2009: BOC still on tour forever!! This year though has had the first half of the schedule ripped out of it after Buck Dharma slipped whilst carrying some parcels downstairs at his Florida home and all the gigs were cancelled or rescheduled until June.
Get well soon, Buck!
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 .
All of BOC's gigs for January to May were cancelled or postponed due to Buck Dharma's shoulder injury.
Has Buck recovered from his injury? Check out the clip below...
Nice to see BOC back in action...
Ram's Head Tavern, Annapolis MD (no opening act[s]):
Early Show:
Late Show:
I went to the early one. Eric commented how it would be a laid back show, given the venue. He also came out at the end and announced there would be no encore; not the band's choice, the venue's choice.
It kind of sucked they played less than 75 minutes, but looking at the set from the 2nd show, I'm glad I went to this one!
On the original set list from the 2nd Rams Head show (see above), Dominance was listed as the Encore, but they played Hot Rails.
Richie, Jules, Buck, and Buck's wife, Sandy, signed the set list. Rudy and Eric did not come out and talk to the fans after the show.
I asked Sandy to sign next to The Vigil as she wrote the lyrics. Buck acknowledged her for writing the lyrics when he introduced the song. Buck also recognized Randy Jackson as playing bass on the studio version of Shooting Shark. Buck Said "He is a hell of a Bass player".
This was a great show and a well chosen set list. Vigil, Cities, Golden Age, and rounded out by LDOM, what more can you ask for? There was an extended drum solo by Jules during Zilla, so the intro to Reaper was cut.
Also of note was a cool guitar affect used by Richie on Burnin'. It gave a new hook to an old classic.
The pictures did not turn out too good due to the lighting, and keyboard base obstruction.
This was a great night. It is nice to see BOC on tour again.
Two new songs in the setlist: Check out 262Pilot's clips below...
I'm from the UK and have just moved to NJ with a new job - have been watching BOC whenever I can since 1988 but before this gig, only in the UK.
Last year in London (you have a review) was great - great version of Astronomy! Cool show last night - I was at both sets and thought I'd make a note of the set list just in case no one else did!
A bit of a pity that BB Kings had the floor full of tables, seemed to take longer for the atmosphere to get going and less interaction - I ended up at the bar but had a great time chatting to other fans with room to air guitar!
Set 1:
Great to hear Stone of love - one of the guys I spoke to said it was the first time they'd played it - also shooting shark was as ever like floating a few feet above the ground.
Set 2:
So some pretty rare tracks played but by the end the audience were getting into it - overall a great night! When Eric introduced the bassist both times, they played a few bars from Quiet Riot and Whitesnake and one other I can't recall.
It's summer time which means BOC is back!!! Seen The Amazing last night in Dubuque, Iowa at The Port of Dubuque. It was an outdoor concert for a little summer fest they have up there down by the river.
Blue Oyster hit the stage about 7:05 or so (trains going by in the background and all) and ended about 8:20. Buck looks like a new man, it looks like he lost weight, has new hair, and had some facial growth which we have not seen in a while.
All in all the show was very good, we were unable to get into the VIP seating which was filled with a bunch of knuckleheads who I think were there for CCR revisited crap. How BOC was not headlining is beyond me, but anyhow here is the set list, short and sweet.
One note, Bucks cheeseburger took a dive right before the solo in Burnin' For You, when Richie realized the solo was not there and Buck was having guitar issues, he quickly filled in admirably.
The cheeseburger would not return until Reaper. Have the whole concert filmed except for about 30 seconds of Godzilla and Jules drum solo when I had to switch batteries and memory card just to be on the safe side.
The set list was:
Very short set list, but I think they were under time restraints. Will send more reports hopefully later on in the summer. BOC on Tour Forever!!!!
Here are some YouTube links:
This turned out to be a really cool outdoor show. It was in a huge parking lot, with a sizable VIP seating section in front of the stage.
Met Redcap and a few others there at soundcheck (they played Teen Archer). They seemed to have plenty of time, as soundcheck was pretty lengthy. Rudy was gracious enough to autograph my copy of Off the Rails right after.
Although BOC was the opener, we got 10 songs, including Stone of Love, which was very cool to hear live- first time for me. This was one of Buck's first gigs back since his shoulder injury. He looked good with his light beard and new shades.
We could tell he was keeping his arm close to his body as he played, but still sounded fantastic. My guess as to the change up from the Cheeseburger was to play a lighter guitar for a while.
Richie held down the fort musically during the change. It was a pretty perfect day both weather - and Rock & Roll-wise!
Here's a link to some of my photos from the gig:
I never was a member of the boy scouts but I always followed the golden rule of "always be prepared". The moment I turned my camera on, it gave me a low battery signal and I'm glad I brought backups.
Anyway before I get to the main attraction, I have to comment on Maria Aurigema. When I arrived to the concert it was already filling up and there was Maria tearing away on her guitar like nobodies business. This girl can play. She has that natural gift similar to other greats like Hendrix, Clapton and yes even Buck. While I don't remember her play list I do remember how breathtaking her style was. I really couldn't think of a more Rocking Chick to open with. I was so thrilled by her that I managed to get a photo with her (with a backup memory chip no less :) ). While Maria was playing, a friend of mine and I managed to get into the mosh pit. We got so close, a stones throw to the stage. Maria had great showmanship. She kind of reminded me of a mix between Eric and Buck. At one point a Concert Vollyball managed to land on stage and Maria was good enough to pick it up mid song and throw it back into the crowed. I regret not buying one of Maria's CDs now, she is that good!
Then...
There was a fifteen minute intermission and already I knew the mosh pit was going to get crazy. It was my first experience being that close to the stage. The smell of beer and Smoke filled the air. I knew it was going to be a night to remember. During the fifteen minutes one of the Artpart girls come on stage and started to do the promotion stick. First it was the local baseball team, "The Bisons" and Buster Bison even came on stage. The Moshers of course did not care, in fact one shouted:
"Hey Buster, what's up with this season, the boys are doing terrible."
Then after she left, the girl came back with some raffle contest just before the boys were to come on stage. There were two prizes, $1,500 or a guitar freshly signed by BOC. I regret not getting a ticket but being so close to stage made up for it. She also had a BOC shirt with her and Moshers were demanding she throw it. And when she didn't and left, they cussed like sailors. During this interlude, we were treated to one of the roadies testing the equipment with Richie. I was impressed with how well the kid played and was expecting him to start breaking into a solo. I wanted to get a picture of Richie working by the drums but the amp system was blocking him.
Then...
One minute to show time and I spot Buck and Eric at the "stairway to the stage." I immediately readied my camera and got a picture of Eric before everything started. Then they entered the stage: Eric, Buck, Richie, Jules and Rudy Sarzo. Rudy looks like a typical rocker, more miles on him then he would like to admit but with more horsepower then a hemi. They started playing that Oh So classic "Red and Black" and I went mad with my camera. I must of taken a good 15 or 20 pictures. At this point things were getting wild, people were bumping into each other from all sides. I decided to put my camera away and enjoy the show.
When Burning for You started I used the video option on my camera to see how it would turn out. A little advice, do not record a concert in the mosh pit, at least not with a digital camera. Watching the clip now, the sound is at full blast and you can barely hear the vocals, same with the little clip of Godzilla I made. I'm glad I did so many pics during "R and B". I may post the videos on youtube but the only thing of quality is the image, the sound could blow out someone's speakers XD.
Then Buck's Boogie come up and two guys almost got into a fight right next to me. Thankfully no punches were thrown. A lot of people were wasted in the pit and I was shock that there were no brawl or people falling down.
Cities on flames then started and Buck did his thing, an awesome solo with one hand. Needless to say you had to be there to believe it.
By the time Last Days of May came my mind was swirling. Then I hear behind me "I got to say hi to Buck!!!" This couple, some dude and a Chick in Purple then came out of nowhere, plastered out of their minds and were insisting to be right at the railings. The Woman in Purple is someone I will never forget, I never thought I could be that close to stage and still be able to hear someone in the pit. The woman was going to rock no matter what and we all had to give her room to. I envied her a bit, I wanted to move around too but we were all packed like sardines.
One guy next to me noticed I had a notepad (recording the setlist) and he asked me if I was a reporter. I tried to promote the website but having a long conversations in the mosh pit is not advised. He then asked when 'Godzilla' was going to play and I said next.
Sure enough Godzilla did storm the stage and it was awesome. Rudy did a solo that was earth shattering, literally. I wished I had a camcorder for the whole thing. And finally that oldy but Goldy came...
REAPER was just as unbelievable live as I remember from my trip to the Erie County Fair back in Aug 2006. I got so excited I knock someone's beer right out of their hand. Most of the memory in my card was about to run out and the flash wasn't working, so good pictures at this point were not going to happen. That really didn't matter anyway, I was living the moment. And it really was awesome to see the concert ball on stage again, this time Rudy kicked it right off stage to the side. He had this smile on his face like "Yay, I totally kicked that ball while shredding on my bass."
And of course it would not be a BOC concert without an encore. Hot Rails to Hell (they must know about the website) and Riche again did not disappoint.
After the concert I went to buy some BOC shirts and they only had six left. And right at the merchandise tent was Maria. I got my picture taken with her, luckily I had a backup card.
So what did I think of my first experience in the Mosh Pit? It was cool to be so close to the band. I'd say there are some pros and cons to being in the pit. For one thing, vocals were really hard to pick up but that could be because they were having some technical difficulties with the mikes.
So to end this review I go back to that old saying "always be prepared." If I did not have backup batteries and another memory chip then I would not have been able to get my picture with Maria or take any pictures at all for that matter. Oh wait, my back up and 2GB chip got switched by accident. Oh well, cant always prepare for everything I guess :-)
ROCK ON!!!!!
Outdoor Gig, Set List for June 16, 2009:
PS: Check out Maria Aurigema:
I have the setlist for the June 16th show. I had to head out right at the end so I'm assuming the encore went down as the local paper said it did. We were treated to "Flaming Telepaths" and "Black Blade" in their entirety during the soundcheck so maybe they'll be working those in to future shows again! Yes!!!
red and black---before the kiss---burnin for you---shooting shark---buck's boogie---cities on flame---stone of love---last days of may---godzilla---reaper---hot rails to hell [encore]
my tape came out great and it seams they are a little in the raw!
I'm a lifelong BOC fan, and this was my second chance to catch them live. Two friends drove down from Canada - 5.5 hours in total - to catch this show and it was amazing.
They played for 1 hour and 50 minutes, which was incredible, and even more amazing was that they played Black Blade, which they had not done the last time I saw them.
Everyone was 'on' last night, and they seemed to be having a great time. The crowd never sat down during the entire show.
The setlist was as follows:
You can also catch a video we took of the end of The Red And The Black here:
Opened with this ain't the summer of love, closed with Godzilla, then reaper, did golden age of leather for encore. Then they did hot rails to hell which richie sang. We were not expecting that.
Got to shake hands with Buck, Bloom, and Sarzo. They were great as always. Wish I could tell you the rest of the set in order. Sorry.
I just saw BOC last night in Waterville, ME and I figured I would send you the set list, as I'm not sure if anyone else at the show is a regular reader of the Hot Rails site.
The set list is from memory so it may not be 100% accurate (for example, I think Buck's Boogie came before The Vigil, but it may have been the other way around), but I definitely have covered all the songs they played.
It was a great show --- probably the best performance I've seen from this lineup.
Setlist Waterville, ME June 20, 2009:
Thanks for keeping the Hot Rails site up and running---it is an amazing resource for BOC fans!
Waterville Setlist:
great show! they played for about two hours.
I was looking forward to this show - especially since their last one at "The Great Saltair" in Salt Lake City was cancelled. This time they booked the show at Lindquist Field in Ogden which is about a 45 minute drive from Salt Lake.
This was my 7th time seeing the guys in the last 10 years and I've enjoyed every show! I found out about BOC when Metallica covered their song "Astronomy" and have been a die hard fan ever since, but still haven't heard it live! - Anyways, enough on the intro, here is my review of the show.
The set up for the show was a little unusual. They had a small portable stage set up against the bleachers on one side of the field that forced everyone to sit in a seat, which to me defeats the purpose of General Admission. There was a great turnout at the show, so getting a good seat was difficult.
There was 2 opening bands, the first one was Frank...Something singing with Perfect Disorder and the second one was "The Tubes". I had never heard of The Tubes prior to this concert, but I have to say they sounded pretty good. They played the same amount of time as BOC which was kind of annoying since I wasn't there to see them and BOC was supposed to be the headlining band.
BOC finally got on stage around 11:00pm and they played until about 12:30am. They started the show off with "Summer of Love" and although it was a good song it seemed to be lacking some energy but by the time they got to their third song "Burning for You" the energy returned and the crowd was really getting into the performance.
Bass player "Rudy" was truly amazing on "Shooting Shark" and brings a lot of energy to the band. They did a little introduction for him During "Godzilla" and played pieces of songs from his former bands: Quiet Riot, White Snake and Ozzy.
During "Last Days of May" Guitarist's Richie and Buck seemed to have a battle going during a huge jam session which made for an awesome extended version of the song. I was also surprised that Bucks vocal are still as strong as ever and I was equally surprised that Eric only sang a few of the songs.
The weather was getting bad towards the end of the show with a lot of wind and some rain, which caused them to perform only one encore song "Hot Rails To Hell". The highlights of the show were "Shooting Shark", "Stone of Love" and "Last Days of May".
Overall it was a great concert and I was happy that they rescheduled and I got the chance to see them again. I hope next time I get a chance to hear them play "Astronomy" as I think it is one their best songs, up there with "Godzilla", "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Burning For You".
The setlist was:
Here's a link to my clip of "Shooting Shark" on youTube:
I was at this show. I have to say that Buck looked like he was having A LOT of fun on stage. Much more so than the last several times I've seen them. It was great to see.
On a personal note, I would love to hear them start playing Astronomy again.
I was wondering about "SOL" - I thought it probably stood for "Stone of Love", but "SOL" might also be shorthand for "Summer of Love"
However, the following YouTube clip links show that it was indeed "Stone of Love":
What a great show! Perfect weather and a large, enthusiastic crowd made for a night to remember. I have been a BOC fan since the beginning but the last time I saw them live was May 28, 1979. Their music is as alive and fresh today as it was then. The band seemed to be having fun despite having played the night before in Las Vegas. The set list was as follows;
I may be slightly off on the order in the middle of the show but the song list is complete. I drove 300 miles each way for this show and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Great to See Buck Back again after His Injury. In less than 2 years, this is the 4th time I've Seen BOC and the 5th being in my hometown of Denver in July. They have the same Playlist, but It is Always a Joy to Watch and Listen to these Great Musicians. Richie Has developed so well that Not only is he Getting Solo time on Guitar, He sang the Encore- 'Hot Rails To Hell'.
They were all Super but I Love watching Buck Play Guitar and His Vocals are AWSOME. The only problem with the show is the Sound problems as in The Amp of Buck, Please get a New One.
It was an Outstanding Crowd, a Gorgeous Setting for a Concert, a Beautiful Eve to Hear the Greatest Rock and Roll Show 'BLUE OYSTER CULT' .
The Playlist as I wrote them down at the time:
See Everyone on July 24th in DENVER at the Grizzly Rose
As written on the setlist in my hands right now:
They also decided to play black blade right after shooting shark
There was no encore - there were no other bands after but i guess they had a strict stopping time of 10:00...
Not much info. Rained the whole show.
Great time! Sounded great! Glad to hear them playing some older songs!
Interested if someone will get the set list.
It's my 5th BOC show and they did sound good and seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The weather was cold and rained off and on making the outdoor venue less desirable. 9 songs. VERY disappointed in that.
BOC has proven themselves to be one of the greatest bands of all time in my opinion but this show left much to be desired.
This was one of the canceled shows. Great to see them but 9 songs was all.
Slaughter was the opening act, It was Marks B-Day and he joined the crowd for some in your face singing.
Good show but only 9 songs...
As far as I know - which usually isn't a great distance - BOC were cut short by the imminance of a 4th of July firework display...
Still, the fact that BOC (as the main act) only got to play 8 songs and an encore does tend to hint at some poor planning... either that or some unknown (time-consuming) backstage equipment cock-up that delayed BOC's start...
I hope those fireworks were bloody good...
I've seen BOC about 15 times from 1983 to present. Overall good show even though attendance was light (due to the economic downturn primarily).
The crowd was enthusiastic, standing for the entire show.
BOC got out of the gate quickly with "The Red and The Black" and "Before The Kiss" searing through both of these numbers.
Burning for You was the normal crowd pleaser that everyone knew of course.
Next, Cities on Flame, was the standard version, typical, as you'd expect, solid. Same with Shooting Shark.
Buck's Boogie was outstanding. Buck lit it up again here, similar to the two opening tracks.
Stone of Love was great as Eric said the song had never been played in Michigan before, even though they are in the state or nearby states 5-10 times a year. It was very solid.
Black Blade was a jam. A hard song to do live and I've only seen them do it One or two other times.
Then Came the Last Days of May, typically, not one of my favorite tunes (because it's often in the set list), was stunningly good just on Buck's solo alone. The absolute best version of this tune I have ever heard. Buck's playing was out of this world all night as he cruised Through the entire set almost effortlessly.
Heading into the home stretch, was Godzilla. No more Giant Lizard balloons or such, but not necessary. It was fairly standard. In the middle of the tune, BOC diverted to the Rudy Sarzo medley of "Metal Health/Still of the Night/Crazy Train". It was pretty cool to see it.
The regular set ended with DFTR. Great version, great playing.
The encore, Hot Rails to Hell, was great. I believe it was an abbreviated version. Great tune that never gets played enough. Ritchie sung on this as seems to be the case on this tour.
I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to be in row 7, but the sound mix seemed to be way off as the vocals were hard to hear. Same problem with Over The Rainbow.
The set list was 'OK'. I would like to have seen ME-262, Dominance and Submission, The Golden Age of Leather, Summer of Love or even Mirrors opposed to Cities on Flame etc.
Buck in particular, looked like he was having a great time. Eric didn't seem as animated as he has been in the past. Rudy Sarzo was a great pickup and melds well with the band for as long as they can keep him.
Great show, no complaints, except I'm always disappointed they don't play longer. Next time they are nearby, I'll be certain to purchase tickets.
Here's the full setlist:
This is exactly what they played, and the band Over The Rainbow was the opener. Really epic show.
You've already got the setlist, and I don't have much time to type anything up here, so I'll just say that I had an amazing time at the show and in particular, ME262 and Last Days of May were extreme highlights for me.
Got to meet a lot of the fans and the whole band (however briefly), got a pick from Buck, got my OYFOOYK signed by the band. Probably one of the best nights of my entire life. Thanks everyone!
The opening bands were Feisty Piranhas and Kate Russell. Feisty Piranhas sucked more than I've ever seen any band suck. It was actually quite incredible really.
Kate Russell was great, wish she'd played a longer set and the Feisty Piranhas weren't there at all.
Just saw the boys at The Grove in Anaheim, California.
Set List:
I saw BOC this night - made my son go with me... LOL Their music still strikes something in me, I've been listening since the 70s.
The only thing I was really disappointed about, that they didn't play Astronomy.
Also, long ago they used to really play up the S&M, chains, whips, etc. and that was fun. Seems like they lost interest in that.
Glad they're still alive and good to know there other fans out there.
Good work on the site. Ian Fleming & The Secret Agents were the support on July 19th 2009 at the Grove of Anaheim:
Set list from last night:
Some random thoughts about the gig:
The Cover Girlz opened. A spirited bunch of cougars playing a bunch of covers from the classic rock songbook (Bad Co., Led Zep, Queen, Montrose - you get the idea). Maybe not breaking new ground but much better than the usual openers they get in SF - these ladies were having a great time playing and it showed. Melne (who maintains the BOC website) was the lead guitarist (she and the singer were much better musicians than the other 3).
Buck joined them on cowbell during Born to Be Wild and replicated with Melne the goose-step/duck-walk dance from BOC's 70's/early 80's performance of this song. Brought back great memories. When BOC used to do this one with the full laser/pyro display (circa, say 1978) it was really amazing.
I did notice Eric didn't seem to sing many songs: I had the distinct impression that the set-list was designed to give him a couple of breathers. During Shooting Shark and Vigil - he sat at the keyboards and contributed backing vocals only, and the lengthy solos during Godzilla gave him a nice break too).
I can't say enough about Rudy Szarzo - he is a big step up from Danny Miranda, and although I am hardly impartial, he doesn't seem to have lost a step since the 80's (the edition of Ozzy's band with Szarzo and Tommy Aldridge was the highlight of Ozzy's career in my book - granted Randy Rhoads was a genius, but I saw them about a month after RR's death and Szarzo & Aldridge made Brad Gillis sound as good as Rhoads - quite a feat!).
Anyway, it seemed to me that they picked songs for this set that gave him room to contribute - that is, they featured a nice bass break (Recap, Red & Black) or a challenging bass-line (shooting shark). He really drove the band's sound at this show - to me they sounded more lively than they have in years.
Would have loved to see them do Stone of Love, one of the few songs that I have never seen them perform that I would very much like to (some others are Monsters, The Marshall Plan, Heavy Metal: Black & Silver, Siege & Investiture of Frankenstein's Castle... - I am not holding my breath).
The set really kicked in during the first half. Buck's closing solo on Shooting Shark was the highlight for me - he seemed particularly inspired.
Mirrors - first time I have ever seen them do it - was kind of pedestrian, almost sluggish. Used to be one of my favorite BOC songs, but not so much in recent years. Always nice to see something new, though.
Great intro to Black Blade from Eric - he gave a lengthy recitation of the Elric myth that was pure Spinal Tap ("...and the Black Blade leapt into Elric's pale hand!").
I love The Night featured the verse that is not on Spectres and a slightly different chorus, as they have been performing this for several years now (would be great if they would release a good live recording of this one).
My fantasy of Metallica joining them for a rip-roaring version of Astronomy went unfulfilled. Again. (and it's not as if it is totally outside the realm of possibility - most of Metallica live outside of SF and a few years back I was at a Motorhead show where J. Hetfield joined them for the encores - don't see why they can't favor BOC with a similar homage...!)
Looked for John Shirely in the crowd (he usually sits up in the balcony @ Slim's) but didn't see him. He could have been backstage I suppose...
The most interesting aspect of the Slim's show was the appearance of the post injury Buck Dharma.
He was sporting the 79 Mirrors tour look; white shirt, black vest and the mustache is back with full beard. And he's growing his hair out. He looks 15 years younger.
You may notice in photos from this year Buck playing a very unorthodox looking guitar for the encores. I believe that's a Kenny Parker, reputedly more lightweight than even the Cheeseberger and a very fat tone.
NO ETI!!!! They made up for it with a searing Golden Age.
Just got Home from seeing Buck and the Guys play a country Western Bar. The Warm-up bands I Did Not Catch either Name, but the 1st was a Country Group - Boo. The Second one was a Group from Castle Rock, Co.
They Covered Rush to Metallica to Crazy Bitch by BuckCherry. The Guitarist Was Good. Well To the Hot Stuff. For the Fifth time I have Seen BLUE OYSTER CULT in the past 2 Years, this is the first Indoor Concert.
It was too dark to Keep a Set List, but it is pretty much the Same. Eric Noticed a Sign from the crowd and it said play UNKNOWN TONGUE, he said it was NOT on the playList... But they would play it anyway, that was Great.
Personally I love all their Songs, but I would Love to see, LIVE FOR ME. They played Stone of Love but Not Buck's Boogie. Richie again had a Phenom Night, his guitar sounds so SWEET, like from the Islands or Something.
He had fun on the Keyboards and Again sang the encore Hot Rails To Hell. Buck from a month ago, now has a Full Beard and even more hair, looking good BUCK! What a great Guitarist and I love his Vocals. It was a Great Show and Great Sound. Come Back Soon to Denver, BLUE OYSTER CULT.
Grizzly Rose is a huge place next to the interstate that caters to mostly country/western with an occasional night like last night with BOC - Great show
Funniest part of show for me was when the guy to the left of me kept on trying to buy my BOC bandana right off my head. He started out AT $25 and offered me $40 by the end of the night. I still had it on my head when I left!!
Of the three times I have seen BOC this was easily my least favorite. BOC wasn't bad or anything like that, although I saw them in Denver five years before and appreciated that setlist much better than what they did this time. There was a bit too much talking from the stage and focus on the bass player Rudy Sarzo who apparently came and went into BOC very quickly.
The show also started late as there were two (unannounced) openers, which consisted of local Denver bands, including a country one (blech) and a rock cover band. I had called the venue ahead of time and they had said there were no openers, so I got there about two-and-a-half hours earlier than I needed to.
I just hate this venue - The Grizzly Rose. It is huge, cavernous, features terrible sound dynamics, and caters to a country music crowd in its normal operations. A healthy percentage of the venue does not provide a good view of the stage and the sound gets 'tinny' away from the stage.
Most of the crowd around me didn't know the songs except the bigger hits (Burning For You, Reaper, Godzilla) and talked amongst themselves through the show. I think this was a clear sign that the crowd that night was more in tune with what The Grizzly Rose usually offers.
More than likely if this same exact show had been played at a smaller actual concert hall and I was surrounded by true BOC/rock fans I would have enjoyed it more.
I wasn't at the show, but the setlist straight from Mr. Eric Bloom himself went as follows:
No encore, as the band was only given 45 minutes opening for Steppenwolf.
Setlist:
No encore; only played for about 45 minutes as the opening act for Billy Squier. BOC was pretty solid, but the crowd was fairly sparse at that point and not really into it other than the very front section. Nice "Shooting Shark."
Side note: Billy Squier was very impressive, even though he didn't play "In The Dark." Darn. Anyway, the guy sounds great; hasn't lost much of his voice at all.
The Fraze show was a massive disappointment, as Billy Squire decided that he wanted to play for 21/2 days (sorry for the exaggeration, but I was NOT happy at this turn of events!!) and cut the Cult's show to about 35 minutes.
They only performed 5 songs... wow. I was not a happy camper that night, I can assure you!!
An exciting night at the Ohio State Fair for me and my youngest son, in the house at the Celeste Center as huge fans of Alice Cooper and BOC, we are about to get our eyes and ears filled with the finest rock n roll on the planet.
Blue Oyster Cult opens the show with a short hour long set, heavy on their best known stuff. Enjoying Eric mimicking playing a cowboy to kick off "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" at the close of their set.
We were not aware that Rudy Sarzo has taken over the bass role in BOC, but we quickly recognize him, as we are in the front row of the side of the stage shared by Buck and Rudy.
As I had seen Rudy when he was a member of Quiet Riot and we had both seen him in Dio, we enjoyed the band kicking off his solo section by covering his history in the music business.
We fully enjoyed BOC doing more than just warming up the crowd for Alice.
Alice followed up though, with one of his most ambitious shows in many years. A "greatest hits" show that also included his execution 4 times through the course of the show.
I like your site and I went to this BOC show, so I figured I'd send you the information I have on the gig...
It was an outdoor show at the State Fair - they called the stage the "Cousins Subs Amphitheater". BOC played alone, from 7 to about 8:30 PM.
Here is the set list:
It was a great show! I've never seen BOC before (born in 1983, so I obviously missed their prime years), but I'd always wanted to. I thought "Shooting Shark" sounded especially good - it was never one of my favorites recorded, but the live version was sweet. It was a relatively small show (Davey of the Monkees was playing on the main stage at the fair - weak), but the crowd was pretty enthusiastic. Bloom seemed to have a good sense of humour about playing this little gig - he made sure to mention the Cousins Subs Amphitheater by name (really just a stage with some picnic tables in front and a bunch of people standing behind). He also reminded everybody not to text while driving at the end of the show.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I hope this info is helpful for your giglopedia. Thanks for the work you do to help everyone follow the Cult!
Firstly let me say I'm a younger fan. I'm 14 years old, and I love rock and roll bands. I collect a vast range of different vinyl albums and I brought my Agents of Fortune vinyl album to their concert on August 13th 2009, quite recently.
After they played don't fear the reaper, summer of love, Crazy Train they played Godzilla. They started it by yelling "Something big is coming this way -dun-dun-dun-dun" it was corny, but amazing. Rudy sarzo plays bass now for them, he was originally with Ozzy, white snake and quite riot.
When the concert was over I waited by the stage and asked eric bloom to sign my album, he called me up on stage and the guard let me through the gate, I came back down with erics and Rudy's autographs. It was the best day ever. I bet that will be worth a lot of money someday.
Ass kickin',that about says it all. My 30th show. Apologies to Buck spoke to him in New Philly, OH and said i'd seen 40. Thanks to this site i charted them all and got it right.
Great crowd a bartender told me it was very close if not a sellout. I'd think HOB would book them at all venues they have. Go see them you never know when it could be the last time.
The Tom Fuller Band opened for BOC; enjoyed most of their stuff and their lead guitar was outstanding, but their bit was nothing compared to BOC's performance.
This concert was awesome - BOC rocked and thrilled us with 14 tunes along with various solos and features. I had great seats (just love the balcony view at the Cleveland HOB) and was able to get many great pictures and vids.
The one that I regret not capturing was "Last Days of May" - the guitar was truly something to hear. Well worth attending!!
Here are some links to my pics and vids that I thought I'd share with you:
Check this page out, setlist, pics, vid too:
My daughter and her husband and I saw B.O.C. at the House of Blues in Cleveland on Aug. 14, 2009. This show was much better than our last show! Despite having to stand all evening on a sore leg, I really enjoyed the show.
By this time I have started bringing a pencil and paper to shows and writing down set lists. The only two I have for B.O.C. are this show and the previous one - what I have written matches what is posted on your site.
There was some lousy opening act that wasted our time. B.O.C. was smokin', and the crowd was really into it. The only song I did not care for was "Golden Age Of Leather", one of two encores.
They played a long set, and looked like they were having a lot of fun. This was the way I remembered B.O.C. playing live, and I am glad my daughter finally got to see a good show from them.
I remember Buck doing a tribute to Les Paul, who had just died. This was a very good show.
This was my 53rd time seeing BOC somethings never get boring. Huge crowd, hot as hell but so was Cult.
If next weeks show @ Hanna Park in Utica is the same, and you missed this one go see it - these guys won't be around much longer so see them while you can. Thanks BOC for almost 40 years of rocking...
just saw BOC in Pittsburgh tonight, aug 16. Pretty average show. it was an outdoor show, hot as hell, and they had some technical issues, so were 15 minutes late starting their set.
they played the standard fare:
i wish they wouldn't play stuff like "the vigil" or "perfect water" and play stuff like ETI or dominance.
Sigh. Probably the weakest show I have seen them play...
Here is where they played:
The smell of the finger lickin ribs and the sound of some great rock 'n roll will once again fill the Ampitheatre at Station Square with 'Ribs on the River.'
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 14, 15 and 16 some of the country's largest national touring rib vendors will make their way into the Amphitheatre as the small of the ribs spreads across the 3 Rivers. Vendors include: Smokin Joe's Hog Wild BBQ, Sgt Oinks BBQ Company, Mojo's Ribshack, Pigfoot BBQ Company, My Happy Place BBQ and Pittsburgh's local entrant The Flame BBQ.
Entertainment from the Iron City Houserockers and the reunion of the Buzz Poets on August 14th, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers (his only summer Pittsburgh appearance) on Saturday, August 15th and the Blue Oyster Cult on Sunday the 16th. More bands to be announced.
Tickets are $10
Hours:
Friday, August 14: Doors open at 6pm
Saturday, August 15: Doors open at 3pm
Sunday, August 16: Doors open at 1pm
Finally, B.O.C. in my back yard. It's been a long time but The Amazing was back in The Quad Cities. A beautiful evening for a concert for an event called River Roots Live which they have been holding in downtown Davenport the last few years.
B.O.C. seemed to have a dirtier sound than the last few times I've seen them if that makes any sense. More crunchy than normal. It was nice to see Bucks Boogie return to the set list, always a favorite, then later on they did this bizarre improv jam which I have never heard before.
Godzilla still includes Rudy's Quiet, Snake, Ozzy sample that they have been doing for the last year, always fun to watch, then leading into Jules solo.
A very supportive crowd lined the streets of downtown Davenport - they'd blocked them off for the music festival and had the show in the middle of 2nd Street (so obviously this show was not at the River Center, as you originally had listed.
During the set a bunch of fireworks went off down the street from a baseball game that just ended on the Mighty Mississippi which the band noticed and added to the fun.
One thing to note is that this show was free for the public, rare in this day and age, but I'm sure some sponsorship money found it's way into Buck and the boys pocket, which they deserve for another great performance!!
B.O.C. on tour forever... keep rockin!!
P.S. a new album ever gonna happen??? Would love to see this current line up make an album. Mike Becker out...
Another cool outdoor festival with a couple of different stages and tons of music. It was a picture perfect evening weather-wise, and BOC was on fire musically.
It was cool, fireworks went off late in the show... we could tell they noticed, and what a backdrop for the set list!
Here's a link to some of my photos from the gig:
Great show despite torrential downpours. It was great to hear "Buck's Boogie" and "Last Days of May," (which included a great solo by Richie). Would have loved to hear "7 Screaming Diz-Busters".
Rudy got his chance to shine with a sample from his Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, and the Blizzard of Ozz years.
Backstage after the show, Buck came up and talked with my daughter, 14 and a fan, and commented on the vintage BOC shirt she was wearing (from the Spectres tour in 1977), and despite a rainy, humid night, gladly signed an album for her and posed for a picture - a gentleman and class act all the way.
Bally's 2009-08-29:
No encore
Almost identical to 2009-08-22
I got in during The Red & The Black, so it's possible that it wasn't the first song, but other than that, I'm sure the setlist is right. There was no encore, but I'm guessing that it was because the show was free.
The show was apparently moved from the courtyard to a big room on the sixth floor. I guess it could best be described as a ballroom. I would say there were about 300-400 people there. The show started out a little rough but improved once they got warmed up. As far as I know, there were no other bands.
I was at this show, Mark was right, Red & Black was the first song and there were no other bands. Free show so you couldn't beat it. I thought they sounded real tight.
The ballroom had a stage that was only about 3 feet high, so i it was like you were standing right next to them as they played. The neat thing about this show is that it was originallly billed as 7PM and later changed to 5PM.
What made this neat was that down the Boardwalk at House of Blues, Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath w/Dio) was playing at 8PM. I went to that show as well that day and sort of relived the Black & Blue tour which I was too young for the first time around.
Last night BOC played at De Boerderij in Zoetermeer in The Netherlands. It was awesome. Band and audience went beserk for a total of 2 hours. The guys were even better than last year.
Support act was a Dutch cover band called 666 The Nightmare.
Danny Miranda played the bass guitar in stead of Rudy Sarzo.
The set list, to the best of my recollection was:
I was there as well, and I have to say: Buck is ready for 40 more years of BOC.
This new look makes him much younger and somehow his playing feels more fresh than ever. I have seen BOC several times now (about 12 over 20 years), but yesterday was one of the gigs to remember!.
Having Danny around is as always a pleasant surprise. Maybe next time I'll see Rudy Sarzo
Missing in the setlist is: Then came the last days of may (if memory serves me right after Black Blade).
Hello, we (three men from Germany) were in Holland and saw BOC in Concert. It was great. The set list was great... we had the pleasure to take one original from the band.
After the show we went to our hotel and it was the same BOC choosed. So we talked to Eric and Buck.
Breakfast we had together... it was great...
Greetings
Carsten from Hamburg (Germany)
Check out this link for pictures and a video from the Paris show:
I didn't know very well Uriah Heep and it has been a very good surprise. A great show with maximum energy, a big challenge for BOC.
I didn't see them for twenty years, guys ! First surprise: Danny Miranda was on bass; Rudy Sarzo doesn't have any passport? They started with "The Red & The Black" and I was a little bit anxious because the sound was not at its best: the bass was too loud and covered the drums; but the problem was solved on the next song ("Before The Kiss"). I was happy to hear some rare songs, such as "The Vigil" or "Black Blade". They still have this sound, this power so particular; you should heard "Godzilla" !
Jules Radino is probably the best drummer the band ever had since Albert Bouchard left : powerful but not too heavy just as Albert was to my ears. Eric doesn't sing a lot of songs now if he wants to keep his voice. He spoke mixing french and english with his usual humour, introducing for instance you know what by "Il est grand et vert" (that means "it is tall and green").
The band introduced Danny bass solo with a little Queen medley ("Another One Bite the Dust/We Will Rock You/Bohemian Rhapsody").
Buck is definitively the centre of the band now; he sings most of the songs and everything turned around his guitar.
The new hero names Richie Castellano. This guy is brilliant ! On guitar or on keyboards, but also on lead vocals: he did a killing version of "Hot Rails To Hell" !
Do you know what? They did "Born To Be Wild" ! Without the "Chainsaw Guitar Duel" but Eric came on stage on one Harley Davidson, just as long time ago.
The Set List :
Deegee has put up the following videos also:
By the way, according to Redcap, there was no Rudy for these dates because he had to stay behind for his brother's wedding (or some such family obligation)...
Great double bill with Uriah Heep as openers(!). The Olympia is a superb venue for rock shows. The song list was impressive and on this mini Euro tour, BOC played Stone of Love for the first time over here in the Old Continent.
Born to Be Wild with the Harley was the frosting on the cake and it was somehow "expected" because Harley-Davidson sponsored the event. It was good to see an act I remember from the ETI tour in the U.S. back in 1981!
Backstage I was able to chat with all the band members and they are all relaxed and truly enjoying what they're doing. I think that Jules and Richie have injected a lot of new energy in Buck & Eric!
Danny is a great sport and I was glad to see him again, even though Rudy is as good as Danny, so no going wrong either way when you see BOC playing live!
There are other Paris 2009 videos here:
Found this the metalsetlists website. Don't know if you have it already but the gig is not on your pages...
First Council Casino, Newkirk, Oklahoma USA - September 10th, 2009
Show notes - A very short set, lasted a hour. It was in an outside tent next to the casino.
There's a review here:
I was at this gig and it was a lot of fun. There was a sound problem midway through "Godzilla" that never entirely got fixed and things were on the distorted side after that, but it was a minor annoyance. I think the fairground's sound system wasn't entirely up to the task of BOC! Rudy Sarzo is amazing player, and it was a nice touch for him to add some Stanley Clarke during his solo.
And it was so good to see Eric and Buck still out there and doing a great job. Would love to have heard more from "Secret Treaties" but not surprised there wasn't...
First of all, this time they were the headliners and the were scheduled to perform for about 1-1/2 hours... YES... a full BOC show....
I was so happy for my son and my friend to finally get to see a full show... however, Mother Nature intervened and we stood and sat through a 2 hour thunderstorm and rain delay.
Finally, about 11:30 p.m. they took the stage to the strains of "The Red and the Black"...they then went on to perform 9 more songs, including "Stone in Love" which I had not seen performed live before... FANTASTIC!
The show was well worth standing in a pouring rain storm to see. There were only about 100 or so die hards who stayed around and the band still put on a great show... think they appreciated the few who stayed to watch.
I took my camera to this show and I was able to get several really good shots of Eric and Buck...
Check out my Lawrenceburg pics:
Also there are pictures of Mark Farner and the Classic Rock All Stars...
What a cool way to celebrate my birthday! An outdoor BOC show by the river. The boys got a police escort to the gig... very cool for being such a small river town.
For some reason, the first couple bands, including the Classic Rock All Stars, got a pretty late start, which wouldn't have been a problem except for the approaching weather.
It stormed big time right before BOC was supposed to go on, and we were really afraid they might have to cancel because of the lightning. Some in the crowd were being pretty demanding and rude, but hey - they can't control the weather!
Then much to the crowd's delight, they finally took the stage about 2 hours later, and the show was well worth getting completely soaked! We got 10 songs- Stone of Love for my second time live. The crowd had thinned out considerably, but it was their loss. They had probably one of the best fireworks shows we had ever seen after the concert.
Here's a link to some of my photos from the gig:
Saw Blue Oyster Cult at Ameristar Friday night. Was really looking forward to this one, as these guys have always been one of hard rock's premier live acts.
I saw them a couple of years back and they still had great energy and chops.
Not so Friday night. The setlist was lame, the band seemed to be fighting with sound problems all night long (from where we sat in the 3rd row you could barely hear Buck's lead guitar - at one point they completely lost sound from his rig), and there was no encore.
The whole thing had a pronounced "Spinal Tap" vibe to it.
I'd like to hear from anyone else who was there to see if they saw it the same way that I did.
BOC rarely comes to Oklahoma, and it being my favorite band how could I miss.
When Eric came out on stage (at that time it was an hour and fifteen minutes past the start of the show due to an overlong rodeo of all things) he stated that Buck was not going to be there because of a flight delay. Moans and groans not withstanding, when Eric said they're playing anyway with Richie filling in for Buck nobody (myself included) seemed to mind. The crowd was excited and ready to rock.
They opened with The Red and the Black and was by far the best song they did. All of Buck's songs were lackluster even though Richie can tear up a guitar, but alas, he's no Buck.
They went through the motions on Cities On Flame and Godzilla, but Black Blade and Hot Rails to Hell were great (I couldn't believe how strong Eric's voice was on Black Blade).
Richie nicely sang Hot Rails to Hell and his guitar was awesome. They did a nifty medly of tunes showcasing their new bassist and everyone, including the band, was clearly having fun with this part of the show.
There was no encore because of time restraints and the show moved very quickly except for the occasional guitar tuning by Richie before each of Buck's songs (a slight distraction, nothing more).
All in all it was a fun show; Buck was sorely missed, but Eric saw to it that everyone had a good time.
Over on Richie's site he has a forum and he was asked about this show - as well as the two previous shows he had to cover for Buck - Monroe WA [30 Aug 2005] and Loveland CO [1 Sep 2005] - and I thought his answer was so illuminating, I've taken the liberty of reproducing it here (but visit his forum for the full thread):
It was sort of sprung on me. Nobody told me anything until a few hours before the show. Woody went up to me and said, how's your voice today? and then started laughing. I had no idea what was going on with Buck's flight.
After soundcheck, Eric and Woody had a meeting and they decided I was going to cover Buck's parts. I took a guitar from the gig and brought it back to the hotel room. I had about an hour and a half to work with.
First thing I did was transcribe the lyrics. I pretty much know the lyrics from hearing them so much, but I didn't want to chance messing them up. I wrote a few key phrases from each line down on paper, so I'd remember the order of the lines. That only took about 20 minutes.
After that, I had to start learning the guitar parts. Since I already know the chords to the songs, I just learned the signature licks. I have enough live stuff on the ipod where I was able to learn the parts.
This was my checklist in my head
Right before the gig, in the dressing room, I re-programmed my effects pedal so I could cover the guitar harmonies in Burnin For You (it usually takes 2 guitars to play, but my effects pedal can play on the parts)
I also came up with a little something to do during the pre-reaper solo.
Aaron taped the lyric sheets all over the floor near the mikestand.
One thing I didn't go over, which almost tripped me up was the end of Godzilla. If anyone ever wondered why we must do solos in Godzilla, it's because Buck's guitar has to be re-tuned for Reaper. His guitar is designed to be able to change keys, but even with that feature it still takes a good deal of fine tuning. Usually the drum and bass solos give the crew plenty of time to get that tweaked.
At the end of Godzilla, I was handed the Cheeseburger and it was tuned up a whole step. I had to do a little conversion in my head to play the riff right. That was no problem, but singing and doing that at the same time was a little more challenging. Even more difficult than playing the song was playing Buck's guitar. I wasn't used to it at all. Things are in a different place than on standard guitars. I don't know if the scale is different or if the neck meets the body at a different point, but it was definitely odd for me. His action is also pretty high, meaning the strings are high off the neck, making the guitar harder to play. That's how he likes it. Plus the tremolo (whammy bar) system was completely foreign to me, and when I tried to use it, the whole guitar went out of tune. Luckily that happened before I went out on stage, and Aaron was able to re-tune it before I had to play.
I was difficult and I was really nervous, but luckily the audience was very cool and supportive and we all had a good time. It was a cool experience, but I was very happy to have Buck back on the next gig.
Re the 2005 gigs - that time was way harder.
I had a week to prepare for that, but I had never played any of those songs on guitar at that point.
I had to use Buck's guitar all night and his rig, which was difficult for me. His stuff is set up for the way he plays, so naturally it was difficult for me.
Also, Allen playing bass made it a little tougher as well. Aside from doing my own practicing, I had to also teach Allen a lot of bass parts, so I had my hands full on those gigs. I remember we did two of them. The first one was very rough, and the 2nd was a lot better.
Allen didn't play guitar that time because he didn't feel up to handling Buck's parts. Allen is a great blues-rock player, but Buck's playing is from another planet so it's a lot harder to cover. I think they had me play the Buck parts because I'm the resident music nerd and I'm obsessive enough to try to get the parts as close as I can.
This recent time was a breeze by comparison. I was the only person that had to change parts, everyone else played what they usually play. Plus I had my own gear, and I play most of those songs on guitar already. I think I was able to focus on getting the parts down this time as opposed to last time which was more of a juggling act.
A show in Oklahoma moved indoors due to bad weather? Obvious. A pretty nasty storm blew through, so they moved the show indoors to the rodeo arena. The rodeo lasted forever and BOC took the stage in the middle of the clay-floored arena about an hour late.
We noticed something was up when there were only 3 mics set up, and Richie was soundchecking on the far right (Buck's mic). After the opener (Red & Black), Eric announced Buck's plane didn't make it, but they were soldiering on with Richie on vocals and lead guitar.
It was cute, Richie made the sign of the cross. We noticed he had written the first couple of words to each verse of Last Days and taped it to the floor by his mic just in case.
All in all, Richie did an admirable job of stepping up, did fine with vocals, and only had to make minor tuning adjustments to the Cheeseburger. I think he was received well from the audience, and the show still rocked!
Here's a link to some of my photos from the gig:
This was the first time I've seen BOC since the 2 City Center shows in Danbury last summer. Wasn't the best show I've ever seen, but certainly wasn't the worst. There was a Jonas Bros. concert going on at the casino also, which made things a little difficult. Plus, there was alot of line cutting and arguing going into the show, somehow managed to control my temper and eventually got in.
The only songs I'd never seen them play before were "The Vigil", which was excellent and "Stone Of Love" which was OK. Think they need to replace that one with another cool underplayed classic. Say maybe "The Great Sun Jester", "Career Of Evil", or "She's As Beautiful As A Foot". Anyway, all things considered it was a pretty good show, I always try to go see them anytime they're close.
Here's the set list:
Went to Blue Oyster Cult last night at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. They played in the "Wolf Den", which is a mid size venue in the middle of a huge gaming area. When we first got there (4:30) we found the stage, and looked inside to see Buck, Rudy, and Jules doing sound check, playing Shooting Shark. We stood and watched until they finished, then went do do some spending (finished the night +$200!). Then time for the show.
The show was free! My girlfriend and I stood in the bar area and were about 35 ft from the stage. We were having a few beers, and in walks Eric Bloom, guitar case on his back, walking through the front door of the place. We all gave him a cheer and he gave a nice thumbs up. The sound throughout the show was very good. It seemed the guys had some family/friends in attendance, and were really getting into it. The show was very good, but this setlist is getting a little tiring:
No Encore (time limit)
Buck Dharma was really AMAZING throughout the show. Highlight was a searing "The Vigil".
I was at this show and took possession of the Cities on Flame Guitar that was played on stage by Eric.
Was wondering if anyone has any pics from that show of him playing it? The guitar was for my two year old son battling cancer.
I'd been told that this gig had no support act, but I did notice this in the Fri 9 Oct 2009 edition of The Woodstock Villager:
Saturday, Oct. 10
Blue Oyster Cult (8 p.m.), Crazy on You - A Tribute to Heart (11 p.m.) - Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Conn.
Not quite sure, therefore, if "Crazy on You" qualify as support act, headliner or neither...
Set list probably similar to Oct. 10, but I'm not familiar with all of the songs.
I've like BOC since the Tyranny & Mutation days but haven't kept up and hadn't seen them live until now. I was expecting a good show and got a GREAT show. It was old school rock all the way, and you just don't see that any more.
At the end, the announced that this was Rudy's last gig with them as he was moving on to something else. Too bad... he's got a great stage presence and is an outstanding bass player.
The crowd was very enthusiastic from the start. After Reaper, everyone was chanting B-O-C!
Fantastic show! One of the best performances I've seen by the Cult. Setlist was pretty standard for 2009, but everyone played their balls off and the entire show was really high-energy. Eric commented how the annual EQC gigs are the band's favorites. It was clear this wasn't a lie, as everyone on stage was smiling nearly the entire concert.
Really moving gig all around, with some of the best solos I've seen come out of both Richie and Buck. Eric was also in tip-top form, with a crisp and powerful vocal performance. Pity he only sang 4.5 songs, tonight would've been a great night for him to pull out some of the old favorites. I requested "Astronomy," but it was not to be.
BOC played a show just up the road the previous night, so I think being able to get a good night's sleep in the area without having to deal with flying in from out of town did wonders for the band's stamina. Everyone seemed well rested and really on the ball.
A minor curiosity: neither "Stone of Love" nor "Mirrors" was played, which surprised me as either one or both has been played at nearly every gig so far this year, save for the short-set gigs where BOC has been opening for another band (which this was not). The set was slightly shorter overall, actually, than previous EQC gigs (usually clock about 15 songs), but they made up for the slight time difference in pure, quality, energy. I got to see "The Vigil" live for the first time and believe me -- way more powerful in person than from a recording!
It was mentioned this was Rudy's last gig with the band "for a while," and it wasn't made clear as to when he'll return.
Setlist:
This was the 28th time that I have seen The Amazing Blue Oyster Cult! This was Rudy's last show as he is going back with Dio to tour.
A very good set list with Great Buck guitar.
It had been 25 years since I last saw BOC (at The Bayou in Wash. D.C. playing as Soft White Underbelly). Don't know how to explain the gap between shows. I wore my Revolution By Night tour t-shirt from that earlier show, which I break out only for big-time occasions.
Coincidentally, while on a shuttle to the show, I met a guy who was hitting his 28th show, so believe that was likely Bill Quinn (poster above). Nice venue, great big screen work.
At the end of the night, Eric invited the audience to their Halloween show in Long Island. If my lottery picks hit tonight, I'll be there! See you all someday at Conry's Bar.
I was at this show - the venue was sold out. There were people outside trying to get tickets and I know one guy paid $80 for a general admission seat (4 X face).
The thing that struck me was that BOC seemed to really have a good time. Buck in particular was just right on vocally and with his leads.
Highlights for me were: the return of Danny Miranda, an amazing version of The Vigil, and of course the aforementioned Buck Dharma.
Stellar from start to finish.
My name is Bryan Clay and I front a New York based hard rock band called Blind. Friends of mine, Union Jacx, would open for BOC at Patchogue Theater in Patchogue, N.Y.
I would have full back stage access to hang with Donnie and the boys before show time. It was a pleasure seeing them again as I relished opening for them back in July 95' with my prior band, Scoundrel.
My guitarist had known Donnie and his brother for some time and would trade Donnie, a then new American Strat, for a his classic 1950 something Black Les Paul Custom that was featured in an MTV Video back in the 80's.
He still has that guitar to this day and HOPEFULLY, will get it set up to play it. We'll have to see. Anyway, what a great bunch of guys.
Donnie still kicks ass, as do the rest of the band!! I hope to open for BOC the next time they come around again, once my new album is complete this Spring. That is, if they'll have me.
You can find my new band's website at www.myspace.com/blindones. Enjoy!
On Friday night, five good buddies and I attended both shows at Tangiers in Akron, Ohio, where we have seen the band on three previous occasions.
First show playlist:
The set started off a little tepid due to some equipment problems that caused Richie's guitar to disappear into the mix. The band got its act together in a big way on Buck's Boogie, which was sensational, and then followed it up with an on fire version of the great Shooting Shark, continued with a fresh, vibrant version of The Vigil and completed the coup de grace with a spectacular Last Days of May. I have seen this band many times over the past 25 years, but I don't think I've ever seen four straight songs as well-played and searing as that quartet.
The band did not play an encore because, as Eric related "Tangiers wants us to clear the room so folks can come in for the second show... so get the f*** out!" However, Don't Fear The Reaper featured a special appearance by a member of the stage crew playing solo cowbell at Stage Right.
A funny moment occurred early in the show when Buck went backstage and emerged with a pair of ear plugs, which he handed to a nice looking woman in the front row who had been holding her fingers in her ears the first couple of songs; a very cool way to handle a non-fan who happened to attend the show with her significant other.
Second show playlist:
No encore
The second show did not ever reach the sterling heights of the second half of the opening set, but Harvest Moon was as good as anything they played all night. In addition, Buck's solo guitar intro to Don't Fear the Reaper was longer and much more jazzy then I have ever heard before. We were disappointed that the band did not play an encore, but we knew they had a show in South Florida in less than 24 hours and understood their desire to get the heck out of Northeast Ohio in November.
The second show did feature a couple of neat moments. Before the set started, the emcee informed the crowd that Buck's birthday was coming up next week and asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to him. After Golden Age of Leather, the crowd serenaded Buck with the tune, which led to a brief discussion on stage, causing Eric to say "I already have my Medicaid card."
Shortly thereafter, as the band was winding up a particularly hard driving version of Burnin' for You that was filled with unique little five note fills from Buck, Buck muttered into the microphone "I still like that song" as if to affirm the band's desire to continue to please the fans with the classics.
Very good, solid show, but since they were only scheduled for a 1-hour time slot sandwiched in between other acts, it was also very predictable - and being a longtime BOC fan, I live for the chance to see which "elective" songs they'll play, other than the usual standards, so that desire went unfulfilled.
Here's the set list:
Yeah, nothing from Secret Treaties, and no surprises. But this line-up plays very hard and tight, exhilarating to listen to. Hope they come back to Florida soon!
Here's a list of the other bands on the bill (I think they're all local - I'd never heard of any of them):
The band was Eric, Buck, Jules, Danny Miranda on bass, and some guy I didn't recognise in place of Richie, mostly playing keyboard and some guita - he mostly stayed behind the keyboards, out of the way, when he played guitar. He did ok on guitar, but was much better on keyboards, especially during The Last Days of May. I later learned it was Tommy Zvoncheck, which I guess explains why he was much better on the keyboards!!
The park was packed when BOC played, it was wall to wall people as far as I could see and everyone was really into it. They were the second of four bands that day and totally rocked the place. I would not have wanted to be the next band after them.
Excellent ribs, excellent music!!
This is for the second (the 9:00 ) show that night. Not 100 % on all of the set list. But from what I recall:
There was an instrumental interlude after Reaper and before Godzilla. Castellano handled vocals on Hot Rails.
Godzilla had the extended solo section and a brief "Another one bites the dust" bit to highlight the fact Miranda was there that night and had been playing with the Queen musical in Vegas.
Can't remember what the second song of the set was, but there was another song before Buck's Boogie.
This was the set list at last night's 11/21/09 BOC show at Sky City Casino in Acoma, New Mexico:
BOC in great shape, played for about 2 hours. Like last year, they gave us the "See you in Black" treatment in the encore, I guess because of the "Greek" lyrics about the Parthenon.
Eric's performance in this song was amazing, reminded me of the old times. Overall an excellent gig.
I have some info about the next day in Salonica. There was a support group there (the Greek band Northwind) and BOC played the same set with some changes.
I didn't go in Salonica myself but from what I have seen in various Greek sites I can confirm that the differences were: No See You In Black in the encore, plus Harvest Moon/Golden Age of Leather and no Last Days of May.
You may also find pictures of the band's visit in Athens (the Buck Dharma family is mainly pictured) at the Blue Oyster Cult Greek Fan Club on Facebook.
Just noticed that you need a set list from Thessaloniki - only slightly strange thing was that they slipped in shooting shark between Godzilla and Reaper: