Happy Birthday Elvis!
A Benefit for the Love Hope Strength Foundation featuring, Vanilla Fudge + Buck Dharma (of Blue Oyster Cult)

Pearl Street Warehouse Presents
Happy Birthday Elvis! A Benefit for the Love Hope Strength Foundation featuring
Vanilla Fudge + Buck Dharma (of Blue Oyster Cult)
TUE · JANUARY 8, 2019
Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
$20.00

Police Log: Errant Slap; Craigslist Fraud; Early Morning Comings, Goings
By Bethany J. Hashway

Thursday, Jan. 10

10:20 p.m. - The manager of the Greenwich Odeum called police after a near-fight among patrons attending the Blue Oyster Cult concert there.

The manager pointed out one patron who appeared to be extremely drunk and had difficulty standing.

The man was bleeding from his right eye and nose. The man said he had attended the concert with two friends, a couple, and had inadvertently bumped into the woman, then he slapped her on the face as he was waving his arms around.

The woman's husband then hit the first man, who told police he just wanted to go home.

Rescue had arrived to check on the man, however he became agitated while in the rescue vehicle, yelling obscenities and spitting.

Fire personnel placed a spit mask on him, which angered him further.

Police handcuffed the man, citing safety concerns. He was taken by rescue to Kent Hospital.

Sadie Johnson Opens for Blue Oyster Cult

On January 19th, senior, Sadie Johnson performed at the Peoples Bank Theater for a sold out crowd in Marietta as the opening act for the famous 1980s rock band, Blue Oyster Cult.

Johnson has been performing in front of crowds for years and has quite the following. Most commonly playing blues music, Johnson has been entertaining crowds as a solo vocalist and guitarist.

Blue Oyster Cult rose to popularity with songs such as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You." At the time of its release, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" reached as high as number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, while "Burnin' For You" topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Another reason for the success of Blue Oyster Cult was the popularity of MTV. During the 1980s, MTV was one of the most popular ways to jumpstart a career. Musicians would release singles and debut music videos almost simultaneously, providing more exposure.

Johnson noted that "it felt awesome to open for Blue Oyster Cult. They are incredibly sweet guys and top-notch musicians."

Johnson has made quite the impact during her time at Marietta College. Over the past year, Johnson helped lobby for the school and those who provide funding to help develop a music therapy program. The program has taken over the McKinney Media Center, turning classrooms into recording studios and providing musicians a place to create with the most up-to-date technology.

"For the Love of 48th Street", a special tribute for Manny's Music Store as it is honored into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A production by Holly Goldrich and Musical Director Benny Harrison.

Celebrating the legend and the story that was 48th street, the music row for the world.

The house band line up is Benny Harrison (keys / vocals), Mike Ciro (guitars / vocals), Brian Dunne (drums), Gene Perez (bass), Niki Richards (vocals). and Tommy Bowes (vocals), and their special guests.

Special Guests And Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Favorites: Paul Shaffer, Felicia Collins, Christine Ohlman, Ricky Byrd, JJ French, Will Calhoun, Liberty Devito, Vernon Reid, Bernard Purdie, Rob Papparozzi, Buck Dharma, Julio Fernandez, Scott Ambush

Gig review: BLUE OYSTER CULT - Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, 22 February 2019

After a lull of a decade or so, Blue Oyster Cult have resumed their love affair with the UK in a big way in the past four years. Show stealing supporting appearances at Ramblin' Man and Stone Free were sandwiched by a night at a packed and sticky Forum complete with a temporary return for Albert Bouchard. That reaction appears to have persuaded them to embark on this extensive UK tour including a return to the venue once known as the Hammersmith Odeon, probably for the first time since my debut BOC gig in 1989.

It was ambitious to book a venue with a greater capacity these days with the seats removed from the stalls, but it was reasonably if not uncomfortably full. It also helped that The Temperance Movement were the support act, with a large headline following in their own right, though they certainly did not have headline-quality lights and sound for their 45 minute set.

Opener 'Only Friend' and 'Ain't No Telling' showed the band at their best, in a bluesy groove with plenty of space in between the guitar riffs of Paul Sayer and Matt White, while 'The Way It Was And The Way It Is Now' was an example of how singer Phil Campbell shares more than just a rooster cut with the gravelly soul-influenced vocals of Steve Marriott and Rod Stewart. He also played some mean harmonica on 'Take It Back' while on 'Midnight Black' his gruff singing added to the Creedence Clearwater Revival vibe.

However a couple of the ballads fared less well in this environment with the title track of last album 'A Deeper Cut', with Phil playing acoustic, of almost C**dplay dreariness. Far more satisfying was closer 'Built-In Forgetter' with its funky groove and both guitarists at least allowed to stretch out somewhat.

It wasn't the best environment to see them in but, Phil apart, their stage presence was rather anonymous and if I'm honest while I enjoyed the set it sated my own appetite to see them headline.

Blue Oyster Cult somewhat surprisingly opened with 'Dr Music', which was rather run of the mill by their inventive standards until lifted by a keyboard solo from Richie Castellano, with guitarist Buck Dharma singing 'Before The Kiss (A Redcap)' with the first signs of jamming, including a short bass solo from Danny Miranda.

Eric Bloom, cutting a mellow and genial figure as frontman, then reminded us that BOC make a point of playing different songs each night and that the setlist would vary from the previous night in Norwich, before introducing 'Career Of Evil', one of many in which he sang lead but Buck's backing vocal intertwined very effectively.

The gig was somewhat slow to take off, at least before the biggest cheers yet for a surprisingly early but evergreen 'Burning For You'. For a show in a relatively large venue it was hindered by an initially muddy sound and a light show for which every expense had clearly been spared with a single spotlight on the singer or lead instrumentalist and the rest of the band bathed in a rather murky dim light.

Luckily the inventive quality of their music overcome any need for gimmicks. They have always been impossible to pigeonhole, epitomised by 'Harvest Moon', which dating back to 1998 counts as a new song from a band sadly yet to record new material in 18 years. It started as a gentle, harmonied soft rocker but burst into life with lengthy guitar solos from Richie and Buck. 'OD'd On Life Itself' was lively with a strong chorus and 'The Vigil' was another lesser known cut dusted off to the delight of the diehards while 'ETI' revived memories of that Forum show where 'Agents Of Fortune' was played in full.

Last time around at Stone Free they played the whole of their debut album and it was one of those songs that provided the set highlight in the epic 'Then Came The Last Days Of May' with extended solos from both guitarists.

Richie's speedy fretwork impressed enough but Buck- on that headless guitar with cheese-shaped holes he seems to have been playing since time immemorial - whose solo demonstrated what a fluent and underrated guitar hero he is. Nobody is perfect however and whereas the ten minutes of '..May' flew by, the instrumental 'Bucks Boogie' did rather outstay its welcome, especially when it broke down into a jam between him and Danny.

In between this series of BOC concert staples, 'Flaming Telepaths' was a welcome surprise, though I wasn't the only one to momentarily think for a few bars that it was the intro to 'Astronomy'. After 'the joke's on you' sign off, Eric cackled as the strobe lighting flashed and for a moment it was a reminder of how these now rather cuddly veterans did once have a sinister side to them.

It was back into familiar territory with Eric reminiscing about old movies before introducing 'Godzilla' which had people singing along. 'Don't Fear The Reaper' is of course ubiquitous in popular culture - it was even in a Grauniad feature that week - so I can see why the band may have wanted to approach it somewhat differently, but a Buck-led instrumental segment was rather dull, though it did build anticipation for the song itself, which was a perfect climax, striking the right balance between a faiful rendition and a short but looser closing jam section.

With the majority of people probably expecting 'Black Blade', as an encore there was great excitement at hearing the intro to 'Joan Crawford', and people were roaring along to the playfully macabre 'Joan Crawford has risen from the grave' chorus.

'Hot Rails To Hell', with Richie charging about the stage in between singing lead, was as close to an out and out rocker as they get. I suspected that this might be it, but there was a final trip back to the early years in 'Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll', building steadily to a climax with the four guitarists line astern in trademark fashion.

Despite my reservations over the presentation, this was a memorable evening in which a judicious blend of staple favourites and choice cuts reminded us what a unique and quirky body of work the veteran New Yorkers have created. With a revolving setlist, I'm already looking forward to their next return.

Review and photos by Andy Nathan

Blue Oyster Cult show why they're one of America's greatest rock bands.

Hot on the heels of their celebratory 45th anniversary tour in 2017, veteran American rock band Blue Oyster Cult returned to strike while the iron was hot. And on the warmest day of the year so far, Newcastle was certainly up for it last night, with the O2 Academy packed both downstairs and up.

With a setlist changing from night to night, you never quite know what to expect from a BOC show; hence Tattoo Vampire from their platinum-selling Agents of Fortune album was a welcome surprise to open proceedings, with Before The Kiss, A Redcap and the song that inspired JK Rowling, Career Of Evil, following in quick succession.

The sprightly pop of Burnin' For You came early in the set and demonstrated the perfect versatility of BOC. Their ability to craft such melodic gems alongside the darker, heavier, more sinister Harvester Of Eyes sets them apart from their peers, and much of that is down to the contrasting approaches of the smoother, melodic vocals of Buck Dharma and the harder, more edgy voice of Eric Bloom.

In Dharma, they have one of the finest guitarists around. His sense of melody and technical dexterity creates a sound that works completely for the song. There's no needless overplaying and every note counts, with The Vigil and Harvest Moon being two perfect examples. It is arguably Then Came The Last Days Of May where Dharma really shines in the tale of a drugs deal that went wrong, which was told so vividly and his interplay with fellow guitarist Richie Castellano so compelling.

While Dharma and Bloom may take centre stage, they have surrounded themselves with truly gifted musicians, including charismatic bassist Danny Miranda, drummer Jules Radino, who put in a sterling performance throughout, and Castellano, who proved to be the band's utility player, adding guitars, keyboards and vocals to the potent mix.

When a band can pull out a stone-cold classic like (Don't Fear) The Reaper with its beautiful, shimmering harmonies and haunting storyline, you know that you are in the presence of something special, and when Dharma's solo exploded in the mid-section, it just took everything to the next level.

With a three-song encore including the upbeat The Red And The Black, a welcome return for Hot Rails To Hell (featuring Castellano's imposing voice) and a seriously riff-heavy Cities On Flame shaking the Academy's foundations, BOC proved yet again why they remain one of America's great rock bands. And with a new album in the works there's plenty still to look forward to.

Blue Öyster Cult | The Temperance Movement - 23rd February 2019 - Newcastle O2 Academy

A headlining act in their own right The Temperance Movement were here tonight setting the mood for one of rock music's greatest acts; Blue Öyster Cult. They waste no time in getting the crowd going with Only Friend and Caught In The Middle and for the next 40 minutes deliver a fiery set of blues-soaked rock n roll. Phil Campbell's voice just gets stronger every time I see them and the band just gel together brilliantly on tracks like A Deeper Cut and set closer Midnight Black leaving the crowd wanting more!

The intro rings out and the band take to the stage the dark blue lights making it difficult to make out anything but shapes and shadows but there's no mistaking the image of Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma centre stage sharing a lifetimes friendship fist bump signalling Blue Öyster Cults' return to Newcastle. Tattoo Vampire gets things underway and for the next 100 minutes we are in the palm of their hands! The big MTV era hit Burnin' For You is aired early in the set sandwiched between older Secret Treaties cuts Career of Evil and Harvester of Eyes all of which are met with the same joyous reception.

BOC are no strangers to Newcastle having even recorded some of the tracks for Some Enchanted Evening at a City Hall show way back in the day, so it's great to see them still rocking to a full house here after almost 50 years as a band (despite multiple line up changes) I was a bit disappointed that our Toon crowd voted against Shooting Shark when Bloom put two songs up for public choice though!

Dharma is outstanding tonight both vocally and musically especially on Last Days Of May where he absolutely knocks it out of the park! But it is, of course, Don't Fear The Reaper that causes the majority of the crowd to lose their minds. Regardless of the reasons why people know this song, be it long time fan TV/movie soundtrack or THAT sketch (even Eric was mimicking the "more cowbell") it's a great song it's got everything memorable riff melodies sing-along chorus AND that ferocious solo never gets old! And yeah I got fed up of hearing it in clubs and pubs radio etc BUT never tire of it live!

However BÖC are more than just THAT one song - Godzilla is still possibly of the first and finest stoner rock blueprints, Hot Rails To Hell (handled brilliantly by guitarist and keyboard player Richie Castellano) is just pure Garage Rock 'n' roll and Black Blade co-written with Michael Moorcock is sci-fi storytelling at its finest. These amongst many many others high light the bands versatility which is why they've lasted the test of time Aptly Cities On Flame (with Rock 'n' Roll) brings the night to a close and I'm hoping we get that promised new album sooner than later and maybe one more tour out of the guys for the 50th celebrations.

Review: Blue Oyster Cult - O2 Academy, Glasgow

Blue Oyster Cult are old hands at this game. They could have followed the example of so many other bands from the same era, and elected to go with a smaller band as opening act. Instead, the vintage New Yorkers chose The Temperance Movement as openers. It's hard to think of a bigger UK act, at the moment, squeezing their normal headline set into 45 minutes, but having them on the bill no doubt brought in some extra ticket sales and gave the fans real value for money.

This time last year the "Beast from the East" nearly scuppered the much anticipated headline tour from The Temperance Movement. We were knee deep in snow and fighting over a loaf of bread; now it's sitting outside having a drink weather.

It's a year since their astounding third album, 'A Deeper Cut', was released, and The Temperance Movement are showing no signs of being ring rusty. It's an old favourite that opens the show in the form of 'Only Friend', and from the opening bars it's clear that there are a lot of movers and shakers in the crowd.

Phil Campbell is as exciting to watch as ever, a performer who truly does get lost in the music. Arguably the best vocalist that the UK has produced in some time, he grows in stature with each song and is clearly having a ball in his home town. With a tight time schedule, chit-chat is kept to a minimum. When he pauses to talk, it's to point out how much of a thrill it is to play in the venue where he sat upstairs watching The Black Crowes.

The setlist is only a handful of songs, but they further highlight how cohesive a unit The Temperance Movement has become. A fact not lost on most, especially since the band almost self destructed after sophomore album 'White Bear'. The latter half of the set finds the band going for the throat on 'Ain't No Telling', 'Take It Back' and an ass-shaking 'Built-in Forgetter', as well as bringing it back down for a gorgeous run through of 'A Deeper Cut'.

They leave the stage to a rapturous reception, and one can't help but wonder how long will it be before a headline date at this very venue is announced.

I was curious to see how many people would move away from the front after The Temperance Movement finished their set, and I'm happy to report that there was very little in the way of an exodus. By the time the theme music from 'Game Of Thrones' began, and Blue Oyster Cult could be made out through the shadows, there seemed to be more people edging their way towards the front. Plenty of die-hard fans ready to make themselves heard.

Contrary to popular belief Blue Oyster Cult don't just have a handful of songs in their repertoire. Yes, you will hear 'Burnin' For You', 'Godzilla' and the other one, but the guys from Long Island like to change things up a little, and they have an enviable back catalogue to call upon.

After 'Dr Music' and 'Before The Kiss, a Redcap', lead vocalist and guitarist Eric Bloom mentions that the band likes to mix the setlist up a little. He talks about fans attending each show on the tour, and jokes that they change it up for "those four people with too much time on their hands". So for those four guys, the band breaks into the tour premiere of 'Golden Age Of Leather', a song that Bloom describes as about "beer, music, motorcycles and partying" before adding "so raise your beer!". This is then followed by some gorgeous harmonies as the band lines up for the ode to beer... "Raise your can of beer on high, and seal your fate forever, our best years have passed us by, the golden age of leather..."

With the criminally underrated Buck Dharma on lead guitar (as well as co-lead vocals), ably assisted by Bloom and Richie Castellano (who steps out from behind his keyboards to strap on a guitar), this is a guitar heavy night. Dharma is a pleasure to watch. Ever smiling, he pauses in between songs to lift his dark glasses and soak in the atmosphere. Bloom is no slouch either; wielding a gorgeous black Gibson SG he helps form a formidable front line. Throw in the joker in the pack that is bassist Danny Miranda, add drummer Jules Radino, and you have Blue Oyster Cult circa 2019. Still bringing it, every night, forty-seven years after their debut album.

Bloom continues to play to the die-hards, with a teasing question: "what song would you rather hear? Shooting Shark or Harvest Moon?", before joking that they would play "what we want". They then launch into the former, with Bloom behind the keyboards. If you were one of the "four guys" following the band on this tour, then you were getting your money's worth. The latter half of the set of course features the heavy hitters, 'Bucks Boogie', 'Godzilla', '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' as well as the stonking versions of 'Dancing In The Ruins' and 'Hot Rails To Hell' that appeared during the encore. Castellano takes the lead vocals on 'Hot Rails To Hell' and the guy is clearly having a blast unleashed from behind his keyboards.

Blue Oyster Cult celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their debut album in 2022. I bet they will still be touring then, and still knocking them dead.

Blue Öyster Cult - Live Review - Leeds O2 Academy, February 2019
by David Schuster

Blue Öyster Cult are a guitar band. Yes, they're a five-piece with drums, bass and keyboards, but for them it's the guitar that's king. Frontman Eric Bloom sports a 1968 black Gibson SG with custom inlay, nicely matching his black jeans, leather jacket and wraparound shades. Think 'rock star', and that's the image that comes to mind.

Buck Dharma plays a one-of-a-kind Steinberger in white, customised with holes like a Swiss cheese, affectionately known as the 'Cheeseberger'. Both of these are collector's items and serious investments. It's no surprise then that tonight's performance contains a lot of top-notch axe work. What's more surprising is that they've been playing live now for almost 50 years - and are still sounding this good.

"Are you ready to rock?" shouts Bloom, and the band fire into an opening trio of 'Dr Music', 'Before the Kiss, a Redcap' and 'Golden Age of Leather'. It seems that the capacity crowd in the Leeds O2 Academy are indeed ready to do just that, and there's an enthusiastic response to the opening lyrics of the latter: "Raise your can of beer on high." A sea of plastic glasses is waived, with predictable results. Fortunately, no one seems to mind getting a bit damp, as it's been the warmest February day on record and it's positively steamy in the concert hall.

"Sparkling notes"
It hasn't gone unnoticed by the American based musicians either. "This isn't like your British weather," Eric observes. "It was almost like a New York winter here last year." He mentioned it when I interviewed him earlier in this tour, so he clearly hasn't forgotten trying to get around the UK by coach whilst the 'Beast from the East' ravaged the country. There's also a great crowd reaction to the sparkling notes of the riff which begins 'Burnin' For You'. This features a beautiful solo from Dharma, with bell-like notes falling in waves from the amp stack.

For the next section of the show, Bloom swaps places behind the keyboards with Richie Castellano, who can play a mean guitar as well. He's got his own classic, an Ernie ball Axis, resplendent in slime green, which he brandishes proudly in an axe hero pose to the fans. From behind the keys, Eric offers the audience a vote for the next song; 1983's 'Shooting Shark' or 'Harvest Moon' from 1998. There's a slightly greater applause for the former and, with a certain amount of courage and a smile, the vocalist says "Okay, we'll all play the one that got the most acclaim from you."

"Stirring encore"
Fortunately, all five band members do start to play the same track! The highlight of the main set is 'ETI (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) with its harmonised vocals, changes of pace, volume and fabulous riff, it's an enduring gem, and there's more classics to come; 'Godzilla' and they close with their best-known hit, '(Don't Fear) The Reaper'. In between these is another masterclass in lead guitar, with Buck playing solo over layers of sampled and delayed notes.

A stirring encore of three numbers follows; 'Dancin' in the Ruins', which pleases the bloke next to me and his mates, who have been shouting for it. Then there's 'Hot Rails to Hell', featuring Castellano on vocals, and they round off the evening with the rousing 'Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll', from their first album, way back in 1972.

With two members in their seventies, you'd have to call Blue Öyster Cult 'mature' or 'veterans' but, seeing them in action, you wouldn't call them old. They still rock, and long may they continue to do so.

Blue Öyster Cult, The Temperance Movement @ O2 Institute, Birmingham 27/02/2019

Like when Van Halen opened for Bon Jovi back in the 90s, there was a feeling of "really?" when you heard The Temperance Movement were first on here tonight. Not only are Phil Campbell and his boys far too good to be playing in front of someone else's gear, but they can routinely sell this place out in their own right.

No matter, they seem to be enjoying themselves. "Only Friend" starts off in ebullient fashion and the rest of their 45 minutes or so isn't far behind. A set that is made up of new stuff and old stuff with nothing off their second record - as if making flesh perhaps the title of one of its songs "The Way It Was And The Way It Is Now" - fizzes along with Campbell seemingly in one of his more athletic moods. "Ain't No Telling" and an even more raucous than usual "Take It Back" see a lady in the crowd yell that TTM are "awesome".

Accents being what they are, bass man Nick Fyffe isn't sure that she hasn't said "awful", but it is hard to disagree with her initial assertion. "A Deeper Cut" changes the mood altogether, before "Built-In Forgetter" brings it back to close to a crescendo.

It has been, give or take five days, a year since The Temperance Movement were in this room, and maybe this was just their way of dipping their toe back in the water, or just reminding us they are still here. Whatever it is, though, it is good to have them back and firing like this.

Of course, there is another option as to why TTM agreed to support here. Blue Öyster Cult are a band that justifies the epithet of "legend". Is there one of those documentaries on the history of rock that doesn't include them? I haven't seen one if there is and The Institute is (literally) packed to the rafters for this tonight. Not bad going for a band without an album since 2001.

This though, is all about the history of a band that has been going for close on 50 years - and as long as Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom are around then BOC will always possess a beating heart too.

What they don't have a great deal of - tonight at least - is spectacle. They might come on to the Game Of Thrones music, but there is not a lot of drama on stage.

What there is a shed load of is magnificent playing. The musicianship here is incredible. Dharma and Richie Castellano in particular are stunning. "Before The Kiss, A Recap" turns into a bit of an early jam and there is a certain type of mellowness about "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" and as a study in flawless playing then you won't beat this.

Credit to them, as well, for changing things up every night. "Perfect Water" is played for only the second time on the tour, "Harvest Moon" is given its airing only after an audience vote, and there is more to come on that front too. It all adds up to a band that is anything but going through the motions.

Bloom takes lead vocals for "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" and throughout the night he plays keyboards, perhaps the highlight of these endeavours is a wonderful "Dancing In The Ruins". The pick of the show, though is "Then Came the Last Days of May" in which the band is all in full flight.

There are, of course, the ones everyone knows. The 100 minutes is punctuated by them. "Burnin' For You", a mighty "Godzilla" and the other one. It ends the main set, you bet it does. Many would have waited until the very last song to do it, but this isn't that kind of bombastic, chest-beating night.

Instead, the encore is a rarely played, but entirely welcome, "In Thee", a fitting tribute to original member Allen Lanier, before something of a boogie, "Hot Rails to Hell" which Castellano sings, as if the others don't want to hog the limelight too much.

A gig, perhaps to be admired and enjoyed for the flawless work, rather than the usual visceral excitement. Maybe, though, that was the point, and the men themselves wanted to go under the radar and let the BOC body of work do the talking for them. That, mostly, is what they did.

Review: Blue Öyster Cult/The Temperance Movement, Anson Rooms
by Robin Askew, Friday Mar 1, 2019

There was much baffled head-scratching in rock circles over this bill. On the previous two occasions that blues-rockers The Temperance Movement played Bristol, they headlined the Academy. Their third album, A Deeper Cut, hit number six in the UK charts last year. So it's hard to understand why they would choose to take a support slot in a venue they could comfortably fill under their own steam.

Still, their odd career choice is very much this audience's gain as we effectively get two headline acts for the price of one. As usual, charismatic vocalist Phil Campbell is the centre of attention, showcasing those, ahem, distinctive interpretive dance moves that make vintage Joe Cocker look gainly. (Highlight: the scrawny chicken that's just escaped from the pot and is attempting to flee, amid much wild flapping of wings.) Not even the distraction afforded by tambourine, shakers and harmonica can keep the guy still for a moment.

Perhaps it's because the pressure of headlining is off, or because recent-ish recruits Simon Lea (drums) and Matt White (guitar) have now fully bedded in to the band, but from opening fan favourite Only Friend onwards this performance feels looser and more relaxed than usual. The Temperance Movement aren't likely to turn into a jam band any time soon, but stretching out a little and giving these songs room to breathe serves to keep them from getting stale.

They pointedly overlook the 'difficult second album', White Bear, tonight in favour of three stompers from their debut before yielding to some of the mellower moments from A Deeper Cut, including the lovely Another Spiral and the title track - all of which serve to underline Campbell's vocal versatility, from gravelly holler to emotive croon. It's back to rockin' for storming set-closer Built-In Forgetter as their measly allotted 40 minutes is up way too soon.

There's no question that Blue Öyster Cult now rank among those bands who are described, usually disparagingly, as 'heritage rockers'. Nothing they play tonight was recorded later than 1985. In fact, the set list could have been drawn from any date on the Club Ninja tour, which reached the Bristol Hippodrome in December of that year.

Against this, of course, they have a large and enviable catalogue of supremely literate rock to draw upon. Even if this had been a four hour performance, you can be sure that some punters would be disappointed to find their favourite song(s) omitted. This time, it's the turn of the people who howl repeatedly for Astronomy to have a post-gig grumble. Unlike many heritage acts, BÖC like to shake up the set each night, which means that - apart from a handful of staples - you can never be sure what you're going to get. Tonight, there's a well-balanced mix, with a strong selection from the band's oft-overlooked 1980s output.

The Game of Thrones theme heralds their arrival on stage, with seventysomething classic-era survivors Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom - who hasn't removed his shades since 1971 and will later hilariously complain that it's too dark on stage - inevitably getting the biggest cheers. It's straight back to 1973's Tyranny & Mutation for The Red & the Black and ... the sound is not great. For anyone further than halfway back in this packed room, it's way too quiet - rather like being two fields away when your favourite band is playing an outdoor festival. It's also rather indistinct, which is a killer blow to any band relying on intricate guitar interplay. Danny Miranda's slap bass line in the magnificent Shooting Shark should punch you in the solar plexus; instead, it just sounds muffled.

Things improve a little over the course of the evening, but it's particularly frustrating given that the band are clearly on excellent form on this penultimate date of their UK tour. Sure, Bloom sings in a slightly lower register these days, which is to be expected give that he's now 74. But the harmony vocals are spot-on, Bloom's gruffer voice still melding perfectly with Dharma's smoother tones.

That full-tilt three-guitar onslaught is as thrilling as ever too, with Bloom magnanimously ceding some of the solos to talented 'new boy' 12-year Cult veteran Richie Castellano, notably during an epic Then Came the Last Days of May that sees him duel spectacularly with Dharma.

There's plenty of eclecticism on display too. The proto-punky This Ain't the Summer of Love gives way to the pop-metal sheen of the MTV-era Burnin' for You, which, perhaps surprisngly, receives one of the biggest cheers of the evening.

Later, Bloom promises us a rare treat in the form of a song they haven't yet played on this tour. He obviously didn't hear this reviewer's pleading for Joan Crawford, because instead they do the late Allen Lanier's mediocre New Wavey True Confessions.

Things get back on track as they revisit that confident 1972 debut for Screams, which segues directly into the creepy She's as Beautiful as a Foot, whose title and lyrics are arguably the least weird thing about it. Little wonder Lester Bangs described this out-there slice of early art-rock as being "as mysterioso as any Doors song". And, of course, they do proper keg-party headbanging heavy metal in the form of Godzilla ("Oh, no - there goes Tokyo. Go, go Godzilla!" we all bellow obediently).

Naturally, That Song concludes the set and, rather like Kansas's equally melodic Carry On Wayward Son, it remains one of the few endlessly playlisted classic rock anthems that never seem to wear out their welcome. The two-song encore begins with The Golden Age of Leather, that great valedictory anthem of a motorcycle gang who've reached the end of the line and decide to commit mass suicide. "Raise your can of beer on high/And seal your fate forever/Our best years have passed us by/The golden age of leather" runs the note-perfect a cappella intro. "A final outrage in this day of flaccid plumage"? Not quite yet, chaps...

Blue Öyster Cult still going strong after more than half a century

FORMED in New York in 1967 veteran rockers Blue Öyster Cult are still going strong after more than half a century as they went back to basics at Manchester Academy.

The band's longest-lasting and most commercially successful lineup included stalwarts Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, "stun guitar," keyboards, synthesizers), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion, vocals).

The band's current lineup includes Roeser and Bloom, as well as Danny Miranda (bass, backing vocals), Jules Radino (drums, percussion) and Richie Castellano (keyboard, rhythm guitar, backing vocals).

British Blues rockers The Temperance Movement, provided a lively support act before the veteran rockers took to the stage, like a group of old friends gigging in a bar.

I can't recall a time when I have seen a show where the headline band hasn't even got a a stage set featuring their name.

It was certainly back to basics for Blue Öyster Cult, which was somewhat surprising as one of the founding father's of supporting videos during the dawn of MTV.

But this set had just the bare basics of the band, their instruments and a few lights as they let their music do the talking.

For an aficionado of the band (and I am sure there were many in the packed audience) I am sure the music was more than enough. But it would have been hard to win over new fans who are used to being far more visually stimulated these days.

Having last seen the band way back in the early 1980s when they were at their peak, I was expecting a little more. I can't fault the music or the musicianship of the band and due to the lack of visual effects, one can only presume the band, after more than 50 years, has decided to let their music do the talking - and who can argue with them after producing one of the most iconic rock anthems of all time with Don't Fear the Reaper.

Other stand outs for me where Godzilla and Burning for you, both tunes from that iconic times in the 80s when Blue Öyster Cult were probably at their peak.

Blue Oyster Cult in Manchester, UK

I have only previously seen legendary rock band Blue Oyster Cult on one occasion and that was only briefly at a festival as I was heading off to view somebody else on another stage. Bands are not getting any younger and given that this lot are even older than myself, I thought that I would be better to avail of the opportunity while I could.

On arriving to pick up my tickets, I was quite surprised to find that they were playing in the largest of the four Manchester Academy venues. I knew that they had a long history and career but didn't actually feel that they were currently sufficiently still in vogue and popular enough to fill the venue - yeah, I was certainly wrong about that.

Opening tonight were the rather surprising Temperance Movement, not surprising in terms of quality but rather on a compatibility level. I have seen the band on several occasions headlining their own tours but in terms of their blues-based rock appealing to the BOC fans, well... I was skeptical.

The band have certainly put in the road miles over the past few years and the step up to playing a larger stage didn't appear to phase them in any way. Rather the contrary was the case and they seemed quite comfortable on it as their clear musical quality shone through. They had a few fans in the crowd tonight but they were largely preaching to the unconverted.

The band focused on a short eight-song set split between two of their albums. Unfortunately, material from my personal favourite of their albums, White Bear, was very conspicuous by its absence. Luckily my personal favourite was still there in "A Deeper Cut", a melancholy and slower paced song before the more up-tempo "Built-In Forgetter" brought things to a conclusion. I don't think that their set would win over a large section of newer fans but they certainly did a competent job in very difficult circumstances.

Minimalistic would be a particularly appropriate description of the headliner's stage set, I guess they were just going to rely on their back catalogue of quality songs to get them through the course of the evening. I had done a little online searching prior to the show and found that the band were generally playing a largely different set at each date on the current set of UK dates. I guess this could be interpreted as a reward to their patient UK fans whom they don't tend to visit much in recent years.

Thus, there would be the few obvious set staples, "Reaper/Godzilla/Burnin For You", but outside of those well it could be anything revisited. Unfortunately, my favourite, "Shooting Shark" - the song that had first introduced me to the band back in the 80s - was missing in Manchester.

It was clear from a general observation of the crowd surrounding me (yes, they did completely fill the larger venue) that the band were playing to an audience of diehards who in most cases had racked up many previous shows and tours dating back to the band's inception. One thing that was not visible with the audience was that newer generation of converts. I thought that was particularly unusual. I guess that the music of Blue Oyster Cult remains as a refined and very specialised taste, not generally palatable to the masses.

I would have favoured any other track over "Don't Fear the Reaper" that is forever omnipresent in the band's live set. Maybe that would have been too controversial for them to drop what has essentially become their signature tune, but I do feel that the band's musical legacy is filled with many other songs which actually sit on equal footing with that particular song.

Despite not being too familiar with the vast majority of the songs that the band played, I was still able to experience a very enjoyable evening out, albeit at a rather more sedate pace from the normal and regular rock shows that I enjoy.

Live Review: Blue Öyster Cult

"We're gonna play until they kick us out," Eric Bloom declares to a sea of bald heads and leather jackets, arguably the predominant demographic of people I encountered at Blue Öyster Cult's performance in Manchester Academy. Being the final date on the UK stretch of their year-long tour, an air of anticipation filled the room as I arrived just five minutes before their set began. Indeed, I was definitely as excited as the boomers were due to the Cult's legendary status within rock history.

However, the fear that the Cult's performance would come across as an imitation of their former selves no doubt plagued my mind. The band have been going since 1967 with Buck Darmer and Eric Bloom now being in their early 70s: Is this tour a quick cash grab or a genuine celebration of the band's legacy?

Opening the set with 'Transmaniacon MC', I felt my fears come to fruition ever so slightly; the performance was certainly tight and virtuosic, but part of it felt a little flat and lacking in energy.

Despite this, once the Cult reached their third song 'Career of Evil', they had overcome this initial blip and were completely in their element. Delivering a groovy hard rock number tinged with electric organs, it felt as though the band were playing exactly as they had done their entire career. Following on from this was Cult hit 'Burnin' For You', an empowering number whose atmosphere was bolstered by the crowd singing along to the chorus definitely one of the night's highlights.

The Cult's set brought much variety, with songs such as 'Dancin' in the Ruins' containing melodic vocals and roaring riffs that yet again had the whole crowd singing along. 'The Vigil and Buck's Boogie' brought extended jams and solos; a refreshing throwback to the glory of late 20th century guitar rock that reinforced the band's status as rock legends. 'Then Came the Last Days of May' was a psychedelic ballad that embodied the more ambient side of the Cult. Echoing the sounds of Pink Floyd, this song simultaneously revealed the diversity of the band's repertoire, and their tightness in performance.

Following an extended delay-ridden guitar solo from Darmer, the band exploded into the chilling '(Don't Fear) The Reaper', no doubt the band's signature anthem. A spine-chilling sing-along, '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' proved to be an epic prelude to the band's encore, which was again another highlight of the performance.

The final track of the encore, 'Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll', served as what I interpreted as the Cult's mission statement, delivering a finale that proved that the Cult still and always have been one of America's most iconic rock bands.

Indeed, I initially found the absence of a grandiose light show and stage performance a little unfitting at first. However, I soon came to the realisation that the stagnant colour-changing lights crafted a sense of intimacy with the band, creating the illusion that myself and the crowd were watching them in some dingy venue in New York. Following on from that, the band proceeded to thank the entire stage, sound and light crew by name at the end of the performance, revealing how humble they truly are despite their prestige.

After an initial slow start, Blue Öyster Cult proved that they are an amalgamation of virtuosos, humbled men, and yet still very much icons of American rock. The set was intimate and minimalistic, giving the impression that they are a band who are extremely humble about their success; ultimately, this was a refreshing performance from a band who simply love what they do.

8/10.

Blue Oyster Cult/The Tubes bring contrast to Medina
by Richard Dollarhide

In 1981, MTV premiered as a new cutting edge cable channel featuring nothing but music news and music videos. Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin' For You" was in heavy rotation, giving the Long Islanders a career rebirth of new fans and worldwide recognition.

Two years later, The Tubes became another of MTV's video Allstars with their 1983 release of Outside Inside and it's video release, "She's A Beauty." Tonight both acts hit came to Minnesota, giving an energetic musical history lesson of the '70s and '80s to a forced-to-sit crowd at the Medina Entertainment Center. Class was in session as The Tubes started the night.

The Tubes kicked off the night in eccentric style as frontman Fee Willbay launched into "Talk to Ya Later," off 1981's The Completion Backward Principle, and immediately set the stage for their post-punk flamboyant musical stylings.

Sticking mostly with songs from The Completion Backward Principle, the artist that is Willbay continually added to the carriage as they soared through "Sushi Girl," "Amnesia," and "Mr. Hate" before launching into the Iggy Pop sounding "Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman." Though the years have not taken kindly to Willbays vocals, his attitude and ostentatious presentation of their music outweigh the damage inflicted to his vocal cords in their 47-year career.

After going through a phenomenal, crunchy sounding version of David Bowie's "Suffragette City," Willbay took the stage in 4 foot boots, and wig as his alter ego Quay-Lewd to perform the 1975 hit "White Punks On Dope," a song that highlights late '70s San Francisco punk sound and its artistic difference between the New York Punk scene that was going on in the same era.

Finishing with the MTV hit "She's A Beauty," The Tubes gave the crowd more than they were expecting as they brought a show to highlight the music. Having listened to The Tubes and their music, yet never once seeing them perform live, I was taken back by the presence and the sound that influenced generations of what I would call Art-Rock-Punk style, which seized its origin in San Fransico and the west coast.

Long Islanders Blue Oyster Cult took the stage with their melodic-psychedelic rock style opening with "Dr. Music," before highlighting the always recognizable vocals of Buck Dharma in 1972's "Before the Kiss, A Recap." The Tubes played heavily on showmanship through their performance, but Blue Oyster Cult focused entirely on the music which was anticipatedly received by the filled room. Deemed America's answer to Black Sabbath, BOC has influenced bands such as Metallica, Motley Crue, Pearl Jam, Marylin Manson, and Smashing Pumpkins, and highlights the technical use of guitars and hard hitting bass.

Their set was filled with the rock anthems, "Burnin' For You," "Godzilla," and "Don't Fear The Reaper," which has made the cowbell a mandatory instrument, though songs such as "Golden Age of Leather" and "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" displayed the technical ability of the band along with thought-out, poetic lyrics that showed how they pioneered the "progressive rock" genre and how they became labeled as "The thinking man's band."

Following the high energy of The Tubes, BOC almost seemed monotone at first, as both Eric Bloom and Buck looked to be fighting allergies, though it was the music which was delivered that those sitting in the packed ballroom had come to witness. The Medina Entertainment Center is a hard spot for rock and roll bands to play. The forced picnic bench style seating sets energetic artists up for failure as they can't feed on the energy that a rock and roll crowd gives in response to the performance.

Again, the technical ability of Blue Oyster Cult sets them apart from the musical genre from which they were born and separates them from the psychedelic bands of that era as their music continues to inspire the newest musicians of today's generation. I am hoping they return to Minnesota in the future, yet would like to see them playing a venue which will support the response they deserve on stage.

This is an absolutely stupendous cover of "Godzilla." I'm blown away.

The chanting and Japanese drums are a theme throughout the soundtrack. It fits. What I like about the cover is the soundtrack theme elements with essential and faithful elements of BOC's original version intact in the tune. And I like the vocal too.

I didn't hear Bear McCreary's version before it was done. As the writer, I think it's a good cover. It does no harm to the song, it's pretty faithful in fact, and brings something new to the party, with the chanting and drums and Serj's vocal. You may well prefer the original version, but that's ok. I've listened many times already, and I'm good with this cover version.

I think this cover has legs, besides being attached to a major motion picture... (a) comparison to Blue Swede is apt. Yeah, it ain't BOC, but it's still pretty good. The first time I heard Blue Swede's version of "Hooked On A Feeling," when I was a young man, I almost drove off the road.

We lobbied for years to get this song on one of the hundreds of Godzilla movies. For years, no dice. Looks like this year the producers have finally come to their senses.

I like Serj's quirky voice in System. Let the comments fly!

Huge fan of SOAD so naturally, I love it.

Should they have used the original? My friends, we had no vote on this. Buck likes it.

It was inevitable they would use the song someday. So good on them.

Grrrrrrrrreat!

It's been a wild weekend here at Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival! We are so excited to update that the gates are going to open at 6:30 p.m.. The festival has been partially open since this morning and indoor performances inside the Eisemann Center have continued as scheduled throughout the day.

Unfortunately, Blue Oyster Cult had to cancel its appearance at the Festival due to its flight into DFW International Airport being cancelled because of the severe weather. All acts prior to 6:30 p.m. set to perform on outdoor stages have been removed from the schedule.

Want the good news? The Methodist Richardson Amphitheatre Stage, Plaza Stage, and Bud Light Stage are ready to rock (after a lot of hard work by the festival folks).

Methodist Richardson Amphitheatre Stage:
8:15 p.m. The Guess Who
10:00 p.m. Grand Funk Railroad

Cult Following
Blue Oyster Cult is Still Fearless
By Brett Callwood

Blue Oyster Cult
with Of Limbo
8 p.m., Friday, July 5
Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.
$34-$52
740-1000

Long Island band the Blue Oyster Cult have a long and storied history, though one that is perhaps tempered by the fact that there are many people out there who only know the band because of their 1976 single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from the Agents of Fortune album released that same year.

That's honestly a bit of a waste, because this is a band with a ton of great music in its arsenal. Formed in 1967, BOC (as they are often known) already had three albums out prior to the release of "Reaper." As their first three full-lengthers had black and white art on the sleeves, fans have dubbed these the "black and white years."

Undeniably though, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is an excellent, era-defining song. Famously parodied with the "more cowbell" sketch on Saturday Night Live, the song has been covered on a number of occasions and has passed into the popular consciousness.

Albums that followed, such as 1977's Spectres and '79s Mirrors were equally excellent, spawning crowd favorites such as the monstrous "Godzilla." In fact, the band was super-prolific right up to Imaginos album in '88, and then they kind of fell away. Band members came and went, and it took a full decade before they returned to the studio for the Heaven Forbid album.

Three years after that, they released the poorly-received Curse of the Hidden Mirror, an album that saw them dropped from the Sanctuary label. Since then, they've pretty much been a touring band. BOC is always on the road, though frontman Eric Bloom says they're preparing new material for release now.

"Yes, we're working on new material actually this week," Bloom says, on the phone while, unsurprisingly, on tour. "We will be hopefully delivering a new album spring of next year. Spring or summer, I'm not really sure. It's up to the label."

It's no secret that the music business has changed beyond recognition in the past decade, never mind in the 50 years since the band formed. People no longer want to pay for recorded music, so for a legacy band such as BOC it's simply easier and more lucrative to keep performing live rather than getting in the studio to record.

"I know it's certainly changed," says Bloom. "We're just hopeful that there's enough people out there that still want to hear us do new stuff. We certainly know that our hardcore fans want to hear new stuff, and hopefully there will be enough of them out there that want to get this."

The core of the current lineup is Bloom, and guitarist Buck Dharma, both of whom have been with the band since the swingin' sixties. The other three - bassist Danny Miranda, drummer Jules Radino and keyboardist/guitarist Richie Castellano - joined between '95 and 2004, but the band has stayed pretty solid since then. Still, Bloom and Buck are doing the majority of the songwriting.

"We've had a long time between albums obviously," Bloom says. "But we do tour incessantly, and Buck and I are writing. He's writing solo, I'm writing solo, we're writing together, we're all reaching out to acquaintances who might want to write with us. We do have Richie Castellano who is writing stuff in our vein. He's written other kinds of material in the past. And there's plenty of input. We've just got to get down to work."

Bloom says that there are no hard or fast rules to the way he and Buck write. Sometimes it's together, sometimes apart.

"Back in the early days, going back 40 or 50 years, we had a band house with the five original guys, and the music evolved," he says. "Then the next step, into the mid to late '70s, everyone wrote individually and then thrashed it out together. The later years, it's more individual writing but for the last two records, Buck and I literally got together in each others' houses and wrote a lot of it together. Very often you get inspired sitting on a plane, or whatever. You never know when you'll get inspired for a song."

The problem Blue Oyster Cult, and classic rock bands like them, face is that everybody wants to hear the hits. Fewer want to get up and cheer for new material. This must be frustrating, though it's tempered by the fact that there are many bands out there who cite BOC as a major influence.

"I listen to all kinds of stuff," Bloom says. "I listen to XM radio. I don't really have my finger on the pulse of what's popular because that doesn't really relate to what Blue Oyster Cult does. But we're aware of what's going on. I wouldn't say you're going to hear any pop music coming out of us soon."

Bloom is modest enough to stop short of listing the band he feels he influenced, and humble enough to be grateful to the bands that covered his music.

"I'm glad that every couple of years Metallica covers one of our songs, which is really nice of them," he says. "Our songs do get covered here and there by other people. We go back a long way, and a lot of our material - what we did, the way we played - I guess influenced a lot of younger people who were with us back then or influenced younger people who are playing now. But a lot of pop music today isn't really guitar-driven. I think that's one of the reasons why a lot of people still come to see us play live."

That's something we're going to get to do when the Blue Oyster Cult gets to Tucson this week. Bloom is glad to be here for the first time in a while.

"We play every place, but we don't come to Arizona that often so were sort of looking forward to that," he says. "We'll play a mixture of everything from the first to the last album. All the obvious suspects plus a mixture of some deep tracks if people want to hear them. I'll change the set in the middle of the show if I feel like it."

We ask Bloom what the band has planned after this tour, and he points out that the Blue Oyster Cult is never off tour. If they record new material, it'll be on the few days off between gigs. But they're always working.

"There's no ending," he says. "There never has been."

Amen to that.

Blue Oyster Cult Still Makes A Rare Stop In Tucson & Leaves A Burnin' Impression

Blue Oyster Cult (BOC) made a rare stop at Tucson's Rialto Theatre on July 5th for a night of hard rock goodness. This is not just a 'nostalgia' band, unlike many bands still performing for more than 50 years. The band still maintains energy and electricity that could set an example for some of today's younger performers.

The founding members, Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom, still have it even though they are in their 70s. Dharma and Bloom are backed by longtime musicians, Richie Castellano on keyboards and guitar, Danny Miranda on bass, and Jules Radino on drums and percussion. Each performer gave an outstanding performance.

The band, Of Limbo, opened the show with their brand of metal madness for the evening. Of Limbo are originally from Australia that presently resides in Long Beach, California. The band was formed by brothers Jake Davies on lead vocals and guitar and Luke Davies on guitar and vocals. Herbie Brady on bass and Juan Paz on drums round out the band.

They are highly influenced by bands from the 70s through the 90s. Jake had a mesmerizing stage presence from the moment the band hit the stage and brother Luke was not far behind him. The 40-minute set was predominantly original rock tunes like "Let's Get F**ked Up" and an added Billy Idol mashed up at the end of the set.

The rest of the evening was BOC all the way. The set was very minimal. There was no fancy strobe lights, no video in the background and that left fans with little room for distraction from the night's performance of top-notch guitar work as the inventive quality of their music overcame any need for gimmicks.

Blue Oyster Cult's musical style has been described as a broad spectrum, ranging from heavy metal, to psychedelic rock, to progressive rock. BOC took the stage with their melodic- psychedelic rock style opening with "Transmaniacon MC," before highlighting the vocals of Dharma in their overlooked gem, "Golden Age of Leather." Their focus entirely on the music was exactly what the fans wanted.

The biggest fan cheers came for a surprisingly early but ever popular "Burning For You." The performance of "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" displayed the technical ability of the band as Radino's drum solo during the song was amazing. The poetic lyrics showed how they pioneered the "progressive rock" genre as Bloom swapped places behind the keyboards with Castellano.

From behind the keys, Bloom offered the audience a vote for the next song, "Shooting Shark" or "Harvest Moon" and there was slightly greater applause for the prementioned track. It was a night of jamming, including an incredible bass solo from Miranda during "Buck's Boogie." The guitar shredding was especially impressive when it broke down into a jam between Dharma and Miranda. Dharma plays that headless guitar with cheese-shaped holes like there is no tomorrow; his solo demonstrated what a fluent and underrated guitar hero he is.

The set was a judicious blend of staple favorites and choice cuts that reminded us that the veteran New Yorkers have created a unique and quirky body of work. There was the obligatory performance of " "Godzilla," and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." After all, the cowbell has become a mandatory musical instrument.

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the signing of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT! For over four decades, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT has been thrilling fans of intelligent hard rock worldwide with powerful albums loaded with classic songs. Indeed, the Long Island, NY-based band is revered within the hard rock and heavy metal scene for its pioneering work.

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT occupies a unique place in rock history because it's one of very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both genuine mainstream critical acclaim as well as commercial success. Now they have partnered up with Frontiers Music Srl to continue their amazing journey!

"We are delighted to be able to bring back the iconic BLUE ÖYSTER CULT with the release of a wealth of musical material that will certainly please all the fans. Hard Rock music would not be what is now without BÖC and Frontiers is their natural "home." We look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation!" - Serafino Perugino, Frontiers Records President.

"It's been a long time since BÖC's last studio album. Our biggest question from fans is 'when are we going to do some new music?' So we are ready to take this journey again. Recording with Danny, Richie and Jules should be a great experience as we've been touring together for years, and Buck and I are looking forward to including them in the creative and recording process, said Eric Bloom.

"The current band is GREAT and has never been recorded other than the live concerts, so we feel now is the time for new songs to be written and recorded. About half of the songs for the new record exist and the rest will be finished during the process," adds Buck Dharma.

A new studio album is expected to be released from the band in 2020. Fans can also expect to see remastered reissues (some with updated artwork) of four classic BÖC releases including:

1. Cult Classic (originally released in 1994)
2. Heaven Forbid (originally released in 1998) [Not available for North / South America]
3. Curse of the Hidden Mirror originally released in 2001) [Not available for North / South America]
4. A Long Day's Night (Live CD/DVD and Blu Ray) originally released in 2002 - Blu Ray version to be released for the first time)

Additionally, in 2020 the band will present five new live releases which include:

1. Live show from the iHeart Radio Theater 2012 (40th Anniversary).
2. Live show from Hard Rock Casino Cleveland 2014
3. Live show from Rock of Ages Festival in Germany 2016
4. 40th Anniversary of "Agents of Fortune" shot in L.A. in April 2017 ["Agents of Fortune" album played front to back]
5. BÖC 45th Anniversary show Live in London June 17th 2017) [includes BÖC first album played in its entirety back to back]

BÖC is often cited as a major influence by other acts such as Metallica, and BÖC was listed in VH1's countdown of the greatest hard rock bands of all time.

Upon the release of BÖC's self-titled debut album in 1972, the band was praised for its catchy-yet-heavy music and lyrics that could be provocative, terrifying, funny or ambiguous, often all in the same song. BÖC's canon includes three stone-cold classic songs that will waft through the cosmos long after the sun has burned out: The truly haunting "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from 1976's Agents of Fortune, the pummeling "Godzilla" from 1977's Spectres and the hypnotically melodic "Burnin' for You" from 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin. Other notable BÖC songs include "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Then Came the Last Days of May," "I Love the Night," "In Thee,""Veteran of the Psychic Wars," "Dominance and Submission," "Astronomy," "Black Blade" and "Shooting Shark."

The intense creative vision of BÖC's original core duo of vocalist/lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom are complemented by Richie Castellano on guitar and keyboards, and the longtime rhythm section of bass guitarist Danny Miranda, and drummer Jules Radino.

Great (but odd) show last night in Angola, IN, about an hour from my house near South Bend... BTW: there was no opener - another BOC show "first," in a night full of them.

The T. Furth Center is part of the Trine University campus - a private Christian college. It looks like a courthouse when you walk up to it; inside, the concert hall (maybe 800 seats) is in a space that used to be the Angola Christian Church.

According to their website, "It contains Neoclassical features such as marble statues and sparkling chandeliers, bringing to mind the famous Wiener Musikverein hall in Vienna."

Ok? So when you walk in you realize that not only is there no alcohol, there are no concessions of any kind - except for bottled water (for $1.00), which they were out of before 1/3 of the audience was in the theater.

The show? Fantastic! Considering recent set lists, this was one of the best. Buck was animated and awesome as always, and the rest of the band was tight and the sound was powerful - loud but clean. Eric was in fine voice throughout, especially on "Career of Evil."

But the ironies were plentiful: everyone sat through the whole show, no cans of beer were raised for "The Golden Age of Leather," and there was something (perhaps perversely) thrilling to hear "And passed from man to man, a wanton child too dead to care" and "I'd like to do it to your daughter in a dirt road" in a church!

Oddly, this venue would be a very cool place to shoot a video, maybe with audience members dressed in hooded robes...?

Anyway, one of the most memorable BOC shows I've been to!

Addendum: The house sound and lighting was installed by Sweetwater Music of Fort Wayne, a well-known regional pro music warehouse/store; the promoter that introduced the band (in yet another "rock concert oddity," a +15-minute preamble that delivered the history of the venue and plugged future shows) revealed that the group toured the facility Friday afternoon and were very impressed.

The show the band has booked for the Clyde Theater in December in Ft. Wayne is another Sweetwater Music sound and light installation.

I will say this: the LD did not have much experience lighting rock shows in general, and had NO knowledge of BOC's music, as the lights did not follow any musical cues from the stage, had no dynamics, and did not cut out at the end of a song; in fact they stayed on - at full intensity - between every song.

I was a LD/ lighting operator in my younger days, and it kind of drove me crazy... I wanted to walk back there (like the computer guy from SNL) and just say "Move!" and take over.

It all contributed to the surreal effect of this show!

**URGENT ALERT**
The Grand Valley Biker Rally: Blue Oyster Cult has been postponed due to the severe weather parts of the country are experiencing.

Because Blue Oyster Cult is so dedicated to their fans here in GJ they made alternate travel arrangements and will be performing TOMORROW Sunday, July 14th at the same time.

MF Ruckus our opener, will be playing the Mesa Theater TONIGHT.

Today's show Saturday in Grand Junction CO is moved to tomorrrow Sunday. Thank you United Airlines for making it impossible to get there in time today.

The Blue Oyster Cult concert scheduled for Saturday night in Grand Junction has been postponed to Sunday, July 14.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Blue Oyster Cult was delayed in getting to Grand Junction and, consequently, unable to go on as scheduled tonight.

There will be no concert tonight at the Amp. M.F. Ruckus has been added to tonight's lineup at Mesa Theater.

Here's the good news. The concert to wrap up the 2nd annual Grand Valley Biker Rally will move to Sunday night at the Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park.

All times will remain the same. Gates open at 6:30, M.F. Ruckus at 7:30, and Blue Oyster Cult on stage at around 8:30.

Please pass this word along to any friends you know that may have tickets or are planning to go.

All tickets for Saturday night will be honored on Sunday night, and tickets will be available at the gate.

Warrant and Blue Oyster Cult Concert Reviews
by Kevin Montavon

One thing you can count on in the summertime is small town festivals. Just about every town has a version of the traditional rural American "harvest festival", with all the amenities of any carnival - fried food, rides, beer or wine made from whatever fruit or vegetable the festival is named after, and, in many communities, some quality Fair-Circuit caliber concert acts. Usually these are the artists that are on the way down in their careers, or, they have found a good niche for themselves where they can still pull a good pay guarantee, and draw a large crowd, because more often than not these small town festival concerts are free, or included with a minimal entrance fee to the carnival itself.

Such was the case this previous weekend when I caught two such rock shows: 80's Hair Metal Band Warrant, performing at the Obetz Zucchini Festival (yes, Zucchini, and yes, they have Zucchini beer, which I didn't try, so don't ask me what that's like); and Classic Rock radio stalwarts Blue Oyster Cult, who were performing in my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio, at the city's annual River Days Festival.

The Zucchini Fest concerts are held at Fortress Obetz, a large high-school size stadium. In years past, artists like Ted Nugent and Brett Michaels, lead vocalist of 80's Glam band Poison, have literally packed the place. Ted's crowd in particular was extremely impressive, with an audience size that rivaled the daily attendance of the long-running Rock On The Range Festival, held at Columbus Crew Soccer Stadium. Unfortunately for Warrant, they didn't fare so well as a headline draw. The audience was of a respectable size, if the show had been held at a much smaller venue. But the few hundred people crowded in front of the stage looked like dozens in the big "fortress." Oddly enough, one reason that the crowd may have been light is because the aforementioned Uncle Ted was also playing in town on Friday night, so the hard rockers had to make a choice, with only the cheapskates like me choosing Obetz.

The band, to their credit as professionals, showed no signs of being discouraged by the smallish horde. They performed all their big 80's hits with a fire and energy that rivals much younger bands plying their trade on the live scene today. They were tight, sounded great, the audience sang along with the songs, and couples even slow danced to the big ballads as everyone relived their 80's glory days. What Warrant has working against them is the fact that their primary songwriter and original front-man, Jani Lane, passed away in 2011. He was no longer with the band at that time, having squandered many opportunities due to his battles with alcoholism and other substance abuse issues. Current lead vocalist Robert Mason, to Warrant's benefit, is a true ringer. Formally of Lynch Mob and, more infamously, the "man behind the curtain" during one now urban-legendary Ozzy Osbourne tour, he is about as good a singer and front-man as any band of that era could hope for.

And sadly, I don't think that all that many people in Obetz Friday night knew, or cared, that it wasn't Jani up there singing his own songs. In my own case, I never saw the original lineup of Warrant, as I was an "anti-poser" kid when they had their run. But I did meet Jani once at a nightclub in Columbus called Mean Mr. Mustards. It was after Warrant had played a headlining set at the Alrosa Villa, and apparently someone from the audience let them know about this cool bar that played hard rock & metal music on Sunday nights, so that's where the after-party wound up. As a college dive bar of repute in that day, Mustard's was known for serving buckets of beer. And I'm not talking about what they call buckets of beer in bars today - 4 or 5 bottled beers in a small bucket of ice - no, I'm talking about a big plastic bucket, just like the kind you mop your floor or wash your car with, FILLED WITH DRAFT BEER. And you and all your friends all filled your own cups using the same dirty plastic cup floating on top of the swill. It was a great bargain for broke college kids, but here was this Rock Star losing his shit over the fact that you could drink from a bucket. He kept offering everyone some of his, but we were mostly like, "we do this every week dude". For better or worse, that's my memory of Jani Lane.

Blue Oyster Cult - on the other hand - has been a longtime favorite band of mine. I first became aware of them the same way I became aware of many big rock acts of the 70's...through my older brother's vinyl record collection. The album covers captivated me, with geometrical patterns, strange figures in robes, and cryptic symbols galore. The band even had it's own custom symbol, a combination of a cross and a question mark... whoah. They were truly "cultish" and seemed forbidden to my Catholic sensibilities. In the early days of MTV, back when they actually played music videos, the B.O.C. song "Burnin' For You" was a staple. I loved that video, with the band performing in front of a burning car, and guitarist Eric Bloom's custom B.O.C.-symbol guitar. I loved the walking bass line so much that I once sat down and forced myself to learn it. To this day it's the only real bass lick that I know. I loved their horror and Sci-Fi themed songs like "Joan Crawford (Has Risen From The Grave)" and "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars."

I have seen them many times in concert, including one time where my best friend and I walked out of a heated college radio station staff meeting that was dragging on too long with him uttering the words "You all can do what you want, we're going to see B.O.C!", leaving the rest of our colleagues to argue amongst themselves about whatever it was we were arguing over before we took off for the show.

This time they were headlining my hometown's own yearly fest, Portsmouth River Days. River Days is held in the southern Ohio city every Labor Day weekend, and features the usual carnival attractions; rides; in the case of this particular fest, boat races on the river; and of course, entertainment. The headlining acts are always the usual circuit-runners. In years past acts such as Kansas, The Little River Band, and the Charlie Daniels Band have graced the small amphitheater stage on the banks of the Ohio River. When Cult was scheduled as this year's headliner, I made a point of planning a trip down to the Port city to see the show along with family and old friends. I donned my "More Cowbell" t-shirt (yes, I was going to be "that guy"), and along with my better-half, we made the two-hour drive down US Route 23 to Portsmouth in the mid- afternoon, meeting up with some of my family, and heading down to the river bank to meet friends and see the show.

My sister had procured VIP wristbands for our party of four, so we got to go inside a large tent set up next to the stage where we ate free pizza, wings, and drink all the water and soda we wanted, and had seats to watch the show from stage right. Unfortunately, someone should have asked the band's guitar tech to set up the spare guitars and tuning station a little further upstage, as he completely blocked the view of the main stage area. We could see the drummer, and we could see the guys up front when they stepped up to the mics to sing, but otherwise if they were walking around the stage jamming, our view was obstructed. To the credit of the VIP's gathered in the tent, no one really seemed to mind, as everyone stood and danced and sang along.

The band delivered their usual set of hits and favored deep cuts, along with some improv jamming and soloing courtesy of original lead guitarist and vocalist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. Co-lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and band front-man Eric Bloom provides the MC duties to this day, with the pair being the only original members in the current lineup. The Ohio River was the perfect setting for the Cult staple "Godzilla", as Bloom delivered his usual stage rap about the legendary beast, tailored to fit the evening's locale. "Can you see it RISING UP FROM THE RIVER?!?" he asked the crowd of thousands who had filled the riverbank. "What is it? WHO is it?" "GODZILLA!" roared the fine folks of P-town. The boys then dutifully stomped through the classic rock staple.

After some instrumental jamming and a guitar solo from Buck Dharma, the moment that many people had been waiting on finally arrived. It was "cowbell time" as the band launched into their biggest hit, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", made famous for a second time in their career by the now legendary Christopher Walken/Will Farrell "More Cowbell" sketch on Saturday Night Live. While I do not begrudge the band their good fortune at striking gold and cashing in on their Pop Culture fame, the fans who only care about that one song - to the point of bringing THEIR OWN COWBELLS to the show - are a bit much. Several by-now inebriated patrons in the VIP section began to play along, and not a one of them could keep the beat. The cacaphony was almost hypnotizing in it's complete disregard for the song being played onstage.

A friend of mine said later that he would bet that B.O.C. hates that SNL skit, because of all the self-entitled fans who now want to be "Gene" (Farrell's cowbell-playing character in the sketch) and be a part of the show. He believes "More Cowbell" has become the new "Play Freebird!" While he may be correct, I argued that the band has definitely benefited from it, cashing in on the increased Pop Culture visibility and giving their live career an added boost late in what has been a long game for them. Every t-shirt they sell today is emblazoned with "More Cowbell" on the back. They know where their bread is buttered.

After "Reaper" the band left the stage (and thankfully the cowbells went back under the chairs), returning to play an encore of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" for the now-dwindling audience. ("Reaper's done, I'm outta here Bubba!") The show was through, goodbyes were said, and we escaped into the night like a character in a B.O.C. song, heading north on Ohio Route 104 and back to Columbus. It was a fun daytrip back to the hometown... to the same riverbank where I drank beer underage, played rock songs on the car stereo at full-volume, and dreamed of escaping the small town life. I eventually did that, but these days I'd just as soon escape the big city life and return to small town living. As long as the town I wind up in has a cool festival with a once-was and still-kicking-it Rock Act, I think I'd be alright.

Blue Oyster Cult, one of the headliners of the most recent festival, earned $37,500 for their appearance. Sound, lights and so on are all extra.

Spend the day sampling delicious bacon creations from area restaurants, paired with local and national spirits and cocktails.

There will be restaurants from Mt Pleasant, Bay City, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw and more plating up bacon themed dishes.

Blue Oyster Cult and Survivor will perform, and the show is included with your ticket.

12 spirit samples, a commemorate glass and samples of all the food are all part of your ticket.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - An event scheduled for next weekend in Huntington Beach has been canceled after failing to secure the necessary permits.

A statement posted to the website for Sammy Hagar's High Tide Beach Party & Car Show said the event was canceled after California State Parks denied a permit for the event.

The two-day music festival was scheduled to take place Sept. 28-29 at Huntington State Beach on Magnolia and Pacific Coast Highway with a lineup that included KC & The Sunshine Band, The Beach Boys, Vince Neil of Motley Crue and Blue Oyster Cult among others.

According to the statement, all ticket holders would automatically be refunded through official ticketing outlets.

UFO And [Blue Oyster] Cult Sightings At The Redneck Country Club Last Night
Pete Vonder Haar | October 19, 2019 | 7:17AM
Blue Oyster Cult, UFO
Redneck Country Club
October 18, 2019

Generally speaking, cults end in one of two ways. They flame out, often with the followers committing mass suicide (Peoples Temple, Heaven's Gate), or they exist long enough to become legitimized (any mainstream religion).

Exceptions do exist. Enter The Cult of the Blue Oyster, who have yet to disappear, with a core membership that's remained (fairly) constant. And a brief heyday (mid-1970s to early '80s) aren't quite enough to enshrine them alongside the other belief systems, but BOC is still chugging along over 40 years after its origins in the arid wastelands of Long Island.

They were joined last night by even more venerable English rockers UFO, who opened the show at Stafford's Redneck Country Club. The RCC is a relatively new player in local live music, and it's a surprisingly snug venue, seating 500 in a mostly sports-themed area next to Republic BBQ.

It's a setting that actually fit UFO a little better, if we're being honest. They assume the role of bar band much more comfortably than BOC, with straightforward rock songs about straightforward rock topics like getting girls. UFO doesn't have any songs co-written by Patti Smith (though they skipped "Career of Evil" last night) or penned by the guy who wrote the Elric novels.

UFO opened with "Mother Mary." Anchored by founding members vocalist Phil Mogg and drummer Andy Parker, and longtime guitarist Vinnie Moore, whose virtuosity is almost enough to make you forget Michael Schenker. They ripped through cuts like "Love to Love You" and "Rock Bottom" and were tight as hell, even if Mogg described the RCC show as "the strangest gig we've ever played."

Moore expressed his support for the Astros, however. So they get a pass.

Blue Oyster Cult was next, and it was admittedly a bit weird to see them here. For those who remember the band's short stint as MTV darlings, it was a pleasant surprise encountering the band - including original members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and Eric Bloom - in a more intimate setting, even if it seemed like an abbreviated performance.

Playing their biggest hit ("Burnin' for You") early on, and closing with their next biggest ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper"), BOC kept the pace moving. When they weren't showcasing Dharma's formidable guitar skills, that is. The man got a lot of solos, and between him and Moore, it was quite the conclave of axe-men.

And as I hinted at before, Blue Oyster Cult's music is a somewhat awkward fit for a venue like RCC (in fairness, Bloom did a goo job shepherding the audience through the more obscure cuts). So even if the obvious transition from "The Vigil" to "E.T.I." (hint: it's aliens) was lost on the crowd, it wasn't the band's fault.

But I can still blame them for letting the crowd pick "Harvest Moon" over "Shooting Shark."

UFO and BOC came to Stafford last night and put on fine sets. Were the Cult's efforts a little "wanky" in the solo department? Perhaps. Is the 71 year-old Mogg still annoying slender? Absolutely.

Personal Bias: After last night, I want to look up more UFO music. I also wonder what happened to my 1986 BOC tour shirt, bought for me by an older friend who was free to attend out-of-town concerts.

The Crowd: Veterans of a thousand Bud Light wars.

Overheard In The Crowd: "I saw these guys before anyone knew what an 'oyster' was."

Random Notebook Dump:

UFO SETLIST

1. Mother Mary
2. We Belong to the Night
3. Venus
4. Lights Out
5. Burn Your House Down
6. Only You Can Rock Me
7. Cherry
8. Love to Love
9. Too Hot to Handle
10. Rock Bottom
11. Doctor Doctor

BOC SETLIST

1. Dr. Music
2. Golden Age of Leather
3. Burnin' for You
4. ME 262
5. Harvest Moon
6. The Vigil
7. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
8. Buck's Boogie
9. Then Came the Last Days of May
10. Dancin' in the Ruins
11. Godzilla
12. Guitar Solo (Buck Dharma) -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper
13. ENCORE - Tattoo Vampire
14. Hot Rails to Hell
15. Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll

BLUE OYSTER CULT, UFO In New York City
By Derek Bomar
Halloween Night At St. George Theater On Staten Island

What a great way to spend Halloween, at a spooky old theater out on Staten Island. I took the ferry across got a great view of the New York skyline and walked one block up to the Saint George theater which is been completely remodeled and restored from its original 1929 design.

Met the guys from UFO out front as we walked up and then headed inside and looked around. UFO hit the stage with "Mother Mary" and didn't hold back. The sound was perfect and the band was very tight and in a great mood.

They rolled right into "We Belong To The Night" from the 1982 Mechanix album, and with the return of Neil Carter on keyboards and guitar, it was like 1982 all over again. Vinnie Moore was awesome on guitar though I would've preferred to hear him a little bit louder in the mix, but Andy Parker was just pounding the hell out of the drums and that was happy to see.

Phil Mogg sounded great and was telling a lot of jokes with the audience in between the songs and lamenting a little bit about his age that out of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll the only bit left is the rock 'n' roll so they got on with the show. They played for about an hour and finished up with "Too Hot To Handle", "Rock Bottom" and "Doctor Doctor" and the crowd loved it knowing this will probably be the last chance to see the band. I was glad to see them in such fine form.

Next up was BLUE OYSTER CULT.

I'm always a little bit surprised at the set list from BLUE OYSTER CULT and not in a good way. I really wish they would stick more to their harder rock, better known material but the vocals were great with the opener Dr. Music and then they went right into the "Golden Age Of Leather".

Buck Dharma took over the vocals for the next song "Burning For You", probably their biggest hit ever and got a great response from the crowd. "ME 262" and "Shooting Shark" were next and we're both very good featuring Richie Costellano on keys and guitar. He was just brilliant and it was a good homecoming since he is from Staten Island.

BLUE OYSTER CULT finished up with "Godzilla" and "Don't Fear The Reaper" before we had to head back to the ferry. Overall a very fun Halloween, I'm glad that we went. If you get a chance to catch either band go ahead, you won't be sorry.

Blue Oyster Cult celebrates 50 years at BMI Indoor Speedway
By Matt Clevenger - For iN75

VERSAILLES - It's been 50 years since Blue Oyster Cult first got their start in the late 60s Long Island, New York club scene, and the radio-friendly rockers are still going strong today.

"We enjoy playing," lead vocalist Eric Bloom said. "The gigs are great; I'm still enjoying it, other than the travel is kind of hectic."

Best known for their hit songs "Godzilla," "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Burnin' for You," the science fiction-influenced rockers are currently in the midst of touring and recording a new album that will be released in the summer of 2020. The band will appear at BMI Indoor Speedway in Versailles, performing with opening acts Blind Date and Small Town Titans at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.

"We've been to Ohio probably 100 times," Bloom said. "We headlined Richfield Coliseum, which is long gone. We have a long history."

Blue Oyster Cult originally formed in 1967 and rose to fame after releasing the radio hit "Don't Fear the Reaper" in 1976. The band has sold more than 24 million records worldwide, and their music videos were featured heavily on MTV music television throughout the early 1980s. Over the years, the band has recorded and released total of 13 full-length studio albums.

"Our first album came out in 1972," Bloom said. "There's many, many studio albums, and two or three live albums."

The band's current line-up features Bloom, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Jules Radino, Richie Castellano and Danny Miranda. "The line-up is pretty much the same as it's been for 15 years or so," Bloom said. "Buck Dharma and myself are the original guys; we've been with the band 50 years."

"We're working on a new album, our first album in quite awhile," he said. "It will be out in the summer of 2020; it's on Frontier, which is a European label."

"It's hard to say," Bloom said of the new album's sound. "We're in the middle of making it. We're just happy to be making something new, and we think our fans will like it."

After 50 years of touring and recording, the band still shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. "I don't know," Bloom said. "After 25, I never thought I'd make it to 27 years, and after 30, I never thought I'd be doing it for 40."

"We're on tour," he said. "People can go on our web site to see where we're going to be. We're heading to your area soon!"

Blue Öyster Cult thrills capacity crowd at the Coach House
By Robert Kinsler

After seeing Blue Öyster Cult tear it up in front of a capacity crowd at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday night (Dec. 7, 2019), this writer was reminded (yet again!) why the band is one of the most influential and talented American rock groups to emerge out of the late 1960s. Yet while the New York-spawned troupe has sold more than 24 million records worldwide, contributed to the music video revolution in the early 1980s and continues to regularly tour, they have sadly never been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But I predict history will land squarely on the side of BÖC, whose current lineup includes founding members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards, lead vocals) along with long-time lead guitarist/keyboardist Richie Castellano, bassist-backing singer Danny Miranda and drummer Jules Radino.

The band's 100-minute concert at the Coach House featured a stellar setlist featuring all their best-known radio hits, as well as deep cuts extending as far back as BÖC's 1972 self-titled debut album through the group's 1998 LP Heaven Forbid.

After coming out on stage to the piped in strains of music from "The Game of Thrones," the band unleashed the enduring rocker "The Red & the Black," Bloom handling lead vocals while Dharma displayed the first of many impressive guitar solos that would be showcased this night.

BÖC's style may be rooted in progressive rock and early heavy metal, but trying to use any simple label to categorize the band is at odds with their rousing, wide-ranging performance in Orange County. Indeed, the quintet opened up "Golden Age of Leather" with a full-on a cappella segment where four members sang without any instrumental accompaniment to introduce the song. Dharma's strong lead vocals came amidst a creative and ambitious six-minute early standout.

"Burnin' for You" was one of the first great rock songs of the 1980s (as was the song's music video that received heavy rotation on MTV when the station premiered in 1981) and retains its magic decades later. On Saturday, the infectious track was bolstered by shining vocal harmonies and a driving edge layered with winning guitar textures.

"Harvest Moon" was another standout with Bloom's keyboards and Dharma's expressive lead guitar work adding a sense of mystery to the song. At one point Dharma's guitar work was played sans backing from anyone else before the full band came in and his solo became more aggressive. Then Castellano did a solo before their lead work came in tandem for a dramatic explosion of sound.

Every selection performed offered an opportunity to catch another element of BÖC's progressive reach; "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" blended hard rock and sumptuous harmonies; "Tattoo Vampire" juxtaposed Cheap Trick-styled power pop and Iggy Pop alt rock; "Godzilla" was a fun audience favorite with monster sound effects, an audience sing-along, Dharma's guitar sliding on a microphone stand and Miranda's bass solo among the far-flung details in play.

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is the band's best-known song and its performance was a highlight at the Coach House. Introducing the favorite with an extended Dharma solo, Castellano's textured keyboards and Radino's drums were subliminally added. The classic rocker itself was a wonder with its haunting soundscape coupled with virtuoso musicianship, masterful fret work and sharp vocal harmonies.

A 15-minute encore was a chance for BÖC to delve even deeper into their discography, performing "Flaming Telepaths," "Hot Rails to Hell" and the playful "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," the latter coming with an epic false ending that made the subsequent real finish all the stronger.

Opening for BÖC was local group Justin Abrams & Beyond Conception. Although a cover of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" was didn't resonate with me the outfit's originals were plenty of fun. The loose garage rocker "Stix & Stones" and New York-flavored rocker "Rip It Off" were particularly memorable.

Blue Öyster Cult setlist at the Coach House on Saturday, Dec 7, 2019:

1. The Red & the Black
2. Golden Age of Leather
3. Career of Evil
4. Burnin' for You
5. ME 262
6. Harvest Moon
7. Dancin' in the Ruins
8. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
9. Buck's Boogie
10. Then Came the Last Days of May
11. Tattoo Vampire
12. Godzilla
13. Guitar solo (Buck Dharma)
14. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
15. Encores: Flaming Telepaths
16. Hot Rails to Hell
17. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll