December 17, 2025 | Entertainment, Music

Blue Öyster Cult brings musical magic to The Center

Blue Öyster Cult rocked The Center of Anna Maria Island on Dec. 10. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

ANNA MARIA – Blue Öyster Cult put on a stellar and well-received outdoor concert at The Center of Anna Maria on Dec. 10.

More than 50 years after they formed in Long Island, New York, the five-piece band led by original lead vocalists and guitarists Eric Bloom and Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser also featured longtime bandmates Richie Castellano on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Danny Miranda on bass and vocals and Jules Radino on drums.

The quintet delivered an energetic 16-song, career-spanning set that highlighted Bloom and Roeser’s songwriting skills, their still-sublime lead vocals and each band member’s musical prowess.

The show started with the piano and synthesizer driven “Dr. Music” from the band’s 1979 album, “Mirrors,” followed by “Before the Kiss, a Redcap” from their 1972 debut album and the raise-your-glass biker anthem “Golden Age of Leather” from their 1977 album, “Spectres” – during which 81-year-old Bloom helped deliver the lyrical vow: “We made a vow to give it all we had to give, we made a vow to die as we had lived.”

Bloom sang lead vocals on “That Was Me,” from the 2020 release, “The Symbol Remains” and the 78-year-old Roeser sang lead vocals on the band’s 1981 hit song, “Burnin’ For You.”

After “Cagey Cretins,” “ME 262,” “Harvest Moon,” “Hot Rails to Hell” and a beautiful rendition of “E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence),” Castillo took over the lead vocals and delivered a haunting rendition of “Tainted Blood” (also from “The Symbol Remains”) – a song that tells the tale of a vampire whose immortal love and soulmate dies after she drinks tainted blood, leaving him alone for eternity.

Lead singer/guitarist Eric Bloom played keyboards on some songs. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Roeser then sang “Then Came the Last Days of May,” the tale of an ill-fated trio of young men seeking to get rich quick with an over-the-border drug run that turned deadly.

Next came the well-known crowd-pleaser “Godzilla,” followed by the instrumental piece, “Buck’s Boogie,” that served as an extended intro for the band’s most well-known song, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”

After a quick break, the band finished the night with their classic rock and roll anthem, “Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll.”

The seven-piece, Pittsburgh-based BB Steal 80’s LIVE! opened the show with an hour-long set of hits from the 70s and 80s originally performed by Journey, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Joan Jett, Simple Minds and others, with their cover of Pittsburgh native Donny Iris’ “Ah! Leah!” as a show highlight.