Concert Reviews
Alice Cooper @ the Pageant 10/4/01
A current commercial for Residence Inn features Alice Cooper jumping rope with two young children. Completely decked out in his shock-rock outfit of makeup and black leather, he rhymes “My name is Alice / I live in a palace,” as his 50-year-old body hops up and down.
It’s funny, but a Marriot commercial here and a celebrity golf appearance there can cast shadows of doubt over your relevance in the music industry. At this stage in his career, Cooper probably isn’t thinking about breaking ground, but his new album and tour certainly makes you wonder if he still takes himself seriously.
The fact that Cooper still claims to be the king of theatrical rock `n’ roll works both for and against him.
His new record, Dragontown, is a misguided piece of nostalgia, with Cooper inserting nu-metal sounds and sappy, PC ballads alongside his familiar over-the-top rockers in an attempt to remain current. Lyrically, the record is dumb and it really isn’t fun.
Cooper wants us to know that he doesn’t do dishes, and he doubts any man that does.
Unfortunately, by the time you get around to hearing him say this, it’s very difficult to muster a smile, or to even care. While some lyrics like “I hate opera/I hate Oprah” deserve a cynical chuckle, Dragontown confirms that you really shouldn’t dabble in his post-Trash material for very long.
The experience of seeing Alice Cooper perform live fares a bit better. Selections from the last few records are played, and they are horrible, but his presence and cooperation in digging out old material counters the excruciating moments.
It’s almost exactly like going to see Aerosmith. You go mental for “Back in the Saddle,” but you agonize during “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing.” At the Pageant, things got off to a rocky start with the opener, “Sex, Death, and Money,” but picked up speed for “I’m Eighteen” and “Dead Babies.” Thankfully, he was set on rocking the hits all night, and his voice sounded surprisingly alive on “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Lost In America,” “Under My Wheels” and “School’s Out.”
Cooper understands that figures like Manson and Eminem have one-upped him in shocking people, and has wisely turned his performances into a self-parody. The stage looked like the Pirates of the Caribbean from Disneyland, as Alice stabbed plastic babies, murdered a Britney Spears look-a-like, got killed and was miraculously brought back to life- all within the 90-minute show!
Sure you could poke holes in everything he did, but giving long-time fans some enjoyment certainly is not pathetic. It’s a great chance to see a legend, even though he’s far from the top of his game. Next time around, let’s just hope he bypasses the recording studio.
The Black Crowes w/ Beachwood Sparks @ the Pageant 10/17/01
After a tame audience reaction to “Midnight From the Inside Out,” the opening number of the Black Crowes’ storming two-hour set, Chris Robinson knew just how to rile the audience into a frenzy.
“This isn’t the Dave Matthews Band!” shouted Robinson, citing the pathetic campfire rocker that America seems to be obsessed with. “He’s a nice guy, but this is rock `n’ roll!”
From there, the audience, well schooled on their Led Zeppelin and Allman Brothers, let the Crowes take them on an unbelievable trip through their six-album catalogue. Covers, album tracks, rarities and classic singles were blended seamlessly as the greatest and truest American rock band of 2001 appeared in top form.
Augmented by two amazing female back-up singers and rejuvenated by their ace new record, Lions, the Crowes have been on a non-stop tour of the world, playing high profile gigs with Neil Young, Oasis and AC/DC. St. Louis was one of the last dates of their busy year, and they seem to get better with every show.
The Crowes drastically mix up their set each night, supplying mystery and excitement, and make it difficult to predict what they are going to surprise the audience with next.
You almost took staples like “Remedy” and “Twice As Hard” for granted when the Crowes pulled out Bob Marley’s “Time Will Tell,” or when guitarist Rich Robinson led the band on a rollicking and jubilant “Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz” that went into “Thorn In My Pride.” Early on, two songs from the ignored By Your Side are played, “Kicking My Heart Around” and “Horsehead.”
Dave Scher, from opening act Beachwood Sparks, complemented Rich Robinson and Audley Freed’s soaring guitars with some pedal-steel on “Wiser Time” and Chris Robinson dominated the current single “Soul Singing.” The bittersweet “Better When You’re Not Alone” began the encore and a worthy cover of the Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” ended the evening.
The excellent Beachwood Sparks brought their west-coast influenced, psychedelic soft-rock in support of the Crowes and concentrated mostly on selections from Once We Were Trees. “The Sun Surrounds Me” is about as perfect as a song gets, with a chugging verse and a bright chorus, and “Canyon Ride” from their self-titled debut was absolutely beautiful.
Chuck Berry w/ Little Richard @ the Pageant 10/18
Before any of the festivities began, a slide show of messages to Chuck Berry was shown at the Pageant. What made the 75th birthday greetings so special was the fact that most came from many of rock `n’ roll’s elite. Pete Townsend called Chuck Berry the true laureate of rock. Stevie Wonder, Anthony Kiedis, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson all sent wishes to the St. Louis native. Even Joan Jett, whose career has taken a disastrous turn by butchering Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take It” on a sub-par tribute album, sent Chuck hugs and kisses.
Little Richard was entrusted with opening for Chuck Berry and played a competent and enjoyable 11-song set that was comprised of most of his familiar tunes. He may have appeared a bit ragged (i.e., dead-cat haircut and excessive make-up), and looked to the audience for some help in the vocal department, but Little Richard is still quite the entertainer. He played the same song twice with no hesitation, opening and closing with “Livin’ in the USA,” and dropped “Tutti Frutti” and “Lucille” while delicately dabbing the sweat off his forehead with some tissues.
Richard called for a big black woman to dance onstage during “Good Golly Miss Molly” because he loves big black women, and continued with derogatory versions of “Blueberry Hill” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”
Before he was through, he even addressed his friend Chuck Berry with a sloppy-yet sincere retooling of “Happy Birthday.” It was quite stunning to see both rock `n’ roll legends embrace during the song. Although it was a rare St. Louis appearance by Richard, the night was all about Berry. It’s difficult to really appreciate the man when he is such a visible and targeted member of our community. Scandal and controversy surrounds his name, and it’s easy to take Berry for granted.
It’s inconceivable that we would think like this, because Berry was largely responsible for rock `n’ roll- the best thing on the planet. Guys like John Lennon and Keith Richards flipped out when they met Berry, so why don’t we?
At his 75th birthday party, everyone celebrated the fact that he’s still kicking. You’ve got to hand it to the man, who’s about the only one of his peers that is still able to perform on a regular basis. The hits were played that night, and Berry was in better form than recent reports would lead you to believe.
His guitar was in tune with that of his backing band, and he seemed determined to look heroic on his birthday. “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” are played with extraordinary enthusiasm. The highlight of the night is the superb “Memphis, Tennessee,” with Berry playing alongside his son.
The short set only glimpsed at Berry’s legacy, but it was a fitting celebration, with his best songs sounding great. It made his monthly shows at the Duck Room even more attractive, where you can check out a more comprehensive and concentrated gig.
If you haven’t gone to see Berry before, you have to do it. At first, you may not realize the significance of catching him, but as time goes on, you’ll realize how lucky you were. Like Townsend’s windmills during “My Generation,” the duck walk during “Johnny B. Goode” is one of those concert moments that you can tell your grandchildren about. Although it may not seem like it, time is running out for the king of rock `n’ roll. Make the most of it.
