The Lowell Summer Music Series welcomes Blue Öyster Cult to the stage at Boarding House Park on Friday, August 2nd.

“For over four decades, Blue Öyster Cult 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 very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both genuine mainstream critical acclaim as well as commercial success.

Blue Öyster Cult (Official Photo)

“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 début 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” from 1981’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 of vocalist/lead guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom are 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, that’s what we know. The band members are proud of BÖC’s classic sound, and pleased the band is creating vibrant work for disenfranchised music lovers who don’t like the homogenized, prefabricated pop or sound‐alike, formulaic rap/metal, which monopolizes the radio airwaves and best seller charts.

“BÖC has always maintained a relentless touring schedule that brings new songs and classics to original fans and, as Bloom puts it, “teenagers with green hair”.”

Tickets for the Blue Öyster Cult show are priced at $49 in advance (fee-free!). There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $149. Tickets for this show went on sale Sunday, April 14th at 10 a.m. through Lowell Summer Music Series.

For those of you who are unaware of the Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from mid-June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

So far, the  lineup is:

June 14th (Friday) – The Allman Betts Band

July 13th (Saturday) – The Record Company

July 14th (Sunday) – Angélique Kidjo

July 19th (Friday) – I’m With Her

July 20th (Saturday) – The Wallflowers

August 2nd (Friday) – Blue Öyster Cult

August 4th (Sunday) – Mat Kearney

August 10th (Saturday) – The English Beat

August 15th (Thursday) – The Beach Boys

August 23rd (Friday) – Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey

August 24th (Saturday) – Toad the Wet Sprocket and Big Head Todd and the Monsters (full sets from each)

August 30th (Friday) – The Mavericks