Blue Õyster Cult opened the show in Bethlehem
“You came to rock, we came to rock,” Randy Bachman told the crowd in Bethlehem, PA. In the shadow of the world-famous Steel Stacks, Bachman-Turner Overdrive shifted their hits into gear at the Wind Creek Events Center on Thursday night (Oct 23rd).
BTO kicked off with “Take It Like a Man” and “Gimmie Your Money Please.” Fresh face Lance LaPointe sang lead on both tunes, and traded off with Randy on a thumping “Let It Ride.”
“The 70s are back! Classic rock is back!” Randy Bachman exclaimed before dedicating the bluesy “Blue Collar” to everyone from truckers to the venue caterers to first responders. Guitarist Brent Howard pulled vocal duties for the song, which fits his tone nicely.
The band again traded vocals on a medley of songs from Randy Bachman’s first famous bands. The Wind Creek crowd was treated to a medley of The Guess Who hits, including “These Eyes” and “Undun.” Tal Bachman stepped up to the mic for the earworm “No Sugar Tonight.” (His wife Koko is a badass on BTO’s drums).
Of course, TGW’s seminal hit “American Woman” had its own prominent place later in the night. LaPointe was a powerhouse on vocals, and BTO played an extended jam that had the crowd moving.
Why did your roving reporter return to his native Lehigh Valley when BTO is stopping at Warner Theater in my current home of DC later this week? Well, for one, I’ma glutton for punishment, and two trips to Nashville and back within a week were just not enough. And more importantly, because of three words and one pair of umlauts: Blue Öyster Cult.
BOC played a solid hour of note-perfect hits before BTO’s headline set. Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom really do feel like two halves of the same whole. Dharma played an amusingly Swiss cheese-shaped electric guitar with no tuning head. Eric Cook brought his signature off-kilter energy and cool shades. Their harmonies are almost unchanged. And I have to say, it’s pretty perfect to hear “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” wafting cozily over a rural PA venue on a crisp autumn night just before Halloween. It was a comforting spookiness. Unfortunately, Blue Öyster Cult is only playing select dates with Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
In between BTO and Guess Who hits, it was apparent that Randy considers his legacy to be the songwriting. He told the crowd that earlier in the day, Thursday, he had just found out he and The Guess Who co-frontman, Burton Cummings, were nominated to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Randy is already in the Nashville-based Musicians Hall of Fame. And it’s clear why: he still picks his guitar with deceptive ease.
Let’s add another honor for all three bands represented: BTO, TGW, and BÖC: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After all, Randy was right: his beloved era of music is enjoying a resurgence. The time is right to honor the bands of the ’70s that straddled soft and southern rock.
BTO is tight. While C.F. Turner may not appear regularly, this multi-generational band of Bachmans continues the musical legacy very well. Indeed, Randy and co are still Takin’ Care of Business.
