Blue Oyster Cult, UFO to perform at 'Downtown Alive!'

American rock bands Blue Oyster Cult and Molly Hatchet and UK rockers UFO will take the stage for the last of Aurora's free summer Downtown Alive! concerts on Aug. 1-2 when the city presents the first "Rocks the Fox Weekend."

The venue for Rocks the Fox will slide over one street from Downer Place to Galena Boulevard for the two-day event featuring the three headliners and three local tribute bands.

"This is the same location and setup as Blues on the Fox," said Gina Moga, special events manager for Aurora. "But instead of blues and jazz filling the streets, it will be rock and roll. More than a dozen food vendors and the KidZone will be back, too."

The hot weekend of classic rock begins at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1 with AC/DC tribute band Problem Child, followed by Blue Oyster Cult at 8:30 p.m.

Blue Oyster Cult was formed in 1967 in New York under the name "Soft White Underbelly" and is best known for 1976's "Don't Fear the Reaper," 1981's "Burnin' for You" and 1977's "Godzilla." The band has sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.

DBL-SHOT will take the stage at 3 p.m. Aug. 2. This local classics cover band lists Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, The Allman Brothers and UFO as influences. The band's MySpace page states that the band is "led by a searing double guitar attack and backed up by a solid rhythm section." The band also promises to be a "hard rocking, hard charging, good time band that will get the audience movin' and shakin'."

At 4:30 p.m. Saturday, ARRA will rock the stage with favorites from Journey, Boston, Styx, Rush, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and other rockers.

Molly Hatchet will be up next at 6:30 p.m. Formed in 1975 in Jacksonville, Fla., the band is famous for melding loud hard-rock boogie with guitar jam-oriented Southern rock. The band's influences have been Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Some of their best-known songs are Flirtin' with Disaster, Bounty Hunter and Beatin' the Odds.

UFO will round out the evening beginning their set at 8:30 p.m. Formed in 1968 in the United Kingdom, UFO, originally known as Hocus Pocus, found their first fan base in Japan, France and Germany. Their heavy metal classics include "Lights Out," "Too Hot to Handle" and "Love to Love."

Free parking will be available at all municipal lots, curbside meters and the downtown Stolp Avenue parking deck. Fest-goers are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. No coolers are allowed.

For information, call (630) 844-4731 or visit www.downtownaliveaurora.com.