Blue Oyster Cult: 50th Anniversary Live in NYC First Night

 

Blue Ӧyster Cult's three-night anniversary celebration in the Big Apple has been immortalized in a series of recordings, the first of which was released earlier this month. 

50th Anniversary Live in NYC First Night, recorded at Sony Hall in September 2022, is the chronicle of a band that has weathered the ravages of time, touring, and changing musical tastes with grace and good cheer. The two-CD/one-DVD set showcases rock veterans who still look and sound terrific. 

The set opens with a performance of BӦC's debut album in its entirety. That self-titled diamond is the blueprint for all that came after, even if some of the songs—"I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" and "She's as Beautiful as a Foot"—are not among the band's biggest hits. Nevertheless, the decision is also a chance for BӦC to cut loose on a few bonafide classics, including "Stairway to the Stars" and "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll." (Future releases of nights two and three will feature BӦC's second and third albums—Tyranny and Mutation and the sublime Secret Treaties—as the openers.) 

The second half of the set is a mixture of have-to-plays and rarities, with a curious focus on cuts from Mirrors, an album not held in high regard by many fans. After 50-plus years, however, the band can damn well play what it wants, when it wants, and so fans are treated to the dubious charms of "Doctor Music." 

In happier setlist news, it is an unexpected treat to hear so many cuts from The Symbol Remains, BӦC's 2020 studio album and its first in nineteen years. "Tainted Blood," "Train True," "Box in My Head," and "That Was Me" are reminders that Blue Ӧyster Cult is still more than capable of pumping out the thoughtful hard rock and heavy metal that it built its reputation on in the 1970s. 

Co-lead vocalist and lead guitarist extraordinaire Don "Buck Dharma" Roeser proves again what his considerable gifts have brought to the band. He sings and solos like a performer one-fourth his age, casually transitioning from words to strings with the ease of a virtuoso who has spent thousands of hours on stage.  

Not to be outdone, co-lead vocalist Eric Bloom still emotes with the best of them, adding his powerful rasp to everything from country-adjacent "Redeemed" to stone-cold Cult classics like "Godzilla." 

Rounding out the band these days are drummer Jules Radino, bassist Danny Miranda, and all-around utility player Richie Castellano, who sings, plays keyboards and wields a wicked guitar second only to Roeser's own. Also enlivening the night is BӦC veteran Albert Bouchard, back as a special guest for these anniversary performances and leaning into the SNL parody of a crazy cowbell player on the band's best-known track, "Don't Fear the Reaper." 

A bonus DVD sounds great but is a little disappointing visually. The stage is small, the band's vaunted laser shows are long since retired, and the camerawork is only serviceable. Still, it captures everything that matters: the band's enthusiasm for the material, their mad skills, and the audience's appreciation. 

Both casual and hardcore Blue Ӧyster Cult fans will appreciate 50th Anniversary Live in NYC First Night. I look forward to the next two releases.