Alice Cooper. Photo by Chyrisse. VNT_0527- — Alice Cooper. Photo by Chyrisse.

By Wendy Hunter, Journalist, and Chyrisse Tabone, Photographer – Rock At Night, Tampa

Alice Cooper’s Too Close for Comfort Tour 2025 – The BayCare Sound, Clearwater, Florida – February 8, 2025

Alice Cooper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011

Detroit-native Alice Cooper, also known as the Godfather of Shock Rock, is an innovator of choreographed theatrical rock shows based explicitly on the macabre. Cooper has given the world both shock and hard rock, with a smidge of metal tossed in for over fifty-five years. When I entered the open-walled, canvas-covered venue, The Baycare Sound, black garb dominated the crowd, and Alice Cooper tee-shirts were everywhere, confirming long-time love for this artist. With the extensive line of folks buying merch, there certainly will be even more Copper-garb at future concerts. Many of the silver-haired folks in the audience most likely have known Cooper from the beginning times, but his fans also included many younger and middle-aged rockers.

The crowd was buzzing even before the gig began, and their noise escalated after mysterious black-clad bell ringers sauntered across the stage, signaling the beginning. Enter guitarists Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henriksen, Gilby Clarke, bassist Chuck Garric, and drummer Glen Sobel, who kicked off with the song “Lock Me Up.” Listeners were standing with phones held high. Then the spotlight shone on Cooper, the man himself, behind a towering transparent white banner that read “Banned in Florida” while a loud voice boomed out “Alice Cooper you’ve been banned in Florida, how do you plead?” Cooper shouted, “Guilty!” After parting the banner with a sword, he stepped out in full view, wearing a top hat and black leather. The banner dropped to the floor, and the listeners’ raucous cheers rose. Many stood, clapped, and pumped fists. It was rock theatrics at its best!

Ryan Roxie, Alice Cooper, & Tommy Henriksen. Photo by Chyrisse.

Nearly every song on the setlist was familiar to me and each one built a feeling like this concert was the songbook of my life. Cooper’s deep and raspy vocals, with his synchronized band, mesmerized the audience. During the song “Eighteen,” Cooper wielded a crutch as Roxey and Clarke faced off to demonstrate their guitar skills. Other song highlights of the night included “Snakebite,” with Cooper’s six-foot boa constrictor wrapped around him as he sang. During “Lost in America,” Cooper donned a black leather jacket with a US flag adorning his back. With a deep drum beat and occasional yells of HEY! by the guitarists, this song had a tinge of punk flavor while spartan symbols rolled across the large screens in the back of the band. During the song “Poison,” with its familiar guitar intro and guitarists singing backup, listeners near me stood, sang, danced, and shook fists. And kudos to the young women nearby who danced like no one was watching through the entire concert.

The concertgoers also reacted hardily to solos, so a special shout-out goes to the band. Sobel displayed his talent on the drum kit with complex patterns and speed–and how does he twirl those sticks so well? Henriksen, Clarke, Roxie, and Garric each showed their prowess in guitars, from vibrato to bending and other techniques. The most dramatic part of the concert occurred prior to the song “I Love the Dead.” I won’t spoil it for those who may not have seen and heard this, but let me say that both Cooper and his wife Sheryl (dressed as Marie Antoinette) are on stage and a guillotine is involved.

So, with the concert coming to an end and the refrain of the beloved song “Schools Out” beginning, my mind flashed back to my last day of high school. As I burst through the school’s double doors and sang, “Schools out forever, schools out completely,” I can still feel that moment of joy and freedom. At that moment, Cooper invited the crowd to sing along, saying, “Give it to me now!” which brought the concertgoers to a high point. After band introductions, the encore “Feed My Frankenstein” ensued. A giant Frankenstein figure wandered about the stage, confetti erupted, and the band rocked on while Cooper sang. The entire house was up and cheering. Cooper says, “May all your dreams be nightmares.” Oh, how we love that rock theater!