Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser
The 1970s gave rise to a deluge of new and exciting musical styles Classic Rock, Disco, Funk, Folk, Acid Rock, Prog Rock, and more. When I think back on the bands and artists of that era, most fit nicely into one of those genres. Blue Oyster Cult is an American Band that, for me, stands out as unbefitting to any one category. Their instrumental and lyrical idiosyncrasy has solidified their long-enduring cult following as well as mainstream popularity. They have sold over 25 million records worldwide and have influenced many famous bands like Iron Maiden, Alice in Chains, Twisted Sister, Ratt, and others.
On Thursday night, Blue Oyster Cult headlined at The Belly Up in Solana Beach, Ca.
They kicked off their set fittingly with “Transmaniacon MC, “the 1st song off their debut self-titled album. Founding member Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser strolled on stage wielding his signature Steinberger. Dharma played the lead-in riff with effortless timing and superb phrasing. Singer/guitarist, and keyboardist Eric Bloom, a longtime member since 1969, sang lead. Bloom has a distinct vocal tone that is strangely sinister yet southern at the same time. Bloom wrote Transmaniacon MC about the infamous Altamont Free Concert, which resulted in the stabbing of a concert-goer by the Hells Angeles who were hired for security by the Rolling Stones.
Eric Bloom
BOC followed up with “Before the Kiss, A Redcap,” another song off their debut album. The song has extremely dynamic instrumentation with several changes in timing that were impressive to hear them deliver it live. A real-life encounter inspired the unique and cryptic title. Lyricist/manager Sandy Pearlman performed at a bar where he witnessed barbituates being passed between partners during a kiss.
“That Was Me” is off their latest LP. The Symbol Remains released in 2020. The catchy guitar riff folded into a beefy pounding melodic rhythm with a Deep Purple-ish vibe. Both Bloom’s gritty vocals and Bassist Danny Miranda thumping bass lines added to the rebel-themed song’s meaty sound.
I’ve always been a big fan of the song “Golden Age of Leather” off their 5th album, Spectres, released in 1977. I love the song’s rhythmic complexity and lyrical premise. The song predicates an aging motorcycle gang whose last act of defiance is to fight each other to the death in the desert. Faithful to the original, the band began with an acapella intro characteristic of a biker anthem. Buck Dharma sounded great on lead vocals and the band perfectly executed the song with all its intricate timing and tempo changes.
Richie Castellano
The song ended, and then the proverbial guitar riff reverberated over the crowd resulting in a roar of excitement. Buck Dharma sang lead on “Burning For You,” albeit at times hard to discern from the audience who sang along every verse and chorus.
They played “Train True (Lennies Song),” another great song off their latest album. The accelerated rhythm of the music and Dharma’s double-time vocal phrasing made me feel like I was on a breakneck locomotive ride.
“Harvester of Eyes” is a lyrically dark song about a serial killer who collects the eyes of his victims. Bloom’s vocal phrasing fits the theme perfectly. The grinding rhythm of the music was intensified by bassist Miranda’s ghost notes that created a complete, percussion-heavy beat that mirrored the song’s context.
One of the night’s major highlights was the stunning guitar work on “Then Came the Last Days of May” off their first album. Castellano’s fluid solo was peppered with wicked bends and when the tempo of the song picked up, so did Castellano’s lightning fretboard work which highlighted his incredible talent. Buck Dharma delivered some sweet solo fills of his own. Then things got sonically intense when the two ax men joined forces wielding a hypersonic call and answer solo. Buck Dharma dropped on his knees as he let loose with a shattering guitar run. It was magic to witness.
The band extended the guitar mastery on their next song, “Buck’s Boogie,” off their live album On Your Feet or On Your Knees, released in 1975. Castellano took on the keys engaging in some back and forth with Dharma. Bassist Miranda was highly animated as he plunked out some smooth bass tones in a behind-the-head Hendrix move punctuated by drummer Jules Radino’s intricate jazzy cymbal work. In the middle, the song briefly morphed into a ZZ Top tune and eventually wrapped up with Dharma’s captivating guitar runs.
Bloom shouted to the crowd, “Oh no, I hear something big coming this way.” The thundering sound of monstrous footsteps reverberated throughout the venue, immediately overshadowed by the audience’s collective roar. The crowd put out its loudest sing-along voice chanting the chorus…” oh no, they say he’s got to go…go, go, “Godzilla.” Godzilla is what many would coin the best monster theme song of all time. Surprisingly, the song was not on the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack. Bloom and Dharma addressed the fact by creating a parody called “NoZilla,” which was released only to radio stations, but of course, you can find it on the internet.
BOC ended the set with “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” Dharma’s vocals were timeless, and the band’s instrumentation demonstrated why this long-standing iconic band continues to dazzle their fans.
A five-song encore followed as the band returned to the stage. Bloom appeared wearing a brown hooded druid-like robe gliding across the stage carrying a book which he placed on a podium at center stage. He began to unfold the story of “The Alchemist.” The song references the J.P. Lovecraft short story of the same name from their latest album, The Symbol Remains. Dharma and Castellano joined axes again, engaging in a mesmerizing and compelling syncopated guitar duo.
BOC ended the night with “City A Flame With Rock-n-Roll.” Bloom, accompanied by the entire assemblage of concert-goers, sang lead. Drummer Radino exhibited exceptional skill with a barrage of dizzying solo fills. The whole band lit up the stage with a relentless driving force taking the song to a fiery finish.
The two-and-a-half-hour show covered the spectrum of their enduring life work. They performed so many of their great tracks from the past and some real gems off their most recent album. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve seen Blue Oyster Cult live, and tonight I am left with the indelible opinion that absolutely, the Symbol Remains.
BackStage360 would like to thank Blue Oyster Cult along with the Belly Up for welcoming us and keeping the live music alive.