The Classic Rock Experience Of Alice Cooper
House Of Blues
Atlantic City, NJ
10/28/06

Alice Cooper Photo provided by Steve Trager

Comments: Nothing speaks the words “Classic Rock” like the legendary rock shock icon known as Alice Cooper, an artist who makes no compromise with his music that has been enjoyed by countless generations. The timeless memories that have earned Alice Cooper the plaque of a true pioneer in cult classics can often be over heard throughout his legacy of music that still reigns on rock radio today. Fans of Alice Cooper have come to expect the great grinding classic hits that have captivated his live shows into a momentous experience, rather then just some typical rock concert. The production behind Alice Cooper has been trimmed down slightly from the hey-days to the ever popular intimate performance of a theatre type atmosphere, seating a mere 2500 easily. For any fan that has followed this icon year after year, to just reminisce the old days of his bizarre stage antics and his duel axe man that share the great guitar works that simply complete his shows is much more than a handful of ear candy.

Out on the road in support of his finer achievement to date entitled “Dirty Diamonds,” Alice Copper has made his home down the shores of Atlantic City in New Jersey at the hottest venue House Of Blues which is a great place to be a part of any rock show. This is a defiant flashback to the days of watching this individual rock out at the Philadelphia Spectrum in the early nineties, and his most recent concert performance pulled out all the hits, the obscure, and the newer material that only Alice Cooper can cram into a 90-minute show.

Alice Cooper Photo provided by Steve Trager

His stage theatrics were complete with the guillotine and coffin that have become such a stellar part of the show, and it goes without being said that only Alice Cooper can create the ultimate rock experience in a live setting. Perhaps after not capturing Alice Coopers’ previous tours since the time he performed with the likes of Slayer, Megadeth, Judas Priest, and the legendary original lineup of Anthrax, he still sounds amazing, works the fans into raising their rock fits to his anthems, and pulls out all the favorites that have been etched into his shows year after year. The days of the classics never truly get old, they seem to be much more then a priceless token of appreciation in Alice Coopers’ history since the seventies.

Any of his shows just wouldn't be relatively complete without a nice solo from Eric Singer after the first 14 songs in the set. This in fact reminds me of the good old days of a true rock band that can entertain with not just scorching guitar solos in great songs, but the nice addition of the ass kicking drum solos to which fans alike get such a thrill to watch.

There only seem to be one addition that Alice Cooper had left out during his recent amazing rock show, and that happen to be his trademark portion of performing on stage with a king sized snake wrapped around his neck. Although it’s nothing like the old bizarre theatrics that have become a major part of the show captivating his career right from the beginning. Still even without that alone, Alice Cooper sounded great, pulling out some of his fan favorites while focusing on some of the material that he released last year at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. What makes a show complete is having at hand the entire set list. Alice Cooper rocked with every ounce of energy right from when the light went down and he walked onto the stage.

Alice Cooper Photo provided by Steve Trager

I can say that on a personal note with not seeing Alice Cooper for over a decade in the Philly area, he still can pack a punch, and still recreates the yesterdays of Classic Rock as if it never left the planet. Real rock hasn’t gotten pushed aside with all these newer artists dominating today’s youth.

Alice Coopers House Of Blues 90 Minute set: Wicked Young Man - No More Mr. Nice Guy - Dirty Diamonds - Billion Dollar Babies - Be My Lover - Lost In America - Guilty
I Never Cry - Women Of Massdistraction - I'm Eighteen - Nervous - Is It My Body - Born In Beverly Hills - Under My Wheels - Black Widow - Eric Singers Drum Solo – Frankenstein - Welcome To My Nightmare - The Piece - Only Women Bleed - I Love The Dead - I Never Cry
Encores: Schools Out - Poison

A well put together set list. Everyone would have to agree to all the fantastic classics, from those that satisfied the young fans to those satisfying the old rock heads, who seemed to come from out of the woodwork. The fans savored every last note from every minute Alice crammed into each song. What an amazing show and tour, proving Alice is one of the hardest working rock icons in the genre of Classic Rock Artists.