See the gallery of images featuring two rock icons during their Des Moines, IA tour stop.
When the 2023 edition of the Freaks On Parade summer tour was announced and the pairing of Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper was confirmed – it was hard to shrug off the excitement. Given the catalog and penchant for live theatrics that are core to both artists, the combination presented huge possibilities when it came to the spectacle of live rock revelry.
The co-headlining tandem has exceeded those expectations as the first week of the Freaks on Parade run has proven to be a live thrill of cinematic scope.
More than five decades into his storied career, Alice Cooper towers as a timeless champion of rock heavy grandeur. Kicking off his stage time with “Lock Me Up”, emerging from a banner that read “Banned in Iowa” for “Deeds Against Humanity” the icon stalked the stage with pure command. The roar amplified as “No More Mr. Nice Guy” followed, showing not only does Cooper still have the chops, but he’s spent generations knowing how to work the crowd.
Entries like “Black Widow Jam”, the pillar of the Welcome To My Nightmare-era, reminded fans of Alice Cooper’s innovation and long established prowess when it came to the darker side of rock music. Combined with the energy of “Feed My Frankenstein” and a soaring guitar solo from The Hurricane Nita Strauss, the fans in Des Moines were treated to a heavy metal masterclass. Closing out his time with the forever classic “School’s Out” only punctuated that point.
The segue into Zombie’s set shows the progression of performative spectacle from one generation to the next. It’s clear why this tour makes sense and how both artists not only play off of one another, but offer homage to one another in the same evening. It’s that classic lineage that allows Zombie to shine as such a enduring pioneer in the rock music – showcasing both the visual and the musical elements that make for a larger than life set, every night.
Spanning his discography, Zombie touched on each of his imaginative eras, from 2021’s The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy to the staples of “What Lurks On Channel X?” and “Living Dead Girl” from Hellbilly Deluxe. Zombie even included essentials from White Zombie, unloading fiery renditions of “More Human Than Human” and “Thunder Kiss ’65” that caused the arena to erupt.
Asserting his cinematic rank, aside from the brilliant technicolor nightmare that is a Zombie stage production, the frontman also showed the re-release trailer marking the 20th anniversary of his directorial debut, as the cult classic House of 1000 Corpses celebrates two decades this fall.
Holding onto a pummeling version of “Dragula” as his finale, Rob Zombie further asserted how he embraced inner freak and weaponized it to make art that endures the test of time.
See the gallery of images from Ras Visual here. The remaining dates of the Freaks On Parade 2023 tour can be found below.
ROB ZOMBIE
ALICE COOPER
Tue Sep 05 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Wed Sep 06 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Fri Sep 08 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Sat Sep 09 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sun Sep 10 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre
Tue Sep 12 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sat Sep 16 – Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre *
Tue Sep 19 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Wed Sep 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
Fri Sep 22 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
Sat Sep 23 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sun Sep 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
