Blue Öyster Cult's "The Symbol Remains"
Fifty-plus years into a career of evil that's spawned 14 studio albums including 2020's The Symbol Remains, Blue Öyster Cult are returning to Davenport for a show at the Rhythm City Casino on Saturday, November 18. Their relentless touring schedule has slowed down in recent years, due to the advanced age of founding members Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma.
Frontman Bloom elaborated a bit in a recent interview. “Buck and I have grandchildren, so we're trying to hang with the family a little bit more and do a little less touring.” If any band has earned the right to slow down a bit, it's BÖC. Bloom recently learned that Blue Öyster Cult have set a record for all-time shows performed by a commercially successful band – “about 4,450 shows since 1971 or so.”
A number of those were in the Quad Cities, especially in their hungry early days: “We used to be on tour in rent-a-cars. Staying at local motels and playing small places … . Probably playing in each of the Quad Cities!”
BÖC have always been a band whose albums reward deep and repeated listening. Mega-hits such as “(Don't Fear) The Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burnin' for You” remain popular for good reason, but the series of albums from their '70s and '80s peak are full of compelling deep cuts, with inspired ensemble playing and singing, catchy-yet-heavy riffs, and sardonic, mysterious lyrics contributed by the likes of Michael Moorcock, Patti Smith, and group founder/producer/guiding light Sandy Pearlman, whose ongoing narrative about the hidden influence of extraterrestrials on human history inspired the band's name and much of its material.
BÖC's vast catalog and love of the music mean that no setlist is the same, with Bloom usually assembling the night's song selection an hour before showtime. Bloom names “Unknown Tongue,” “Harvester of Eyes,” and “ME 262” as some of his favorite deep tracks, often pulled out for extended encores.
“For a ticketed show, where it's Blue Öyster Cult fans who are coming to a theater to see us play, then I can put in deep tracks, or more obscure songs that the hard-core fans might want to hear. Normally, we're booked for either a 75-minute show or a 90-minute show. We like to play a long show. Very often, we'll play two-hours plus, if we're allowed to.”
Burnout is a real threat for any touring band. But Bloom, Buck, guitarist/recording engineer/secret weapon Richie Castellano, and rhythm section Danny Miranda and Jules Radino have a vast song catalog to draw upon, and maintain a remarkably fresh enthusiasm for the sheer enjoyment of playing live rock and roll.
“I don't think there's any musician you might ask who does what we do. We like what we do, and we'd rather play than do almost anything else. The only downside of it, and I'm sure that [other musicians] will give you the same answer, is the travel. We're all waiting for Star Trek-like meta-transmission.”
Blue Öyster Cult plays Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center (7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport IA) on Saturday, November 18. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $35-65, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)328-8000 and visiting RhythmCityCasino.com.
