Alice Cooper is a bad ass.
He prowled the stage, snarling his songs, sneering in contempt of his audience. That same audience loved every single cane twirl, costume change, and of course, hit song that Cooper presented.
The 20-song set delivered the hits on a stage named Nightmare Castle that was everything one could expect from an Alice Cooper show. Giant castle, giant monsters, giant babies, giant production.
It must be mentioned here that longtime guitarist, Nita Strauss, had left the band and sticking with his three guitar attack, Cooper brought back Kane “Rambo” Roberts who played with Alice in the 80’s during what was considered his metal years. (This could be one of the reasons that songs like “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “Only Women Bleed” were missing in action, but that’s just a guess.)
That being said, the three guitarists are stellar. Along with Kane are Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen. The rhythm section consisted of Chuck Garric on bass and Glen Sobel on drums. Alice made sure to let the audience know that Sobel was voted #1 Rock Drummer. (Cooper seemed very proud of his band, as he should be.)
A special mention for the woman who came out dancing during multiple songs and different costumes during the set. She’s Sheryl Cooper, a trained dancer and choreographer who is also Alice’s wife.
The night was filled with highlights and costume changes. Early sing-alongs like “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and “Hey Stoopid” started the audience participation early. Alice had the audience eating out of his black-gloved hands through the final song, “School’s Out” complete with confetti-filled balloons that got popped by the sword-wielding master of ceremonies. It’s fascinating how songs about death and mental illness along with visuals of monsters, straight jackets, and beheadings can make the concert experience life-affirming.
Alice Cooper puts every ounce of his being into his performance on stage. Which isn’t a surprise since the man once known as Vincent Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper years ago. I won’t even mention his age since I feel he needs to remain ageless. And that’s just what this night was: A timeless performance by a master at his craft.
In simpler terms, Alice Cooper is a bad ass.
ALICE COOPER SET LIST
Photojournalist - Los Angeles
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