Alice Cooper
AVA Amphitheatre
Tucson, Arizona
October 21, 2023
by Mary Andrews
Alice Cooper, the godfather of shock rock, returned to Tucson, on His ‘Too Close for Comfort’ tour. Even though he normally tours six months out of the year, it’s been seven years since Cooper’s last appearance at AVA amphitheatre in Tucson. However, the memory of his vaudvillian, shock-rock show lingers on. Many artists from Cooper’s genre are getting close to retirement, but Cooper clearly states that is not true with him.
His new album, Road, was released this year and is his 29th studio album to date. It was recorded live in the studio with his touring band: guitarists Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, and Tommy Henriksen, bassist, Chuck Garric, and drummer, Glen Sobel. The first single from the album released is “I’m Alice.” This tour is supporting the new album. That said, the show was filled with most of his hit songs starting from the 70s through to the present. The Rock-and-Roll Hall-of-Famer includes his many hits like “School’s Out,” “ Eighteen,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.”
The performances have a vaudvillian feel (In a good way), utilizing a macabre on-stage persona, he slides into a guillotine for the highlight of the show. Cooper still looks and sounds good. Shocking maybe, but all is done in fun. The fans know what’s coming but they relish the skits and the music as they sing along to Cooper’s familiar tunes.
There are completely new stage sets this tour. The castles are gone and he has added videos in the background. The videos appear behind the drum kit and much of the footage is live video of the show on stage. Alice’s wife, Sheryl Cooper, appears during the show as a part of the skits. She is an extraordinary dancer and entertainer in her own right that adds to the storytelling of the skits. Her choriography, facial expressions, and costumes complement Alice’s performance immensely. She designs many ot her costumes on her time off.
The band didn’t forget to take their steroids before the show as they strutted all over the entire stage giving Alice a run for his money as showmen. Cooper wouldn’t have it any other way. Tommy Henriksen is the musical director. All three guitarists have individual solos throughout the show. Henriksen can also sing and does backing vocals. He is also a member of the Hollywood Vampires. He is working on some solo ventures.
Ryan Roxie adds a lot of pizzaz to the band as a guitarist. In addition to touring with Cooper, he hosts a very successful podcast called In the Trenches/Ryan Roxie. Roxie and Henriksen are in step with each other as a duo.
Nita Strauss was a member of The Iron Maidens a tribute band to Iron Maiden. Her big break came in 2014 when she was chosen to replace Orianthi in Alice Cooper’s band. She’s is very talented and has done some solo work during tour breaks. Strauss is fresh off a tour with Demi Lovato in 2022. She has a new solo album coming out soon and she will be touring in support of that.She gave an amazing performance during her solos.
Bassist, Chuck Garric, has a resume including playing with Billy Bob Thornton, Ted Nugent, and Don Felder, among others. He’s a very good musician and also plays with Beasto Blanco in between the Cooper gigs.
Drummer, Glen Sobel, is the backbone of the band. He claims there is no band he couodn’t play with. His past resume includes playing with Motley Crue, Hollywood Vampires, Orianthi, Richie Samora and many more.He was a lot of fun to watch during the show.
Let’s not forget cast member Christopher the boa constrictor snake. He’s named after the horror film actor Christopher Lee. Chris is actually a family pet when he’s not performing.
Cooper is a consumate performer who knows when to give the fans a lip curl, a sneer, pucker, and an entire repertoire of stage mannerisms to get his character across. He outsmarts a towering Frankenstein, grits his teeth as he is electrocuted and stuffed into a guillotine. He has all this down to a science after doing this for a half a century. He introducted himself as a man who plays Alice Cooper. And he plays him with eloquence.
The show is more about the performance as it is the music. Alice Cooper never disappoints.
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