Alice Cooper Shocks Charlotte With A Rock Spectacle For The Ages
The biggest rock show of the fall hit Charlotte as not only one, but two rock legends rolled into town. Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley assaulted rock fans at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Ampitheatre with fiery classic rock hits and all the spectacle to go with it. It was a show that I had been anticipating all season and it did not disappoint.
The venue was already crowded with classic rock fans when it was time for Ace Frehley to hit the stage. Ace is of course known best for being the co-founder and original guitarist for the rock band KISS. He took on the persona of The Spaceman and is one of the best rock and metal guitarists of all time. Frehley is also a talented songwriter who has written KISS classics “Shock Me” and “Cold Gin” and a plethora of solo material. Out of the four KISS solo albums released in 1978, Ace’s album was by far the best and most successful with the searing “Rip It Out” and the top hit single, a fantastic cover of Hello’s “New York Groove.” His latest solo records have centered around the space theme with 2014’s Space Invader and 2018’s Spaceman. Frehley also released two cover albums Origins, Vol. 1, and his latest Origins, Vol. 2 which explore unique takes on some of Ace’s favorite classic rock songs.
Kicking off his set with the powerful KISS tune “Rocket Ride,” Ace proved to be in spectacular form. He sounded better than ever and it was easy to see why he is considered one of the best to ever pick up a guitar. His 12 song set had the crowd on their feet as we rocked through some of the best KISS songs in their catalog as well as some of the best classic rock covers around. Ace let his guitar “Rip It Out” before taking us back in the “New York Groove” much to the delight of his fans. For this tour, Ace has surrounded himself with an experienced not to mention a talented group of musicians including guitarists Ryan Cook and Jeremy Asbock, bass guitarist Philip Shouse, and drummer Matt Starr. Of course, no Ace Frehley show would be complete without a spectacular, smoking (literally) guitar solo, and this night was no exception. It was the highlight of the set, a true showcase for Ace’s abilities and a real showstopper when his guitar actually smokes. He followed up the solo with a medley of KISS songs “Cold Gin” and “Black Diamond” before finishing up with a thundering romp through another KISS classic “Deuce.”
What a set! If the concert would have ended right there, I could have gone home very, very happy but fortunately, there was much more to come as the king of “shock rock” himself, Alice Cooper, was next up.
A curtain emblazoned with Alice’s eyes covered the elaborate stage set as a taped intro of “Years Ago” and then “Nightmare Castle” began to play. Everyone in the venue was amped up and ready for what would be a killer show in more ways than one. When the curtain dropped to the sounds of “Feed My Frankenstein,” a castle set was revealed complete with a tower, plenty of smoke, and spooky decor. It was a perfect setting for an Alice Cooper show and Alice was the perfect ringleader of this rock and roll spook show complete with top hat and cane.
If you’ve never experienced an Alice Cooper show, I will say that it is not only a treat for the ears but a visual feast as well. The opening song included the trademark giant Frankenstein creature loping across the stage as fans shrieked in appreciation. A real scare of the night came early on when during this first song of the evening, guitarist Nita Strauss got hit in the head with a piece of Alice’s cane. Thankfully, she was ok with the exception of sporting a bit of a goose egg by the end of the evening.
The phenomenal show would continue with all the Cooper classics and all the show-stopping theatrics that go along with them. Some of the sights of the evening included a giant baby breaking out of the castle tower during “Billion Dollar Babies” and his quintessential guillotine act which features Alice getting beheaded during “I Love The Dead.”
This was indeed the performance of the season. Alice looked and sounded better than ever and his band, including phenomenal guitarist Nita Strauss, was on fire. This is exactly how a rock and roll show should be! After a 22 song set, Cooper returned to the stage for a rousing, sing-along of what is undoubtedly his most well-known song, “School’s Out” which featured giant balloons and bubbles galore along with snippets of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.”
There’s something to be said about getting to see a legend in action and tonight’s show was definitely the icing on the cake for me. Alice Cooper is hands down in a category of his own with terrific tunes, a super talented band, phenomenal stage sets, and theatrics that would put the biggest Broadway shows to shame. Alice has recently announced a Winter Tour for 2022 and if he’s heading your way, it is a must-see! Check out tour dates and ticket information here!
