Alice Cooper – Too Close for Comfort

Alice Cooper’s Too Close for Comfort tour arrived at Harrah’s Rincon Casino on a sublime Thursday night in August.

In the span of one and one-half hours, we witnessed Alice caress a live yellow snake, saw him put into a strait jacket, teased by a black widow spider, terrorized by Frankenstein’s Monster, was beheaded, resurrected, and finally, ran for election in an Uncle Sam jacket and hat. Well, he wasn’t REALLY beheaded, but it begs the question, what’s an Alice Cooper concert without his trademark guillotine?

During Alice’s 1977 Tour, friends and I decided to follow his tour to the venues that we could reach on the weekends and by car. We saw him perform in San Diego, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Las Vegas, Nevada. All of this in the name of fun, gore, and goth. Of course, in 1977, we were all much younger, including Alice. He is often called the Godfather of Goth and for good reason. He was one of the first musicians to add theater to his rock show. He did more than just play and perform music; he transported us to the gruesome and fearful side of life. He brought us up close to our greatest fears: a vengeful black widow spider, an electric chair, Frankenstein. He made sure to offer up an immersive experience. For gore, goosebumps,and fear, we would happily go along for the ride.

During one of his 1970s tours, he traveled with a magician, “The Amazing Randi,” who delighted us with his black-magic theatrical tricks. One Alice Cooper recording featured the late Vincent Price describing the female black widow’s mating habits (afterward, “she kills and eats him, ha ha ha,”) Cooper could take us to the dark side, then lead us to the brink of sanity and back. An Alice Cooper concert is not just a concert, it’s an event.

The Harrah’s crowd was dressed accordingly, some in full goth regalia, some in painted, gory faces, others with masks and wigs. Anticipation was running high as the house lights dimmed, and two shrouded in black figures took to the stage to move back to front, crossing the stage to announce Alice. He exploded onstage as we all rose from our seats to welcome him, screaming his name in approval. It was like welcoming home an old friend. Alice Cooper is one of the most beloved entertainers in rock today and has been on the scene since 1968.

His opening number was an energetic blend of “Lock Me Up,” and “Welcome to the Show.” As he stood there illuminated in his top hat, it was evident that he had not lost a bit of his appeal. He is still that larger-than-life, consummate performer. A true showman, he strutted the stage as if it were still the year 1977. His voice is strong and sure, and it seemed that he was enjoying the show just as much as we were.

Immediately launching into “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” he was mesmerizing, as all eyes were upon him. Next up was the teenage anthem, “I’m Eighteen,” which had everyone in a frenzied sing-along. Without a break, Alice led the band nonstop through “Under My Wheels,” “Bed of Nails,” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” The background set designs are over-the-top, ever-changing and exciting. While he is singing, the sets are just the right touch to add depth and dimension to his performance.

He left the stage briefly then returned wearing a huge, yellow snake coiled around his body, to sing the rarely performed “Snakebite.” Over the years, Alice has owned and performed with various snakes, all with catchy names, like “Kachina,” “Veronica,” “Eva Marie Snake,” “Mistress,” and “Lady MacBeth.” These days, he rents local snakes. Creepy, but so entertaining.

Alice then sang the unforgettable “Be My Lover,” with the yearning intensity that has identified many of his songs. “Lost in America,” and “Hey Stoopid,” were also sung with willfulept intent, the latter a kind of pep talk about angst, pain, and rock and roll.

Glen Sobel is Cooper’s drummer, and he was up next in a rousing drum solo that touched on “Black Juju,” and led into one of the band’s most enduring and memorable pieces, “Welcome To My Nightmare.” This song is the first we see of his featured dancer, who, on this night, was played enthusiastically by his daughter, Calico Cooper. Next up, she writhes onstage to “Cold Ethyl.” “Poison,” and “He’s Back,” were followed by “Feed My Frankenstein,” which featured the giant Frankenstein creature loping about the stage. Next, The Black Widow crept onstage and brought with her the dangerous web that is the nightmare of many, and Nita Strauss, one of Alice’s remarkably talented guitar players, performed a guitar solo to “Black Widow Jam,” complete with her intricate finger-tapping technique. “Dwight Fry,” and “Killer/Love The Dead,” were performed by the band and featured the guitarists in a blazing furor of riffs. The three guitarists are Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henricksen, and the aforementioned Nita Strauss.

Roxie first joined the band in 1996, and is back with his forceful style and energy that is his trademark. He is the co-creator (with Alice) of the System-12 Guitar Method, a guitar teaching system available online. Roxie is also a songwriter and has played with Slash, Casablanca, and Gilby Clarke.

Tommy Henriksen is a songwriter, producer. and mixer and also has his own solo career. He is a powerful guitar player, having played with Crossbone Skully, Hollywood Vampires, and Warlock. He has produced music for Meat Loaf, Lady Gaga, Lou Reed, and others.

Nita Strauss, “the Hurricane,” is one of the highlights of the show. Strauss broke through the glass ceiling when she signed with Ibanez as their very first female signature artist. She is a powerhouse and lights up the stage with her undeniable presence. She’s beautiful and strong as she spins, playing guitar behind Alice, flipping her gorgeous blonde hair while never missing a beat. She has a long history in heavy metal music, and can finger-tap with the best. A fun fact: there was once a rumor going around that she was a descendant of the composer Johann Strauss, but it turned out to be untrue. Of course, anything is possible in the world of music.

Cooper’s bass player, Chris Wyse, has performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehly, and Hollywood Vampires. He is so perfect playing to the three guitarists, and with drummer Sobel, keeps the beat locked down and steady. Sobel has been with the Cooper band since 2011, and has been busy in his career, playing with a diverse cast of musicians: Sammy Hagar, Rob Halford, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, Steven Tyler, and Arthur Brown, to name a few.

When Cooper returned to the stage, he was on an elevated platform of red, white and blue to belt out the very appropriate tune, “Elected.” The endearing lament is, “Kids Need a Savior, and don’t need a fake!” The song signaled the end of the show, as the lights dimmed.

And Alice was gone . . . the crowd clamored for the show to keep going. “Alice! Alice! Alice!”

Suddenly the lights flickered . . . and we heard the opening riffs to “School’s Out!,” one of Alice’s most memorable anthem tunes. Streamers and large bouncy rubber balls came down into the audience and we sang and rocked and danced to his terrific encore.

After the applause died down, Alice and his band (and his daughter, Calico), all came onstage. He spoke to us and made introductions all around, thanking us for joining him on this night. He proved to us why he is so revered in music, even today, 50+ years after we first met.

If I may speak for the crowd, Alice Cooper’s show was all that we were promised; all that we were expecting.

If Cooper is now 76 years old, he doesn’t show it. His 2024 tour is proof that he has not lost his talent for timeless entertainment. Alice, we love you.

Backstage360.com would like to thank the management and staff of Harrah’s for graciously allowing us access and Alice Cooper for bringing us a wonderful night of music.

Too Close For Comfort / Harrah’s Rincon Casino