Rob Zombie’s music reminds me of those haunted houses on Clifford Hill by Niagara Falls. The ones that haven’t changed one iota since they opened their doors decades ago. Why change? You don’t mess with success. The vibe is corny and nostalgic—familiar freaky fun for the whole family. Rob Zombie is the McDonald’s Happy Meal of alternative music, gleefully unsophisticated comfort food. He is industrial metal at its most catchy and accessible, filled with obsessive admiration for Halloween. His most recent album, 2021’s checks notes The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy was pretty good. The best thing he released in the 21st century is definitely 2016’s checks notes The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser. I’m not going out of my way to listen to him much today, but when his songs, mainly from 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe, do come on shuffle, I am cranking the volume. He’s been writing the same songs for over 25 years, but you can’t trust someone who dislikes a Happy Meal.
Alice Cooper is vintage leather-clad rock and roll embedded into the mainstream with songs like School’s Out and Poison. My high school always played the former over the PA on the last day of classes. I used to listen to him more in middle school before carving out my musical palette with heavier bands (like Rob Zombie.) He’s a rock legend and cultural icon, and I’m glad to have seen him, considering he’s pushing 76 years old. Alice Cooper’s prolific discography started when his first band released their debut record in 1969. His most recent album, Road, dropped on August 25th, 2023.
Cooper played first to approximately 15,000 screaming fans of all ages on September 6th at Budweiser Stage. The first thing that struck me was that he sounds just as good as he does on his studio albums. His band featured three guitarists, most notably virtuoso Nita Strauss, whose spine-chilling guitar solos melted faces faster than the 30-degree weather ever could. The setlist was full of hits, like I’m Eighteen, alongside the ones mentioned above. My favourite song was the wholesome anti-suicide PSA Hey Stoopid. Cooper builds his songs around catchy hooks that beg fans to scream along—a master of anthemic songwriting. He could probably just point the mic at us and take a seat. Elaborate set designs and props are an Alice Cooper staple. We saw a live snake, fake blood, and a guillotine. Cooper came out in a straight jacket and dropped to his knees for Ballad of Dwight Fry. Personally, I was disappointed at some song omissions, like Dead Babies and Welcome to My Nightmare, but his voice, one full of nails, killed every note.
Rob Zombie doesn’t command an audience as much as hypnotize one. My neck still hurts. He played several classic songs, like Living Dead Girl and Superbeast. Zombie is a filmmaker—explains why the stage videos were so electrifying. Like Cooper, he sounds just as good as the studio albums, which surprised me because his live albums often show him out of breath. His songs are built on stream-of-consciousness verses, horror movie samples, and catchy hooks. My voice was dead by the show’s end. I wish he played more material from his first band White Zombie. Their cover of Black Sabbath’s Children of the Grave is incredible. Also wish they played Warp Asylum and Soul-Crusher. My favourite song was White Zombie’s brain-scorching Thunderkiss ‘65. Its first few notes already had people jumping. Zombie asked us to put down our phones for that one, and nearly everybody listened. I wish Rob Zombie narrated my life. We love Rob Zombie. All I listen to is Rob Zombie. All my friends listen to is Rob Zombie. All my neighbours listen to is Rob Zombie.
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