BOC: Jaxx Review

[Troy Harris]

  Good review.....I have repented of my sins and am at the mercy of BÖC!
 I just wish they would tour here!!!!!

   Troy




At 07:54 20/04/98 -0700, BREVARD, Adrian R. wrote:
>"On Your Feet or on Your Knees!"  Only this time honored opening was
>missing April 17, 1998 at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield VA.   Fresh off
>a rousing performance the night before in Richmond VA, Blue Oyster Cult
>moved northward to continue their massive assault on the hard rock music
>scene.   A near capacity crowd crammed the club anxiously awaiting the
>legendary outfit; thank god they did not have to wait long.
>
>At shortly before the midnight hour the band opened with Burnin' For
>You, a mild surprise for everyone except those who witnessed the
>destruction of Richmond the previous night.  As one of the big three
>that has been a staple of the setlist for years, my initial reaction
>bordered on a Homer Simpson "DOH"?  Burnin' at the top of the setlist?
>This was a song I felt had run its course and should be retired or at
>minimum take an extended vacation.  The song is better positioned here
>as the opener than later in the set.  BOC seems to be following the
>trend of mid tempo tunes to start rather than launching into full
>throttle immediately.
>
>Burnin was followed by long time face melting fan favorite Cities on
>Flame.  Cities practically roared or conversely was pushed off the stage
>by Danny Miranda's thumping bass.  ETI was next up; time has not
>diminished this song in the least as the audience could be heard singing
>along and swaying to its funky grooves.  The extended jam of the live
>version was a real treat as the band was in high gear from the
>beginning.  Finally Eric announced they would play a few tunes from the
>new album.  To the universal delight of the crowd the band dove face
>first into Harvest Moon.  This song lit the flame that would roar the
>rest of the night; it also provided a brief bit of comic relief.  Buck
>missed some lyrics midway through the song and took some good-natured
>ribbings from his mates, the audience and even himself.  Smiling and
>undaunted he plugged himself back into the vocals as soon as possible.
>To make amends (as if he even needed to) this guitar solo carried even
>more weight than the studio version.  I would also note that Alan's solo
>on this song was impeccable.  Alan is so understated and unassuming on
>stage it's easy to forget that he is an incredible musician in his own
>right.
>
>After cooling off a few degrees the band waltzed through Buck's Boogie
>(with Eric careful to mention that this was the Cult Classic version)
>and OD on Life Itself.  Both songs were very strong however they were
>played with relative ease by the band.  It appeared that the band was
>simply catching their collective breaths after the blistering opening
>salvo. Eric coyly announced they wanted to go back a little and play a
>little something from the Mirrors album.  It didn't take a rocket
>scientist to know we would soon be treated to either In Thee or The
>Vigil.  My fingers were crossed for the Vigil.  Hopefully someone was
>making a recording of this show as this version was off the scale.  I
>have never heard this song played with such passion or force, it was
>magnificent!
>
>After taking an extended bow it was back to another ramp up with Live
>for Me and Flaming Telepaths.  Telepaths was very well received as you
>could hear "the jokes on you" from the audience.  During the song the
>lights went out with Eric under a strobe singing.  A great effect made
>even better by Eric's generally liveliness throughout the show. In quick
>succession the audience was treated to the current single See You in
>Black followed by Buck's mind blowing Last Days of May.  It should be
>noted here that some have wondered why BOC would play such a speed metal
>song at this point in their careers.  I think the answer is simple, it's
>a weapon and a deadly one at that.  The live version of this song would
>make the most dedicated Michael Bolton fan want to crash his forehead
>through cinder block.
>
>Like the kindly assistant football coach they called an end to the wind
>sprints and allowed us to relax just a touch with In Thee.  This song
>gets better each time I hear them play it acoustically.  There were some
>problems with the sound and it appears they had to correct some things
>with Alan's guitar feeds. Whatever the problem was they fixed it and the
>show went on.  Eric mercifully let us relax for a moment more while the
>band prepped itself for the final salvo.  Of course we all knew what was
>coming, you could hear the footsteps and the roar growing closer.  At
>the appropriate time Eric screamed his warning and the final assault had
>begun.  "Zilla was played with "monstrous" attitude; Danny bass in
>particular could be felt all the way to the far side of the room.  The
>bass and drum solos were both entertaining and timely, neither drawn out
>to the point  you lose interest.   Wasting no further time and Eric not
>wanting to grant us anymore time-outs, Reaper was executed flawlessly.
>This song is such a strong closer that the band should never ever
>consider ending the show any other way.  Buck as usual was brilliant
>with his soloing; as many times as I have heard them play this song I
>swear Buck never seems to so this solo the same way, its always
>different.
>
>After a quick thank you and goodnight I felt like a condemned man who
>had just received an 11th hour pardon from the governor.  I could not
>remove myself from the one spot I had occupied during the entire set.
>Some force just would not allow me to escape.  They came back, my god
>they were on stage again.  It was at this moment that the title to the
>new album finally made sense to me "Heaven Forbid I have to put up with
>anymore of this."  Oh but that damn Eric, all night he forced the
>audience to keep up with the band; he made us soak up every erg of
>energy they were tossing; forced us to swallow each and every note.  Was
>he satisfied that no one had anything left that we were all running on
>empty trying to digest this tidal wave of rock?  No, he's a cruel one
>that Eric Bloom, we were still standing so Eric must have figured we
>didn't remember.  We did not recall that this is the same band that
>before they hit the stage demanded that you be on your feet or on your
>knees.  Smiling behind shades as only he can he must have passed
>judgment on Virginia; the verdict on your knees.
>
>With dozens of weapons (songs) at his command Eric choose one of the
>most dangerous weapons this world has ever seen, Dominance and
>Submission. Thank god its over, I have just enough strength to warn
>those of you who will be seeing them soon, be afraid, be very afraid,
>but most importantly be in shape 'cause BOC is taking no prisoners,
>granting no respites during this tour.
>
>
>Ghost in the Ruins
>


===========================================
        Troy Harris

        fiskare at webconcept.com.au