Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Bring Shock & Awe Perfection to Xcel Energy Center

Going from the intimacy of seeing Thursday at the tiny Zhora Darling on Saturday night to being at an arena show at the giant Xcel Energy Center on Sunday night was a shock to the system. Both shows had their merits, but as my friend and I weaved through slow-moving people on the arena’s concourse, I couldn’t help but wish I was back at a small club show. There’s just something about those smaller shows that hits me a bit harder than at arena shows, and although I was stoked to be where I was on Sunday night and see these infamous acts I was seeing, my head was still in the clouds from Saturday night and I found it hard to focus.

Kicking the giant arena show off was 90s rockers Filter. Their quick, six-song set was the soundtrack for many people walking in, and, honestly, it was the perfect sound to walk into. I’ll be honest: I was never a huge Filter fan. I loved being able to sing along to “Take a Picture” and “Hey Man Nice Shot,” but beyond that, my knowledge of this band is lacking. That being said, I thought that the group sounded great, although it had been decades since their true heyday. They may not be at the forefront of everyone’s mind right now, but they definitely proved that they are worth a second look if it’s been a hot minute since you’ve heard them.

Following Filter was Ministry. This band brought more of an edge to the night with visuals that pushed the boundaries and a sound that dives deep into a more industrial side of things. Formed in 1981, Ministry is one of those bands that I don’t think really got the recognition they deserved. They get grouped into a world with acts like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails but never got the spotlight like those acts did. Personally, I did not feel that their intriguing and sometimes odd performance on Sunday night warrants being among those names, but I will say that I thought they brought something fresh and different to the four-band lineup.

Alice Cooper was the first of the co-headlining tour to take the stage. He took the reigns of the night, and, personally, I wish he had never let them go. At 76 years old, this man still has it quickly jumping into the spotlight with his signature look of leather, a frilly white shirt, dazzling accents, and heavy black eyeliner around his eyes dripping down onto his face. It was a bit surreal to see if I’m being quite honest. It has been decades since I have seen Alice Cooper perform, yet it was as if he hadn’t aged a day. Between his signature look and the way that he didn’t hold back throughout the impressive sixteen-song set that included zero long-form breaks for the aging rocker, I was more than impressed, to say the least.

I only know a few of Alice Cooper’s songs. Obviously, I know the hits and was definitely head banging along to the final track of the set, “School’s Out”, but that didn’t stop me from being completely captivated with every passing song. Alice Cooper and his entire band are musicians, first and foremost, but they are also performers. With little breaks in between tracks, which featured Cooper’s wife and daughter performing little quips and breaks, including a Baroque-styled dress (worn by his gorgeous wife) and whips (yeah, it was a bit weird at times and hard to follow, but it sure was fun to watch), Alice Cooper made his set an approachable and addicting one for those who may not know all of his tunes.

Beyond the theatrics and the live snake brought on stage for “Snakebit” (yeah, I could have gone without that), Alice Cooper and his absolutely amazing band gave the audience of about 10,000 people a heartfelt and slightly over-the-top performance, but the night was not done yet. We still had the other co-headliner of the night- the almighty Rob Zombie.

Maybe you know Rob Zombie from his solo work, maybe from White Zombie, or perhaps you’re just a movie buff who only knows him because of his work with horror films (he directed movies like ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ and ‘The Lords of Salem’), regardless, you know Rob Zombie, and there’s absolutely no denying the legend of this man. Sunday night was my second time seeing him, and after seeing him last summer at Mystic Lake Amphitheatre and having my mind completely blown, I felt that I was ready for whatever Rob Zombie was going to give me on Sunday night.

If I’m being honest, compared to that fateful night last summer, Rob Zombie’s set on Sunday fell slightly short for me. It’s not that it was bad at all– it was honestly great– more that it just lacked the same kind of energy that I had felt from the man last time. With that in mind, I was quickly captivated by the legend’s live show. Much like that of Alice Cooper, it was over the top, complete with over-stimulating images flashing on the screens scattered around the stage and multiple creatures and larger-than-life robots that would come on and off the stage at various times in the night.

Sunday night was the 26th anniversary of Zombie’s debut solo album, ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’. Although he only mentioned this once in the set, it’s somewhat insane to think about. This album includes Zombie’s solo hits like “Dragula” and “Living Dead Girl,” which are definitely legendary stand-outs in this sometimes obscure and always intriguing scene of shock and horror rock. To celebrate this stunning anniversary, Rob brought out Sheri Moon Zombie to kick off the opening track on the album, “Call of the Zombie.” Her voice is the first one you hear on this album as she reads a creepy nursery rhyme before the band takes over the track. Although it was such a small moment in the set, I really liked this nod back to the past and felt like having Sheri there, in person, to kick this song off, added that special sauce to an already amazing track and set.

Rob Zombie only played sixteen songs. He ended with the hit song “Dragula” and left the stage and didn’t return. The set felt short, having lasted only about an hour, but that hour was filled with visuals and complete overstimulation, and I honestly don’t know if the older audience could have taken much more. At the end of the night, the shorter set was a bit shocking, but I got it, and overall, it was the perfect end cap to a truly amazing night.

I’m fortunate enough to cover all kinds of shows. Although I lean towards smaller and more intimate concerts, there’s no denying the magical feeling that you get from a giant arena show full of production and talent.