ALICE COOPER – THE DETROIT MUSCLE TOUR LIVE
Alice Cooper brought his Detroit Muscle Tour to the Oakdale theater in Connecticut this past Sunday 9/18 for what recently seems to be an annual trip to the state . The show hasn’t changed much over the years but that doesn’t matter to the many fans who turn out each year to witness the theatrics and music.
With no opening act, the band took the stage at 7:45 with “Feed My Frankenstein”. The monster made his first appearance of the night walking around the stage with Igor trailing along. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” was next and the crowd was happily singing along. “Bed of Nails” and “Hey Stoopid” led into “Fallen in Love” where the crowd got the first extended guitar solo of the night from Ryan Roxie, along with a Cooper harmonica solo leading into it.
The band blazed through “Be My Lover” and “House of Fire” and then was treated to a Kane Roberts’ guitar solo, who rejoined this tour after a 34 year break, for “Under My Wheels”. Roberts hardly looked 34. He could have been the muscle the tour was named after. Roxie joined in the theatrics duckwalking ala Chuck Berry across the stage. During “He’s Back ( The Man Behind the Mask)” 3 girls came out on stage and the man behind the mask appeared, slashing one of them and chasing the other 2 off stage.
Cooper’s wife Sheryl came out wearing a black leather corset with red hair and boots for “Go to Hell”. She had a whip but Cooper snatched it away turning the tables and sent her scurrying away. Two of my favorites songs were next, “I’m Eighteen” and “Poison”. This was the time for third guitarist Tommy Henriksen to shine. Cooper usually has 3 guitar players on stage and each one is given their own moment to glisten throughout the show.
“Billion Dollar Babies” had a giant baby breakout from behind a video screen and dance around the stage while the first wave of confetti flew through the air. Roberts had a guitar solo during Cooper’s wardrobe change. Alice came back in a blood stained white shirt wiping his knife clean. His wife returned in a white lace gown carrying candles and flowers for “Roses on White Lace”. Only the band performed “Devil’s Food”. During “Black Widow Jam”, Glen Sobel had one of the better drum solos I’ve seen.
“Steven” was followed by “Dead Babies”. A staple of the show for years “Dead Babies” has Cooper in a straight jacket escorted on stage by giant babies. Sheryl returns, this time as a mother pushing a baby stroller. Alice breaks free from the straight jacket, grabs the baby and lays it on stage. Just as he is about to chop its head off with a butcher knife the giant babies grab him. They bring him to a guillotine and Cooper loses his head.
Sheryl then dances around stage holding the severed head as the band plays “I Love the Dead”. “Escape” and “Teenage Frankenstein” close out the main set as the monster makes his second appearance of the night as Cooper pops huge balloons filled with confetti. “ School’s Out” closes out the show with band introductions. This is only time Alice Cooper chats with the audience the whole evening. Chuck Garric was strong on bass the entire night. Also joining on bass for the encore was Dennis Dunaway, bassist for the original Alice Cooper Band.
A nice tight show of great music, ending at 9:15 was everything this fan could hope for on a Sunday night.
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