The Godfather of shock rock, Alice Cooper, brought his extended Alice’s Attic Tour to Waukegan for a night of gothic theatrics.
2026 is proving to be a very busy year for Alice Cooper. He went from touring with his band to performing shows with the Hollywood Vampires, releasing his book, “Devil On My Shoulder: A Memoir,” to extending his Alice’s Attic Tour. No rest for the wicked, as they say.
This show had no opening band, just straight down to business, which was absolutely fine with the audience members. The Genesee Theatre was packed, and while it is a fully seated venue, the entire floor section took to their feet the moment the house lights dimmed, right through to the very last note. No matter how many times people have seen Alice Cooper live, when they hear he’s in town and they will come, either donning a band T-shirt, dressed up as one of his characters, or in his iconic makeup. He has one of the loyalist fanbases there is.
If you’ve ever been to an Alice Cooper show, you know what to expect, in all the best ways. Imagine if you went to his show and he didn’t have the giant Frankenstein come out to terrorize the band during “Feed My Frankenstein.” You’d feel like you’d been ripped off. You have to have the guillotine beheading, Sheryl being killed; it’s all got to be a part of the show. Just because you’ve seen it before does not take away from it at all. The theatrics are a huge part of the appeal.
Something that was new this time around was the addition of Anna Cara, who has been standing in while Nita Strauss is off on maternity leave. Nita Strauss is a phenomenal guitarist and plays such a huge role in the band’s lineup. She is missed by the fans and has left some huge shoes to fill. You have to have some major skills to be asked to stand in for someone like Nita. Anna more than holds her own in the role. The 23 year-old from Newcastle, UK, even had her own solo section, during which she proved she more than has the chops to be up there. Nita is set to return to the fold for Cooper’s Las Vegas shows at the end of the month, but we are sure this will not be the last you’ve seen of Anna.
As always, Cooper was joined on stage by guitarists Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen, and Glen Sobel on drums. Chris Wyse, Cooper’s Hollywood Vampires bandmate, has stepped in to cover for Chuck Garric for six shows, and is no stranger to the band’s lineup.
The night’s setlist included the classic songs “I’m Eighteen,” “No More Mr Nice Guy,” and, of course, “School’s Out.” “Poison” had the crowd dancing and rocking out as they sang wholeheartedly along with the iconic shock rocker.
We can never get enough of Alice Cooper or his band. The extremely talented musicians he surrounds himself with each draw crowds in their own rights. Add in the theatrics, and the main man himself, and you know you are in for one hell of a night. Cooper is always the showman, and an absolute treat to see perform, but it’s the sum of all parts that make these shows so special.
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