2023: BOC still on tour forever... well... forever - ish!! We thought 2022 would be it for the band, especially when we saw that Richie would be touring with YesGeeks, but there's still a bit of life in the old dogs yet...
Dunno how many gigs they'll end up playing this year, but however many that is, if you see 'em advertised, you'd better get down and see them before they really are gone...
Have you got anything to contribute to this page? Reviews, missing gig support band/venue information, ticket stubs, posters, handbills etc etc - if so, let me .
Super Solid Set tonight:
Band sounded Great. An amazing way to kick off the 2023 Year...
I don't know of any gigs booked for February... but check here to see blueoystercult.com's current show list detailing BOC's current gig schedule for all the latest info...
Set 1:
Set 2:
Set 3:
BOC EPCOT 3-20 - Set 1 (5:30):
Set 2 (6:45):
Set 3 (8:00):
Here's the info off their website:
The Good Life Festival returns for a 12th season!
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Schnepf Farms - 24810 E. Rittenhouse Rd, Queen Creek, AZ
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Show starts at 2:30 p.m.
1:30pm | Gates open
2:30pm - 3:30pm | "1964" ...The Tribute
4:00pm - 5:00pm | Journey Former Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri
5:30pm - 6:45pm | Blue Oyster Cult
7:15pm - 8:45pm | KANSAS
Saw Blue Oyster Cult at the Festival of Life held at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona on Saturday March 25, 2023.
They shared a bill with 1964: A Beatles Tribute, ex-Journey lead singer Steve Augeri, and headliner Kansas.
Weather was a perfect 70 degrees and sunny. 1964 started at 3PM and played 18 classic Beatles songs. Steve Augeri played a set of Journey songs, and Kansas came on after BOC.
All the bands were excellent. BOC were given 75 minutes and Richie, Jules, Danny, Eric and Buck were their usual superb selves.
Setlist:
It is fantastic that the band continues to be "On Tour Forever". The band will be on hiatis in most of April and May while Richie and his Band Geeks support Yes vocalist Jon Anderson on a quick tour.
I saw the show with 11 friends in the front 2 rows. A great show as always. The sound was great. The solos in Last Days of May were great.
My good buddy Damien and I went to the Kansas / BOC show Saturday night at the thunder valley casino's new indoor venue, "The Venue". Big crowd! Place holds about 4500.
Cult opened and had the big on your feet logo as the backdrop which looked great. Spotted a lot of BOC t-shirts.
Setlist:
Band was great! I hadn't seen 'em in 9 years so I was pumped, but it was bittersweet due to the set being so short, as they opened. Was hoping for at least Cities On Flame. Due to it being a Casino show on a Saturday night, you know they keep things moving so they can get folks back at the slots and tables.
It was awesome seeing BOC playing in a big venue for once and was easily the biggest crowd I've ever seen them in front of. Fans loved em and clearly wanted more. But, alas...
I hope they come back to Sac in a headlining gig soon!
Kansas was pretty good/ just OK. We split midway through.
BOC -; ON TOUR FOREVER
Waukegan, IL:
Mark Farner opened the show and played for an hour. Rock star performance from a true legend.
BOC killed it! Nice, enthusiastic audience that stood up a lot!
When they did not leave the stage for the last song, the first thing I thought of was the Oroville show last year. How am I going to tell Ralph there really wasn't an encore? Again!
I've since re-thought my somewhat proscriptive attitude regarding what constitutes an encore and decided on a simpler formula: if they play any song(s) after Reaper, then that constitutes the encore... :-)
That way I don't have to worry about them leaving the stage or not...
Danny Miranda is currently touring in the UK as part of the Neverland Express, so Kasim Sulton was drafted in as a substitute
Here's a report on the gig I saw on the r/BlueOysterCult Reddit group by "u/chickenranch99":
Set List Denver, CO 3-June-2023 + some comments
GREAT SHOW!!!
They played nearly 90 minutes. Most shows lately are 14 songs, this was 15.5 (see encore below).
Transmaniacon MC - not my pick for an opening song and the crowd sat for most of it. But, it is the 1st song on their 1st record so it's very appropriate.
Before the Kiss - one of my favorites going back to the St. Cecilia days. always enjoyable to hear it live and sing along with the Buck. my wife thinks i'm nuts for knowing all the words start to end.
Golden Age of Leather - this was absolutely wonderful. what a treat and it sounded great and gave me chills. i've heard this only once before but knew it was coming from previous set lists. there was a very notable lack of tune from Buck and Eric when they sang anything together (not just this song) but when Ritchie and Danny did back up vocals the harmony's for all 4 were perfect. for me it was the first time i could find any flaw with their shows but c'mon man they are 75 / 77 respectively and i'm seriously impressed they can sing (and play) at such a high level. this song rocks and the boys did a great job.
That Was Me - Rightfully so, this features Richie Castellano. I was kind of surprised they did not feature Richie more throughout the night. he is fabulous even if his guitar is ugly.
Burning for You - before this, the crowd was not terribly into the show - i kind of think the opening act was the issue here, see below - until Burning for You. a lot of cell phones lit up and the crowd really was into the show the rest of the way. i'm glad this was a hit for them and they are kind of obligated to play it but i can think of 20 others i would rather hear.
Harvest Moon - Buck is the best. Period. they way he can play creepy / haunting that just fills the theater is unparalleled. not just on this but often throughout the show i was mesmerized. Sure Buck can play fast and he still can (impressive at 75), but this is what separates him from others and makes him the and cream of top and GOAT. this is the stuff that seems to get better with age. wow.
The Vigil - what a great composition and i love how they make it better live.
ETI - good as always and the sound was perfect - a BOC lover's song.
Train True (Lennie's Song): i'm not a big fan of this, it just doesn't seem to fit the band.
Last Days of May: Wow. this was worth the price of admission alone! my jaw dropped listening to Richie's lead - this guy can really play and he always impresses me. not to be outdone, Buck absolutely killed it for his extended solo. Richie can rock the song, Buck can rock your brain. his solo seemed endless and had my complete attention for the duration. Oh dear Lord, i love how he plays.
Godzilla - ok for me. they gotta play it but I sure missed Dominance and Submission and would trade them in this set list. Dominance is one of the top songs on the best record recorded since 1970.
Buck did an intro / solo thingy. i thought they might surprise us with I love the Night as i had seen this played only once before with a Buck intro and this sounded the same but it was really an intro for the Reaper. Buck can fill a stadium with such a big, big sound that haunts and entertains me completely.
Don't Fear the Reaper - sounded great and i love it live.
Encore: Tatoo Vampire: Mr. Bloom stopped less than a minute into this and said he could not hear himself, so they went with Hot Rails, then added Cities on Flame (just guessing this was an in-game decision). This was quite unfortunate as i had not heard Tattoo Vampire before and it sounded fucking GREAT then Eric stopped it. huge bummer. i wish they would have fixed the problem then come back to it but time / contract restraints won't allow it.
Hot Rails to Hell - they rocked the fuck out of this - what a great encore, what a great song. I'm 62 and felt like 16 hearing this. these guys rock.
Cities on Flame - i think this was an in-game addition after Tattoo Vampire didn't work out. Buck put on a clinic here and did his magic one last time for the evening. Completely satisfying to end the show with this.
The late add of the opening act of Max Gomez was a mismatch from the start. he plays acoustic folk. he's good, just not meant for this crowd. he acknowledged it and it helped me to continue listening but it did not get anyone fired up for the Soft White Underbelly / Oaxaca / Stalk Forrest Group / Santos Sisters / Blue Öyster Cult.
These guys have entertained me for 53 years now... and counting. many dinosaur bands are not that great anymore and are just milking their couple of hits. Not true with Blue Öyster Cult. if you possibly can, go see these guys - they are still fabulous!
There's not much I can add to the above detailed, insightful, and spot-on review of BÖC's June 3rd, 2023 show at the Paramount Theater in Denver. It was an amazing night and the band was in stellar form. (I'd seen them only twice before - once in Seattle in '81, and again the following year in Casper, WY.) Hard to believe how quickly 40+ years have passed, but Blue Öyster Cult is still doing it - with finesse, enthusiasm, and style. From the first note of "Transmaniacon" to the last note of "Cities On Flame" it was a barn-burner. Never thought I'd live to hear "Before The Kiss (A Redcap)" performed live (the second song of their set, no less)! And then straight into "Golden Age Of Leather" (with audience participation on the intro!). Mind officially blown! "The Vigil" and "E.T.I" made it nothing less than a concert for the ages!!
Just a couple memories of non-performance elements of the show: It was fascinating to see Buck Dharma appear from backstage before the start of the concert. A first it seemed it was just someone - surely a crew member - milling about, but eventually it was clear that it was Buck and that he was simply checking things out, verifying that everything was in order prior to giving the go-ahead to start. It sort of altered my perception of the event. The atmosphere suddenly seemed more intimate, as a result of that personal attention to detail.
Later, during one of the first pauses between songs, there was some on-stage banter - the exact drift of which escapes me now - but at one point Eric said (on mic) - "we've been lucky", to which Buck chimed in (off mic): "Damn lucky". It seems likely most of the audience didn't catch that, but we were very close to the stage, so it felt like a bit of an insider moment to overhear that.
40 years ago the shows may have been bigger, louder, and wilder - but this show was more like fine wine that's aged and matured. Possibly, a bit of cork in the bottle, yet something very special.
THANK YOU, Öyster Boys!!!
There's a vid on Youtube for the Sweden Rock Fest on June 9, 2023. Here's the setlist:
It was a rain or shine outdoor event, drizzly on and off but the rain mostly held off with no downpours. Had front row seats with my pal Ed who I met at the 40th anniversary show in NYC and we have been good friends ever since.
They started 15 mins early because of the weather. A good sized crowd, someone said 2500 people, sold out or very close to it.
Julius helped out his dad on the drums during the encore which was cool.
Here's the setlist:
BOC rocked the Marin County fair in San Rafael, CA. They were absolutely fabulous! Sound was great, audience was fun and the scenery was beautiful.
The show was free with fair admission but there was an option to get seats up close for $60. Nice venue. There was no opener. Outside with a tent covering. On a tiny island. There was a fireworks display after the show.
They played Dr. Music, Dancing in the Ruins and Harvest Moon during the soundcheck.
Once again they killed it! What a rock show! They were in top form! Thanks guys!
I've seen no reason given for the postponement, but 7 Dec is now the date for this gig being given in the schedules.
Clearly, it won't be a "SummerFest" gig in December. At the moment, I have no information regarding other bands on the bill...
BOC back in Turlock! They were here in 2018. Nice fair! It was sooo hot! Good thing they have a screen behind the stage to protect the band.
We were allowed to watch soundcheck. Dancing in the ruins, Dr. Music and Harvest Moon, with a bit of a Perfect Water tease. Also a bit of Tush.
What can I say, another fantastic awesome rock show! Lovely audience. Decent venue in the middle of the fair. The show was free with admittance.
During the Red and the Black, Buck's guitar rig went out. The guys handled it perfectly. Richie took over the solo and they extended the song a bit until it was fixed.
Setlist:
There was no encore.
Setlist:
We made the hour trip north to see the boys. I was there with friends and family - my 2 sons and close friends.
The band was right on and played with great energy. They keep getting better with age. Eric gave a shout out to us stating that the Northwest BOC brothers were in attendance. He pointed right at me and my T-shirt.
Here is the set list:
More info can be found here:
Just got back to the hotel/motel, and, what can I say that hasn't been already said about the 8th wonder of the world? Should have started at 21:20, after a few glitches with mic. & guitar amp connections, show started, 21:30, with a film collage of concert & promo. video clips going way back to '77 of all line ups, even had a photo of the original line up from ' 70? , a few fireworks to start then the following:
Only people I saw were Paul and Sam.
I can only finish by saying, if this band get any hotter, they'll blast into orbit!! Man, oh man they were Hot!!!!
I came over to Slovenia to see BOC's gig in Ljubljana this evening. My partner managed to blag the setlist... wow!!
Here it is:
Great stuff!
Here's the setlist...
BÖC played the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on Thursday Sept. 21,2023.
The Celebrity is a 2,600 seat venue that also has a round revolving stage.
Head East opened the night with an 11 song set including "Raise a Little Hell", "Jefftown Creek", "Since You've Been Gone", and "Never Been Any Reason". They were excellent. Their new album releases in October.
BÖC arrived on stage a little after 9PM.
Setlist:
As usual, superb playing all around. Hearing Cagey live was the highlight for me, and sitting in the front (round) row, on my 50th BÖC concert!
BÖC On Tour Forever!
BOC back at the Kern County Fair. My first time getting down there. Nice outdoor venue in the center of the fair. Very similar to Paso Robles. Large VIP section in the front. Super Cheryl sussed out how to get tix and hooked us all up! Thanks!
Soundcheck was I Love night, Buck's Boogie and the Alchemist. My first time hearing that one live. We could not see them playing due to a canvassed fence where we were lined up, but the sound was decent.
I know I write the same thing every time, but this show was the best ever! They just keep on delivering the goods. Thanks guys for a great evening! BOC! BOC! BOC!
Set:
No encore.
Their first Michigan gig since October of 2019.
Add three more to the "my first time seeing them play that one live" with Cagey Cretins, Tainted Blood, and I Love the Night all part of the setlist for this gig:
There was no support.
Great show in Warren, Ohio!
I was there, great show. Here's the set list:
There was no guest bands. The setlist was the same as October 14th but the encores were Hot rails to hell and cities on flame.
Walkers Bluff Casino show 11/10 Setlist:
Our fourth time seeing them in 13 months and another truly inspired performance! Great sound, lots of fresh little improvisation runs and flourishes, lively crowd.
Ritchie was rocking - intense high pitched screeching background vocals and wild sounds from his Roland and Hammond keyboards (also played a more subdued Wurlitzer.)
The Vaughan Building opened. Nice touch from the promoter to invite veterans on stage before BÖC.
BÖC played the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois on Saturday November 11th, 2023 (Veterans Day in the U.S.)
The Vaughn Building opened and were excellent. A group of 4 young men (keys, drums, guitar and bass), they had the audience on their feet in the middle of the first song! Hopefully, these guys will go far as they were great musicians with a ton of personality.
In between groups, the organizer Ron Onesti brought all the Veterans from the audience on stage and led the audience in a moving Star-Spangled Banner.
BÖC came on stage around 9:10pm and proceeded to level the place. They were smokin' hot with an outstanding set.
Setlist:
Great set, great sound, and great enthusiasm, especially from Ritchie. Lots of surprises in the set including Tattoo as an opener, Dancing in the Ruins, Cagey, Astronomy, and the encore trio of Career, Harvester and Hot Rails.
One of my favorite moments in the set was when Buck tried to run his guitar across the mic stand in Godzilla and couldn't, because the mic cord took up all the space.
Buck's birthday was the following day on November 12th.
BÖC is the BEST! Keep on going, Oyster boys!
I had noticed the site's entry for the Westbury, NY show 11/22/23 doesn't have Albert listed as appearing as a guest that night...
BÖC invaded the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona again on Thursday December 28th 2023.
Michael Nitro opened the show with an acoustic set that had the audience singing along. BÖC hit the stage around 9:15.
Setlist:
A great setlist! There were several songs that they played somewhat slower than usual.
The venue had an excellent BÖC mural painted on the outside brick wall.
A perfect way to end up the year! Looking forward to "On Tour Forever" in 2024!
Last Show of 2023 setlist (Lineup 1):