back from his Hawaii honeymoon.
Eric messed up and intro'd "Dancin' in the Ruins" instead of Burnin' For You... great show as usual.
Here's tonight's set list for May 3 in Plymouth:
Support by Dan Lawson Band
Richie Castellano was back in the line up. The band was not able to soundcheck so the first few songs had them getting settled and the sound dialed in.
Great concert, lots of solos, some of them very long. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage - especially Kasim Sultan. About a 90 minute concert.
I don't have a complete set list but it included the following (not in order):
There may have been 1 or 2 others that I don't recall, sorry...
Encore (in order, this is accurate)
Setlist:
Eric Bloom wondered aloud to the crowd about a Blackhawks/Rangers Stanley Cup Final after the Rangers beat the Canadiens 7-2 earlier in the day.
Set:
Overall, another great show. This is my 5th Mohegan show in a row and the play has been great at each. Cannot lie - would love a little change up of the set (Mirrors, quicklime, ruins, Death Valley, etc).
Richie and Jules get better and better each time I see them, and Buck and Eric never disappoint. Eric gave a few plugs for the NY rangers (and said for the Bruins fans to join in rooting for them). Usual riffs for Kasim's former gigs.
Eric references the Jimmy Fallon show and Will Ferrell/Red Hot Chili Peppers playing DFTR, and wondering why they were not invited to play. And a call out to the Godzilla movie.
Next up Ridgefield!
Set List:
What a great night in breezy southern Illinois last night! Got to meet up with Dick and Bobbie Wallsmith... think he said this was his 109th show. Good people.
The set was great - 12 songs - EB threw in The Vigil on the spot - said he thought we were a great crowd. Opened with the usual Red & Black, but we also got Summer of Love. Harvest Moon was a nice treat. And Cities with double ending for an encore.
Weather was perfect, and the guys looked like they were having a good time. EB did make a jab at the Godzilla movie producer for "NOT using our song".
Another great BOC night!
Here is the setlist along with the notes I took during the concert.
[8:05pm Start - 10:15 End]:
Attending a BOC gig has always been an adventure.
It started when I first saw the band open with "Dominance & Submission" at the Brighton Conference Centre in the UK back in November 1979, and has included a SWU gig at the Venue in London (1981), and gigs in far-flung places like San Bernadino California (1981), Paris La Bourget (1984), Fairbanks Alaska (1985), the Town & Country in Camden Town (1992), the legendary Hoboken gig (2008), and 4 stunning gigs over 2 nights at a casino in Jackpot Nevada (2009).
All memorable evenings. Even the night of October 28, 2012, which was spend watching Hurricane Sandy sweep through New Jersey after the 40th anniversary gig had been cancelled, was an experience (a shame the band rescheduled the gig just a few days later when domestic flights in-and-out of NY were still screwed up, so made it impossible to fly back from Colorado!).
Forward to Utah, 2014. The small community of Vernal is located on the eastern side of Utah, bordering the Dinosaur National Monument, a national park with the Green River winding through the deep canyons that it has formed.
The national park boasts a small but extraordinary museum where the building has been constructed around the exhibit, an exposed rock face literally full of dinosaur bones. Not sure that there is anything like this anywhere else in the world so I have to say the long journey from Denver was worthwhile.
The gig? For the first time, I have to say a complete disappointment. This was a mini 2 day festival with BOC the penultimate act on the Saturday night.
It is no exaggeration to say the highlight of the show was the intro music from the "Game of Thrones". For whatever reasons, the band took the stage about 30 minutes late and you could see that this was causing the band some angst.
The set opened with "The Red & The Black" which was solid but it went downhill from there. Eric spent most of the concert looking at his watch and urging the rest of the band to cut the set short.
So, "Shooting Shark" had just a short solo, there was no bass or drum solo during "Godzilla" and the whole performance looked they were in a race to finish. "Cities" as the encore was much better but the set ended after no more than about 35-40 minutes.
The photographs look great but, with an enthusiastic crowd and the sun setting on a beautiful, balmy summer (enchanted) evening, this should have been so much better.
I am guessing that the short set reflected some organizational problems and perhaps that the band had "a plane to catch" (?) but, for whatever reasons, the show was very poor.
Fortunately, I have great memories of "Dominance & Submission" on a cold winter's night at the seaside and a remarkable collection of Altosaurus and Stegasaurus bones.
Set List:
Here is the BOC June 13 set from Warsaw IN, just as it appeared on the printed setlist (thanks to Woody):
I'm not sure what Blade is on here - I believe they went from Buck's Boogie to Last Days.
They did NOT do any encores as the opening band went over and the local DJs had to do their twenty minute act.
June 20 (source: setlist.fm)
Artist: Blue Oyster Cult, Venue: Indian Lookout Country Club, Mariaville, NY, USA:
Setlist:
What a great show this was. Worth the 4 1/2 hour drive each way for a 2 hour BOC show.
The band was in great form and Eric changed up the set list a few times. Was great to have a longer BOC set and see Career of Evil come in. That is what makes seeing BOC live so exciting is not knowing what they may pull out.
I hope this trend continues. An excellent show!
I just wanted to share with you a BOC experience I had last saturday evening in Connecticut.
Of course I try and see them whenever they are remotely close to where I live (Westchester County NY). They played a HUGE show at The Ridgefield Playhouse.
I brought my 20 yr. old Son who is a Guitar player so he could witness Just how awe inspiring Buck is. Right on cue from the opening notes his playing was extraordinary. I have seen them play many, many times but I have NEVER seen Buck so animated!
Each time I think they can't possibly surprise me they do. This venue has yielded their very best.
Eric and Richie joined a band onstage from the School of Rock Fairfield at the Ridgefield Playhouse - they jammed on two numbers: Reaper and Godzilla.
BOC setlist from last night:
I made the 3 hour trip to Tacoma from Keizer Oregon to see the Band for the 39th time and the band put on another amazing show.
I had requested "I Love the Night" and "The Vigil" via Facebook to Eric and the Band played both songs. Every member gave great effort and energy.
I was wearing an Allen Lanier tribute shirt that my son created. I gave Andy a couple of shirts to give to Eric and Buck before the show.
I met up with fellow BOC Fan Chris Conn before the show and others that I have met before at other West Coast shows.
What a performance, the set had no time limits and Eric sang more songs than usual. I was lucky enough to get a Buck Dharma guitar pick.
Here's the set list.
Flew up from Sacramento for this one. Praise the Lord I did. What a show!! 16 songs! Are you freakin' kidding me?
The casino was not as bad as all the reviews I had read. It's a casino, what do you expect? The concert hall was very nice. A flat room with folding chairs.
The seats were a bit cramped, zero leg room. If someone in your aisle wanted out, you were stepped on. I was in about the 10th row(JJ) on Eric's side. Had I been three or so seats to my left, I would have been staring at the video board. Not a very good sightline for those fine BOC fans. They were standing and rocking out all night.
I have never been more exhausted at the end of a BOC show. In California, no one let's you stand up, Booo!!
I was seated by a gentlemen from Oregon(who was able to go backstage and meet the guys before the show) who had driven for hours to get there. I suspect it was our very own Bob Quinn. However, I forgot to ask.
An amazing show from all members. They were on fire and on point. Jules was rockin' his double bass pedal to perfection during Last days of May. Kasim was great. Buck and Richie smoked. Eric's vocals were simply brilliant (as were Buck's and the fellas).
Top 5 show all time from them for me. Thanks for a fantastic evening of rock! Thanks for making the flight worth every penny.
Next stop for us is Lincoln,CA opening for Deep Purple.
Saw BOC in Naperville, IL (suburb of Chicago) on Sunday July 6th.
Foghat was first on the bill at 4:30PM. They played a great set, as usual, and the whole band came out to sign autographs after their set. Luckily I got through the autograph line and back in front of the stage before BOC started. The day was very hot and humid and rainclouds threatened during the whole set. But no rain! BOC started at 6:30PM.
Setlist:
No encores as their time ran out. George Thorogood was on last after BOC.
The band was in fine form (aren't they always?). Richie had a really great solo in Last Days. Buck is and was incredibly fantastic, and Kasim and Jules amazing, and Eric was the mainstay as always.
Never get tired of seeing these guys and hope they stay "On Tour Forever".
Wish they would beef up their merchandise offerings other than a single black t-shirt. BOC!
Here is the setlist:
I was at the show and they opened for Boston. Both bands played a killer show! It was an outdoor show and the weather was perfect.
Blue Oyster Cult played a pretty standard setlist for them. It would be awesome to see them play some other songs from their catalogue. All members were on fire and they sounded amazing.
Looking forward to seeing them again soon!
I have been to so many BOC shows I've lost count, but I have averaged 1 a year since 1980. My first show was in Allentown PA on the FOUO Tour and I was hooked! I have seen the boys all over the country since then, probably 7 different states, I have moved a lot over the years.
I had the choice to go to this free show at a park or wait a couple of days for the BOC/Deep Purple show at the OC Fair, but I knew that would be a short set so I chose the park show and I am glad I did!
They started playing at dusk and we got to watch the sun go down over the bay while the boys jammed. Very cool intro music, Game of Thrones! They hit the stage smokin with Red and Black.
Setlist:
I was very pleased with the setlist overall, Summer of Love and Hot Rails were personal highlights for me, just because I haven't heard them much recently.
This line-up is the tightest they have been in a while and Kasim is a great fit. Rudy is technically a great Bass player, but Kasim has more of an East Coast vibe, more feeling, IMO. He was great on Shooting Shark.
Richie killed it as usual, especially on Last Days and he even sang lead on Hot Rails!
Buck seems to be rejuvenated, he was on fire! ME 262 was extended and Buck had some kind of phaser effect on his guitar... very awesome, took me back to the 80s.
Eric was more animated then I've seen him, the boys still got it.
The only negative was the cheesy lights, they had about 8 LED lights, red and blue... lame. Woody had the sound dialed in as usual.
I took two 22 yo guys and they were blown away, they said it was epic!
I've been a big BOC fan for a long time. This was the first time I got to see two of my favorite bands of all time live (I'm only 20 so don't judge me...). They were opening for Deep Purple and only got to play for 45 minutes.
Here's the basic setlist:
I wrote a quite lengthy review of both bands' performances here:
Here is the set from Lincoln, CA:
A brutal, hot day in Lincoln, CA. This a town about 20 minutes North of Sacramento,CA. BOC opening for Deep Purple at the outdoor concert spot at one of the local Indian casinos.
It is just some folding chairs and bleachers set up in the parking lot. They do a great job for concerts here. It has a 4500-5000 capacity. I would guess they had about 3500 in attendance. Rather poor for the two rock heavyweights that were performing.
BOC had to start with the sun killing them (the stage faces dead west). It did go down for them a bit, however, Jules was being roasted.
About a 50 minute set, which always sucks. I do not like it when they open. I end up hating the other band for making them leave the stage. However Deep Purple were very good.
The Oyster boys ripped up the place, earning a standing ovation for their efforts. Time constraints prevented any encores. There was no drum solo during Godzilla.
A wonderful evening with a very nice, well behaved audience. BOC! BOC! BOC!
A friend from my college days flew into Hartford from Charlotte and we drove 150 miles down to the show. We stopped along the way at St. Paul's Chapel, from the cover of On Your Feet or On Your Knees, for a photo opportunity in our BOC shirts.
Setting:
John Burns Town Park was a sprawling recreation complex in Massapequa, Long Island, right on South Oyster Bay. The weather was cool and clear. There were assigned seats for the sponsors and their families in front of the stage and lawn seating for the rest of us.
Judging by a the crowd at a previous outdoor show in Enfield, CT, I would guess that there were over 6,000 in attendance. For being so close to home, there did not seem to be a lot of hardcore fans, but I guess 42 years removed from playing Conry's bar is a lot of time for everyone to stick around.
Setlist:
Show:
It was a pretty standard set that lasted about an hour and 40 minutes. There was a giant inflatable screen to the left of the stage and the video crew did an excellent job of mixing closeups and wide shots and covering the stage from every angle. The sound mix was good, though not very loud.
Richie's solo on LDOM was excellent as usual, as was Buck's, but Buck's effortless style makes him seem reserved in comparison. I think Richie is great but I would love to see them trade licks at the end of Buck's solo and see if Buck can school him.
Kasim's solo on Godzilla was short but sweet.
Eric's voice held for the night, though a bit high and nasal compared to his growl of old. He dedicated The Reaper to Lauren Bacall.
BOC played this concert as part of the Town of Oyster Bay "Music Under the Stars" series. This is a series of free shows between July and August, held in a number of parks throughout the township.
To give you an idea of what they put on, here is their concert lineup from 2014:
Eric Barz described the show well, with one correction. The set list is incomplete as they played "Buck's Boogie" right after ME 262.
There were 12 songs in the set list:
Eric Bloom had a fun introduction to Kasim Sulton about half way through "Godzilla." He said, "Yes, THE Kasim Sulton. Perhaps you'll recognize Kasim or you know about him from history books."
They then played several bars of songs made famous from the bands Kasim played with including Joan Jett and the Blackhawks, Utopia, and Meatloaf, followed by a bass solo, then a drum solo from Jules Radino.
I was really looking forward to this show, as it was the first time I had seen BOC in many years. I would like to describe to everyone in detail just how great they were that evening, but I have a better idea....
Why not just watch it for yourself! I have the entire show on YouTube recorded from 20 feet from the stage. Ladies and Gentlemen and BOC fans everywhere, for your viewing enjoyment, here is Blue Oyster Cult from August 16, 2014:
Saw the band last night just a short drive south. I met up with fellow Northwest BOC Brothers Dave Smith, Chuck Lunday, Chris Conn, Rob Bonacker, Billy Quinn, John Beggert, and Sam Shepherd. This was a double bill with Bachman & Turner.
We arrived early to get a good spot on the grass as the band played on a stage surrounded by water.
We watched the for the sound check and they played Career of Evil. Eric then asked us what we wanted to hear and we gave a few suggestions and they played The Vigil.
The band brought great energy especially since they traveled from the east coast. The band was spot on and we had a great time. I spoke to a kid and asked him how many times that he had seen BOC. His answer was, this is my first show. He had a great time and enjoyed the show.
The set list was short due to the double bill, but the sound check made up for it. Here's the list:
Sound Check:
Setlist:
2014-08-24: Palmer, Alaska setlist:
I have the setlist here for you. Happy to help:
The Variety Playhouse is located in Little 5 Points, a trendy "alternative culture" area east of downtown Atlanta comprising bars, coffee houses, a few vinyl record shops and several low-end fashion and drug paraphernalia shops.
The venue itself was small and cozy, with the seating removed from the first 7-8 rows to give a standing area.
Kudos to the support band, All Them Witches, who played a really good set reminiscent of a Doors-Zeppelin-Purple sound with southern gospel-witchcraft overtones.
I was half expecting to hear "Atlanta, Georgia, R U Ready 2 Rock" as the introduction but instead the band came on the Game of Thrones theme and opened with O.D.'d On Life Itself. Crisp, clear sound and a really strong set.
The band was really on fire. Career of Evil got dusted off (thanks for checking Twitter!) and the extended versions of The Vigil and Last Days of May were included in the middle section.
Some anniversary celebrations (10 years?) for both Richie and Jules and the whole band really seemed up for the gig. Eric talked about prehistoric reptilian creatures that had wandered around Georgia before a meteor or comet had destroyed them all... "except for one!"
The band decided to "whip out" I Love The Night for the first encore before launching into Hot Rails to Hell and Cities on Flame.
A long set that ran to about 1¾ hours and a great crowd reaction throughout the evening. Fantastic show. Thanks.
Setlist:
PS. One surprise at the Variety Playhouse - the bouncers were under instructions to prevent people taking photographs. I guess they know how King Canute must have felt! I thought Lars had proved that you can't stop technology and the digital age, and that its much better to embrace it than fight it.
Baltic Greatest Rock Cruise Ever!
Together with Sweden Rock Festival, we will fall to adjust to having the biggest and best cruise in the Baltic Sea. 36 hour full speed seldom seen!
Under the name Rockbäten we will cruise between Stockholm and Helsinki on Silja Serenade and this with the fiercest line-up you can imagine on the wave so blue.
With a specially built stage at the bottom of the main street, we offer two strong principal name in the form of Survivor and the legendary Blue Oyster Cult. In addition to these two giants so you can also enjoy the Black Star Riders with Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham in the tip and one of the hottest Swedish bands now, Heat.
There will also be classic 80's hair metal with DALTON and SM-finals of Battle of the Tribute Bands, where Sweden's four best tribute bands will compete for the title of SM. It will rock show, DJs, Rock Karaoke and Ronny Svensson will hold interviews with artists from the scene in the nightclub Atlantis and we also hope to get to one and another Meet & Greet on board.
As a little extra, exciting season, we will introduce a lot of bands that are ready for the Sweden Rock Festival in 2015, so you want to be the first to know it's on Rockbäten you should be!
Silja Serenade departs from Stockholm at 17.00 on Friday 10 October and is back in port on Sunday, 12 October at 0900 so there will be two party nights aboard.
How to book:
Blue Oyster Cult Performance Details
Atlantis (open 13.30-05.00)
14.00-14.45 Storytelling: Blue Oyster Cult
Main stage
19.00-20.30: Blue Oyster Cult
22.30-00.00: The Hooters
The Sweden rock cruise turned out to be pretty freakin awesome!
Setlist from memory:
I heard them soundcheck to If I Fell (nice), and their last encore was Cities on Flame. I don't remember the exact order, but here's what they played:
Some personal notes:
My wife, who is not a hard core fan, really loved the show. (How can you not??!!)
Thank you Eric for asking the lighting crew to dim the lights before I Love the Night.
Eric and Buck told the story of Conry's Bar, then did NOT play Before the Kiss a Redcap, but rather Harvester of Eyes. I don't get it.
What a band, what a bunch of musicians. Ritchie, Kassim and Jules are really filling some big shoes. I am sure Alan is resting in peace seeing what Ritchie is doing.
Over the years, BOC has played with some very talented drummers and bassists. But in my opinion none of them really captured the essence of what the Bouchard brothers contributed to this band until Jules and Kassim came aboard. Thank you both!
I know with their deep catalog of great songs, the band cannot possibly play everything that everyone wants to hear every night. But I would love to hear what this lineup could do with Joan Crawford, After Dark, and Teen Archer. Maybe I'll hear these in 2015?
Thanks guys for another great show.
2014-10-29 Setlist:
No encores. I got the impression they would have gone longer but Buck was having guitar/amp issues all night.
It sounded great in the audience but he was visibly frustrated on stage.
Great to see the band again having seen them at Minehead in February.
This time the event was Hard Rock Hell and I hoped they would change their set avoiding some of their softer numbers but no chance. Even so, the band were very competent as usual but I thought the Minehead gig was superior.
Having said that, Buck was quite animated at times and he really doesn't look his age.
Buck and Richie duel on 'Last Days' - one of my personal favourites. There is a great video on YouTube from the Minehead gig.
Just bought The Columbia Years box set from Amazon for £33-amazing!
I still remember the band opening with 'Dominance' at Hammersmith November 1979 (caught them on 2 nights). The sound was awesome and they ought to open with the song in future at least for a while.
2014-12-28 Setlist: