I can see myself in the front row!
Milwaukee Wisconsin - Journal Sentinel
By Erik Ernst, Special to the Journal Sentinel
By the time most rock stars reach age 62, they usually have a bunch of fan favorites that are must-plays at every show.
For Alice Cooper, that expectation involves more than just keeping tabs on four decades of hits. His fans' love of carnage needs equal billing: Cooper's shows have long been presented as a morality play, with his demonic persona receiving his comeuppance in the form of an onstage execution.
A single onstage death is no longer enough to keep Cooper down. Within the first 30 minutes of his concert Tuesday night at the Riverside Theater, Cooper had his head lopped off in a guillotine and was killed by lethal injection from a psychotic nurse's oversize syringe. By the end of the 90-minute show, he had twice more suffered - and recovered from - an ultimate fate.
At this point in Cooper's career, the macabre theatrics are far removed from the controversy they created in the 1970s and '80s. Today, they play a fun, nostalgic role, cheered on by a diverse age range of fans. Cooper's instruments of torture and elaborate costumes paved the way for the likes of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, and his blues-based hard rock and concept albums have influenced generations of other heavy-metal artists.
Dressed in black, with his eyes swimming in dark makeup, Cooper and his four-piece band opened with the garage-rocking freedom celebration of "School's Out" - a bit of torture for any students in the crowd, since school is just starting. He conducted a crowd singalong of "No More Mr. Nice Guy" with a black cane that he threw to a fan. Sense of humor intact, he hobbled around the stage on a skeletal crutch for timeless anthem of youthful rebellion "I'm Eighteen."
The throbbing industrial thrash of "Wicked Young Man" found Cooper impaling one of his ghoulish stagehands before he was captured for a slow, straight-jacketed performance of "Ballad of Dwight Fry."
His voice hasn't been affected much by age. If anything, his weathered growl accented the gritty lyrics of "Vengeance Is Mine," "Poison" and "Under My Wheels."
After tossing shiny beads to the crowd as he sang "Dirty Diamonds," Cooper received his final execution for a "Billion Dollar Babies" doll decapitation. He returned from a blood-splattering box of spikes, lurching around the stage for a thunderous "Feed My Frankenstein."
As he scowled at the audience during the flag-waving encore of "Elected" and a reprise of "School's Out," Cooper couldn't hide his grin.
Seems like playing a monster never gets old.
I can see myself in the front row!
I live near Lafayette, Indiana and wish so much that you and Rob Zombie would play closer to my home. My daughter is at Ball State and she would love to see you with me. I have been a fan since the beginning and you give me encouragement that my best life is ahead of me. Pleeeeeese consider a concert in Indiana!!!! I saw you at Merrillville and even bought a dvd of your concert but the real thing is so much better and I want my daughter to enjoy it with me without all the hours of travel. Pleeeeeese!!!!
OMG, we got to meet Alice after the show, my freind Deb got to go up on stage and throw out the baloons. It was a great night. Alice if you only knew how much of a fan, my freind Deb is and has been since she was 12, you signed the pic of her at 12. The first day I went to her house when we were just 14, 15 , she whips out your album and says I love this guy, I quickly learned all about you and still know all the words to your songs. I loved the concert, and meeting you too. I don't think any one can top your perfomances, your a great showman! We hope to make it down to Pheonix in Dec for the benfit......hope we get to meet again!
An awesome show! All the songs you wanted to hear were there and they sounded really great live--a real high energy performance from a master entertainer that completely rocked the crowd. I can't wait for the concert dvd!
To boot, this show more than made up for the Waterfest rain-out and the drive to Milwaukee was totally worth it--so glad I sprung for the pre-sale tickets because the seats were KILLER.
Keep rockin'!!!
Alice is rock and roll. His shows are as great today as they were in the 70's. I am 55 and still totally get into Alice; the music, the show; the lyrics, the man. I cannot wait for the new CD!
WOW.it's hard to belive Alice is 62,he has more energy than people half his age,PUT HIM THE ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME NOW!!!
WE Machesney park Illinois.
Alice and Ozzy should do lunch
Alice and Ozzy should do lunch
Can't wait to see him in Orlando/Daytona Beach again. How bout Daytona Peabody Alice ? HURRY!!!!!!
I was at this show and it was incredible. Thank you so much for this video, it's fantastic.
I was at the Milwaukee show, it was awesome! I was lucky enough to catch one of Alice's "Dirty Diamonds" necklaces. I gave it to a young Alice Cooper fan sitting beside me at her first Alice Cooper show. You'd have thought I gave her a real diamond necklace! I saw my first Alice Cooper show back in 1977 at Coba Arena in Detroit and still remember the thrill of seeing my first Alice Cooper show. I don't think Alice has any idea how much he touches the lives of others. I've been going to his shows for 33 years, and I hope he continues touring!
Wish Alice Cooper will come to Elmira, N.Y. u rock!