We sent ace photographer Katie Grogan out into the trenches over the weekend to check out the freak show going down at the Midland…
Sure, Alice Cooper is old enough to be her granddad, but in order to appreciate the new, you’ve got to understand the classics, right? And Alice has been reaching out to younger generations for years, playing at Bonnaroo last week and incorporating a Lady Gaga cover into his set, of all things.
Reviews have been positive across the board, almost every one of them mentioning the fact that Alice can still bring it with gusto.
Just as KC Confidential‘s Brian McTavish found three years back when he wrote:
"The intervening years have not diminished his effectiveness…Time may not have stood still, but it sure as hell got punched in the face for 90 minutes as fans (I’d say mostly in their forties and fifties) pumped their fists, played air guitar and otherwise pulsated to the furious flashback that they had clearly come to experience: Classic Cooper."
Katie was certainly impressed.
"Not gonna lie, this was one of the coolest shows I’ve ever shot," she says. "The set-up and the atmosphere was awesome! Alice doesn’t let being 64 stop him from rocking and having a freaking blast on stage with his band. What a badass."
Here’s what it looked like…
Setlist:
The Black Widow
Brutal Planet
I’m Eighteen
Under My Wheels
Billion Dollar Babies
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Hey Stoopid
Is It My Body
Halo of Flies
I’ll Bite Your Face Off
Muscle of Love
Only Women Bleed
Cold Ethyl
Feed My Frankenstein
Caffeine
Poison
Wicked Young Man
I Love the Dead
School’s Out
Encore: Elected.
The problem with these types of shows isn’t that they aren’t good. The mid 60s rockers who play no instruments (rod stewart, alice cooper, etc) are more than happy to bring in the best young session musicians to play their songs note perfect.
The problem is that you are paying $50 to see alice cooper dance around while session musicans play his songs. Undoubtedly fun but is it really worth $50?
I hope the bands I love last long enough to be rock n roll chiches.
Im Eighteen….(times 4)
In This Case
EVERY seat in the house, including the GA floor was priced at a very reasonable $25 per (sans service charges if purchased at the Midland box office as I did). So #2 son and I saw a rock icon put on a stellar show from some great balcony seats in a palatial theatre for just $50 total. Heck, it almost costs me that much to take the family to some shitty movie.
Balbonis, I told Branson leaders 5 years ago…
in a seminar about their future, they needed to start thinking about their “interest group” dying off and begin planning and planting the seed for whats next. Boxcar Willy is dead, the Osmonds SHOULD be dead, there isnt anything to see at Soji Touboulli’s show except a great bathroom, or so HGTV says, Yakoff is tired and old along with the rest of the town, its theme and audience. I’ve not gone to one show down there, ever. Mainly, I guess, because I dont own bermuda shorts, knee high nylon socks and wing tips.
Here’s my vision; all those high tech theatres arent going anywhere. There’s a gorgeous lake, nice homes for pennys compared to what artists are used to, and now a real live airport right there that will service a G5 or a commercial flight. Next Stop? You, me and everyone except those who SUCK on here, going down for a weekend to the Led Zep theatre, then tomorrow night, The Eagles, etc. These guys get off the road, lose ALL the travel expenses, do a show a night to a sold out crowd, merch in the lobby, then back to their lake front home by midnight! No busses, no load in/load out, no roadies, tiny, tiny expenses and the fans come to you!
Whats not to like about that?
Might Work
With a tribute band(s) concept, but you’re not going to get the real deals to ever play Branson unless you throw ownership of the entire Lake in their rider. Those bands are as greedy as any of us, but unlike the Boxcars and Smirnoffs of the world, they made so much bank during their respective heydays that they never have to resort to taking up a residency in the Geriatric Vegas. I suppose it’d be possible with second-tier rock acts like a Styx or REO but rock is designed for the road, even those already tired acts would suffer if fans could see them on a regular, nightly basis.
All The Young Girls Love Alice
New Black Country Communion cd is out. In your face, sonically pure, musically sophisticated, hard rock n roll.
PB, Smart, I know its a long shot
but my angle was that their greed would feed it! Take a look, ticket sales in the primary market, about the same price. The groups gain nothing from the scalper sale, so they would get nearly the same face value. Maybe exactly the same. But greed? If you could do the same top line revenue and slash your expenses to nearly nothing? The price of one of those theatres is less than the first few stops on a tour!! No set up and tear down, no busses, no crew, no roadies, no 15 tractor trailer parade from city to city. It makes some sense and it just needs ONE group to break the ice.