Alice Cooper Live Review

On Sunday, July 18 I was fortunate enough to see Alice Cooper live at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, Ohio. I went to the show with my husband and friends Rob (form Hard Rock Hideout) and JT (from Hard Rock Nights). So yeah, I was with famous people.

Alice is always great live. He's definitely worth the ticket price so if you notice him coming through your town - just go to the show. He - and his beautiful band - never phone it in. Ever. Oh, and I say "beautiful" band because - good grief - the musicians playing with Alice are truly gorgeous men. Seriously. My male readers can stop rolling their collective eyes now.

The show opened with "School's Out" -- and that was the ending, too! I've never seen this before, but that's okay because it worked and everyone seemed to love it. "Elected" was right before "School's Out" in the encore, another one of my favorites. I always love when Alice comes trotting out with the American flag and acts like a politician. I'd vote for Alice for president!

There were other favorites too, including "Poison" -- which was very early in the set. Then there was my beloved "Vengence is Mine" in which Alice climbed atop a staircase dressed like a big spider. There was "Dirty Diamonds," "Billion Dollar Babies,""I'm Eighteen" and lots of death. Well, the tour is called "Theatre of Death" so Alice has to die a few times, right?

Keri Kelli is one of my favorite guitarists. The guy is amazing live and when I see Alice, I make it a point to sit on Keri's side of the stage. So, there I was about five rows in, watching Keri play it down. Man, it was muggy Sunday night and it didn't take long for the entire band to become a sweaty mess. They kept right on - at one time Keri was so sweaty I couldn't believe he could even see well enough to walk around stage, let alone play, but it was all good.

I was totally bummed because I wanted to catch Alice's cane (who doesn't?) but I was on the side and he threw the prop to the fans in the direct middle of the stage. Same for the dirty diamond necklaces and money. Someday I have big plans for catching an Alice cane and mounting it on my wall.

In case you're wondering, Fraze Pavilion is super small - probably 4500 seats - and a totally great place to see a big show like Alice. The staging all worked nicely and I felt super close. The sound was also perfect - no distortion, thanks in part to super strict sound regulations instituted by the city. Alice's curtain couldn't drop on its own, but his ghoulish stage hands pulled it down just fine. Glittery letters spelled out "Alice" across the stage and the band had to weave in and out of the letters to move. There was also a semi-slutty nurse that pranced around the stage and tormented Alice. All in all, it was a good time. I just wish I'd hear "It's Hot Tonight" live someday. Oh well I guess.

'Nobody's Fault' vs. 'Nobody's Fault'

When it comes to rock songs, I firmly believe "Nobody's Fault" by Aerosmith is the gold standard - bar none. Pay attention to the lyrics - the song is so relevant to the world we live in today, it's scary and amazing that the track was written three decades ago! "Nobody's Fault" has been covered by a slew of bands - most recently by Vince Neil on his new album Tattoos & Tequila. Problem is, I don't care for Vince's version much. Actually, I hate it. The guitar work is annoying and Vince sounds too processed. I do, however, love Testament's cover of "Nobody's Fault." In fact, I think it comes closest to rivaling the original for rock brilliance. Do you agree? Listen and weigh in below.

Vince Neil version

Testament version

The original version from Aerosmith Rocks

Next Week: MetalSucks Goes Glam

If you like irreverence and metal, then you likely already read MetalSucks. If you don't - then shame on you. Next week, MetalSucks goes Glam and the guys in the mansion invited me along for the ride. I'll be weighing in with my worthless opinions on the Ten Most Essential Glam Metal Records of all time. Yeah. So you're gonna want to read and leave comments. A lot of the regular MS readers are gonna be hatin' on our fun - so be sure to hold your own.

The list will be revealed over a few days and there will be special commentary between me and MS writer Anso DF. I can't wait.

MSG 'Live In Tokyo: 30th Anniversary Japan Tour' Coming to DVD, Blu-ray, CD October 19

Everyone knows I'm excited to see Michael Schenker Group at Rock n' America. Actually, MSG is the number 1 band for me to watch...and now maybe you can catch them too! MSG has just added a few more American dates (below). Also, a new DVD/CD package is coming in the fall, so that's definitely something to look forward to - here's all the details:

Michael Schenker Group has 28 US tour dates scheduled for this July and August.

The "Live In Tokyo: 30th Anniversary Japan Tour," to be released on October 19,  was recorded in January 2010 during the 30th Anniversary Japan Tour. On this tour, the Michael Schenker Group consisted of Michael Schenker, Gary Barden, Simon Phillips, Wayne Findlay, and Neil Murray. The band, in impeccable form, blasts through a track list highlighting all stages of Schenker's career: from UFO and Scorpions hits, through MSG classic tracks, to his solo compositions.

MSG 30th Anniversary World Tour - North American Dates:

JUL 17 2010 - Angel's Roadhouse - Yucaipa, CA
JUL 18 2010 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
JUL 21 2010 - Back Stage Live SA - San Antonio, TX
JUL 22 2010 - 18th Bar & Grill - San Leon, TX
JUL 23 2010 - Trees - Dallas, TX
JUL 24 2010 - Zoo Amphitheatre (Rock N America Festival) - Oklahoma City, OK
JUL 27 2010 - Showcase Live - Foxborough, MA
JUL 28 2010 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
JUL 29 2010 - Starland Ballroom - Sayerville, NJ
JUL 30 2010 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
JUL 31 2010 - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza - New York, NY
AUG 01 2010 - The Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
AUG 02 2010 - Eleanor Rigby's (NEW) - Jermyn, PA
AUG 03 2010 - The House Of Blues (NEW) - Cleveland, OH
AUG 04 2010 - Scatz Nightclub - Middleton, WI
AUG 06 2010 - Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
AUG 07 2010 - Xclamation Festival - Modesto, CA
AUG 08 2010  - Tower Theatre - Fresno, CA
AUG 11 2010  - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
AUG 12 2010 - Dante's - Portland, OR
AUG 13 2010 - The Last Day Saloon - Santa Rosa, CA
AUG 14 2010 - Pepperbelly's - Fairfield, CA
AUG 15 2010 - The Avalon - Santa Clara, CA
AUG 17 2010 - The Boardwalk (DATE CHANGE) - Orangevale, CA
AUG 18 2010 - Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
AUG 19 2010 - Key Club West - Hollywood, CA
AUG 21 2010 - Rosemont Theatre (NEW) - Rosemont, IL

For more information, check out the official MSG website.

The Sweet Added to Rock n' America

Check another band off my "need to see list!" The Sweet will now play Rock n' America next Friday, July 23. This pleases me much. Check out the band times below.

Black Veil Brides - Not So Glam

Ok, I don't get it. Why are people calling Black Veil Brides Glam? They're not Glam. They're emo. Which is fine - I've got nothing against them or emo bands really - I just don't get all the Glam press. Just because the band's singer Andy Six happens to be obsessed with Kiss and Motley Crue doesn't mean much - in sound anyway. In image...well, that's something else. In reality, I think Black Veil Brides is basically screamo with some Bullet for My Valentine/Avenged Sevenfold influence.

Black Veil Brides will release their debut We Stitch These Wounds on July 20. The band is on a Hot Topic sponsored tour now. If you think this band is Glam, then tell me why. Obviously I'm missing something but I listened to "Knives and Pens" about six times in a row just to be fair. I'm sorry but I just don't hear the Glam. But yeah, the band has dyed black hair.

Something Different: Kopek

Check out this band, Kopek. The trio is Irish and there's definitely a cool vibe going on here. Their debut, White Collar Lies is available now. Some people are saying this band is alternative - I disagree. They just sound like rock to me. Check out this clip for "Love is Dead."