Alice Cooper
March 17, 2018
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, NC
Photo by Randy PattersonAs a kid growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, one of my dreams was to see one of my rock heroes, Alice Cooper, in concert. It took over forty years, but not only did I get to interview him (here), I finally got to see the legendary shock-rocker live.
And what a tremendous show it was!
Alice told me in my interview with him that he’s “Busby Berkley meets Bela Lugosi” and that he may be remembered “as maybe the Barnum and Bailey of rock and roll.”
After catching his show at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, I would have to say that those descriptions barely scratch the surface of Cooper’s performance and talent.
There were monsters, swords, corpses, guillotines, electrocutions, and dollar bills (okay, play money, but one can dream, can’t they?) flying around everywhere.
At seventy-years young, Alice was in as great and full of form as he’s ever been in his storied, fifty-year career. His voice was as strong and raw as ever and the band was just flippin’ amazing!
If anyone was at risk of stealing the show from Alice (not a chance but just gee-whizzing here for a moment), it would’ve been one of his three guitarists, Nita Strauss. That girl can flat rock any venue down. She’s a one-person rock show all on her own.
Alice played tons of his hits but still left the sell-out crowd begging for more.
And speaking of the crowd: The Cherokee crowd reminded me of going to a theater screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Many of the attendees were dressed as Alice, one of the nurses (the lead nurse played by Coop’s daughter, Sheryl) and other ghastly characters.
If you’ve never caught Alice in concert, do. It’s an amazing experience.
