REVIEW: As a live act, Alice Cooper has no comparison
Photo: Alice Cooper recently toured with Halestorm and Motionless in White. Photo courtesy of earMUSIC. Photo credit: Rob Fenn / Provided by Atom Splitter PR with permission.
HOLMDEL, New Jersey — Alice Cooper brought the goods — dark, decapitated, haunted goods — to the PNC Bank Arts Center for his Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back tour with Halestorm and Motionless in White. The Aug. 15 gig showcased the rocker’s unique and continued talents, and the concert proved to be a true joy to diehards who have been following the singer for decades.
The eerie “Years Ago” played from the speakers for the standing crowd as the band took their place behind an enormous drop curtain sporting Cooper’s iconic blackened eyes. Once the pre-recorded track was complete, the curtain dropped, and mayhem ensued.
Cooper took the stage in his first costume of the night and plowed through an anthemic rendition of “Feed My Frankenstein,” a wonderful kickoff to a 90-minute set that spanned every part of the singer’s career. Backing him was one of the best rock bands in the business: Chuck Garric on bass, Ryan Roxie on guitar, Nita Strauss on lead and rhythm guitar, Tommy Henriksen on lead and rhythm guitar, and Glen Sobel on drums and percussion.
A giant, Frankenstein-like monster joined the band on stage for the opening number. The Halloween prop has become a staple of Cooper’s touring schedule, and the sight was an awesome jolt for the crowd.
Another hit was given to the audience right away: “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” which went down like a double-shot of poisoned espresso. The fans, many banging their heads and pumping fists in the air, sang along to the well-known lyrics and watched as Cooper essentially staged an extravagant Halloween party. Throughout the night there was blood, swords, daggers, confetti, a crutch, a murderous nurse and lots of eye makeup.
Next, the choice rarities came into play, and they definitely elevated this tour to the top of Cooper’s recent output. These were gems that needed to be dusted off: “Bed of Nails,” which is infectious and creepily romantic; “Raped and Freezin’;” and the newer country/bluesy “Fallen in Love,” which came as a surprise only to those who don’t know Cooper’s wondrous and diverse musical styles.
Instead of playing these chestnuts at the expense of the hits, Cooper and his band decided to include anything and everything in the expansive set list. That meant “Fallen in Love,” a rarity, sidled up next to mainstays like “Muscle of Love,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Billion Dollar Babies” and “Poison,” which may be Cooper’s best song live.
Guitar and drum solos ensued. Cooper was ceremoniously executed by decapitation, and he also killed a blood-thirsty nurse on stage. It’s all in good fun — something akin to A Nightmare on Elm Street meets Night of the Living Dead. The singer is clearly the byproduct of a Vincent Price / Rocky Horror Riff Raff mashup.
Of the backing band, Strauss is a highlight. She injects each song with great energy, bounding across the stage and instigating the fans to give her more. Sobel is also an ace on drums, providing the thumping sanity for the night, but letting his fellow performers improv a bit throughout the evening.
Can’t say enough about Roxie and Henriksen, two consummate performers who hit each electrified note with ease, and they love mugging to the crowd. Garric’s work is intricate and fast-paced; it’s a delight to watch his fingers move up and down that instrument, providing the band’s bleeding heartbeat throughout the night.
The rarities came in blocks, so after “Poison,” Cooper reached far back for “Roses on White Lace” and “My Stars.” The band then held down the fort for “Devil’s Food” and a portion of “Black Widow.” Cooper wasn’t there because, of course, he was dead already.
Perhaps the greatest gift of the night was “Steven,” the saddest and scariest song Cooper has ever performed. The opening guitar riff is pure rock at its finest.
“Dead Babies,” with the requisite prop baby, and a quick “I Love the Dead” came next, followed by “Escape,” a wonderful addition to the set list. The main set, right around the 75-minute mark, then finished with “Teenage Frankenstein” and another appearance by the big man himself.
The two-song encore had everyone up, jumping and dancing. “Under My Wheels” reminded the crowd the telephone is ringing, while “School’s Out” gave the thousands in attendance a rockified taste of summer fun. Members of Halestorm and Motionless in White joined Cooper on stage for both vocals and backing guitar work.
Fans of hard rock were in for a double delight thanks to Halestorm’s one-hour set before Cooper kicked things off. Lzzy Hale and her band are one of the best rock bands in the modern era, and her guttural scream is the perfect accompaniment to her shredding guitar.
The one-two punch of “Do Not Disturb” and “Mz. Hyde” (probably Halestorm’s best song ever) had the packed house banging along with the riffs and contagious lyrics.
Other highlights included “Amen” and “Black Vultures,” expertly performed by Hale and her hard-driving band. They found a perfect balance of collaborative singing/playing and downstage solo work that never crossed into self-indulgence.
Put simply, they won over the crowd and had them in the palm of their hands, especially for “Freak Like Me,” a community-based singalong tune. The one-hour set was a nice continuation of Motionless in White’s opening numbers and the haunting majesty that was to come with Cooper’s horror-filled show of force.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Alice Cooper tours Europe and North America for the rest of 2019, and he heads to Australia and New Zealand in 2020. Click here for more information and tickets.
