Alice Cooper’s genre of music used to be labeled “Shock Rock.” Five decades into his career, there’s nothing really shocking anymore. Except what a great show Alice puts on. The man and the band are consummate professionals. It was 17 songs played and performed to perfection.

Every sneer. Every snarl. Every swing of the baton or stab of the sword are performed with the utmost theatrical movement. Every raised makeup enhanced eyebrow adds an extra element to each word in the song. The performance was part of an additional three shows added in October to the Alice Cooper/Rob Zombie tour and was dubbed the Halloween Hootenanny. While there was nothing overtly Halloween themed about it, some audience members did come in costume, and hey, this is an Alice Cooper show that already features multiple costume changes, monsters on stage, snakes, strait jackets, and a beheading by guillotine, so really what more needed to be added?

A welcome return to the overall tour was guitarist Nita Strauss. She adds an extra level of musicianship and showpersonship to an already spot-on band. Also killing it on guitar are Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen. The rhythm section featured Chuck Garric on bass and Glen Sobel on drums. This is a super-tight band that does justice to all of Alice Cooper’s hits and looks like they are having a hell of a time doing it. A special shout out to the Marie Antoinette-like character leading Alice to his beheading. That was Sheryl Cooper, Alice’s wife.

Alice’s tour has now ended. Nita’s on the road supporting Mammoth WVH. But since the name of his newest album is Road, look for Alice Cooper to be out there sometime soon, doing what he does better than anyone else in the business.

Alice Cooper Halloween Hootenanny Set List

1. Lock Me Up

2. Welcome to the Show

3. No More Mr. Nice Guy

4. I’m Eighteen

5. Under My Wheels

6. Billion Dollar Babies

7. Hey Stoopid

8. Lost in America

9. Snakebite

10. Feed My Frankenstein

11. Poison

12. Black Widow Jam

13. Ballad of Dwight Fry

14. Killer

15. I Love the Dead

16. Elected