As much as I want this to be strictly a review, I can’t leave out the personal angle. See, my dad has been a fan of Alice Cooper since he was eighteen-ish. He actually saw them in ’75 on the Welcome to My Nightmare tour. When I heard that Alice Cooper was coming to Huntsville, my first thought was that my dad had to go, but I knew he wouldn’t buy a ticket for himself. He would have to have some kind of incentive. So I asked him to take me for my birthday–and he did.

Dad and I arrived at the Von Braun Center at 7:30 p.m. We found our seats and sat there, staring at the blue-lit backdrop (featuring Alice Cooper’s eyes) in anticipation. Nearly half an hour later, the arena darkened and a roar came from the crowd as the backdrop glowed red. We were off.

And this is where I switch to review mode…

Alice Cooper opened the set with “The Black Widow,” straight into “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” The band played for a solid hour and a half with barely a pause. They did all of the songs one would expect, including “I’m Eighteen,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” and “School’s Out.” Alice himself stepped back a few times to permit his band to show off their talents. The moments that really stood out were the solos from guitarist Nita Strauss and drummer Glen Sobel.

It’s no surprise the stage show was incredible! A dancing nurse, a broken windup doll, and the monster stomping around growling the chorus of “Feed My Frankenstein” were only the beginning. I mean, how often do you see a rock star get beheaded in the middle of his set?

Roughly halfway through, there was a tribute to other artists we have lost. Alice Cooper covered songs from The Who (in honor of Keith Moon), Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, and Motorhead (in honor of Lemmy Kilmister). In case anyone reading is going to be at a show during this tour, I will not list which tracks they played. I was pleasantly surprised, and I wouldn’t want to take that away from you.

Following “School’s Out,” the band left the stage. They returned within seconds to loud cheers and closed the show with “Elected.” Alice thanked his audience and after a few bows and showering the fans with picks and drumsticks, he and his mates exited for the final time.

I am very glad I convinced my dad to attend this concert. My only complaint would be that the show wasn’t long enough. Otherwise, it was perfect. Alice Cooper is a true entertainer. The Godfather of Shock Rock’s reign continues.