MADERA – The Madera District Fair will kick off its 2025 Table Mountain Concert Series, presented by Estrella Jalisco, with classic rock veterans Blue Öyster Cut. For over five decades, BOC has been thrilling fans of intelligent hard rock worldwide with powerful albums loaded with classic songs.
Indeed, the Long Island, NY-based band is revered within the hard rock and heavy metal scene for its pioneering work. Blue Öyster Cult occupies a unique place in rock history because it's one of the very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both genuine mainstream critical acclaim as well as commercial success.
The band is often cited as a major influence by other acts such as Metallica, and BÖC was listed in VH1's countdown of the greatest hard rock bands of all time.
Upon the release of BÖC's self-titled debut album in 1972, the band was praised for its catchy yet heavy music and lyrics that could be provocative, terrifying, funny, or ambiguous, often all in the same song.
BÖC's canon includes three stone--‐cold classic songs that will waft through the cosmos long after the sun has burned out: The truly haunting "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from 1976's Agents of Fortune, the pummeling "Godzilla" from 1977's Spectres and the hypnotically melodic "Burnin' for You" from1981's Fire of Unknown Origin.
Other notable BÖC songs include "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Then Came the Last Days of May," "I Love the Night," "In Thee," "Veteran of the Psychic Wars," "Dominance and Submission," "Astronomy," "Black Blade" and "Shooting Shark."
The intense creative vision of BÖC's original core duo, vocalist/lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom, is complemented by Richie Castellano on guitar and keyboards, and the longtime rhythm section of bass guitarist Danny Miranda and drummer Jules Radino.
“We realized we're a 'classic rock' band. That's what we are, that's what we do best, and that’s what we know”, Bloom stated. The band members are proud of BÖC's classic sound and pleased that the band is creating vibrant work for disenfranchised music lovers who dislike the homogenized, prefabricated pop or sound-alike, formulaic rap-metal that monopolizes the radio airwaves and bestseller charts.
BÖC has always maintained a relentless touring schedule, and an album of new material, THE SYMBOL REMAINS, was released October 9th, 2020, to rave reviews. Their most recent studio album, GHOST STORIES, was released in April 2024.
Blue Öyster Cult takes the stage on September 4th at 7 pm. Usually, the concert would be included with your paid gate admission, but on the opening night, there is no gate admission, so it is an entirely free concert. However, a limited number of VIP tables for eight guests are available from the fair's website at $500 each.
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Concert Lineup:
- Thursday, September 4: Blue Öyster Cult – Rock out to iconic hits like "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You."
- Friday, September 5: Sugar Ray – Feel the '90s nostalgia with summertime anthems like "Fly" and "Every Morning."
- Saturday, September 6: Joe Nichols – Enjoy award-winning country favorites like "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" and "Sunny and 75."
- Sunday, September 7: Casimiro Zamudio y Banda El Mexicano – Close out the Fair with the sounds of one of banda music's most celebrated groups.