Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

MUSIC Bent Nights
Alice Cooper at House of Blues, Oct. 14
by HESTER
2003-11-26

This article shared 2611 times since Wed Nov 26, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The most irritating aspect of glam-rock is how badly it ages. At one time pushing the envelope on sexual role playing, a mere decade later it looks at best quaint. The best glam-rockers sidestepped the problem by being smart dressers (Annie Lennox' male drag from '83 would look good in any era and Freddy Mercury's graduation from skin-tight leotards to black vinyl was an embodiment of hairy-chested masculinity), or moved in different directions (the refined and elegant David Bowie). But the rest look silly and naive. Don't believe me? Have a look at Sir Elton, Rod Stewart, or Sir Mick from their '70s period. Only KISS and Alice Cooper refused to change.

The major appeal of KISS was always the goofiness of straight men in foot-high platform boots, skintight spandex, and face paint. Cooper is more subversive, and, as evidenced by his recent Chicago gig, more disturbing. The mascara is still there, as is the dress code from his early '70s heyday (a mop of tangled hair, black-leather wardrobe, S/M gear), but what's amusing is how his most shocking attributes have comfortably seeped into our world view. In '72 the sight of him dancing with a full-grown boa constrictor seemed perverse, but now I have to say I know several 'normal' people who have pet big snakes. His stage drag wouldn't be out of place in a leather bar or on the street. Necrophilia figured prominently in his stage shows, but in retrospect A.C.'s antics pale next to one Dr. Hannibal Lector.

A.C. was obviously onto more than show and tell when he broke out in '71, and the 'Bare Bones Tour' verified the fact. Stripped down and muscular, the new CD, The Eyes of Alice Cooper, is a throwback to '70s-era Detroit metal. Loud, crass, and smelly, it's rock without refinement, spontaneous and rude without apology. And for most of the show, A.C. delivered on it.

Opening with 'Hello Hooray,' the show was light on flash, hard on muscle. Looking and sounding remarkable, A.C. fronted a band that was a good 20 years his junior. Rough, tattooed, and bare-chested (my it's hot in here), they attacked A.C.'s discography with a young punk's swagger. The kicker was that A.C. met the challenge head on—he's definitely the man he used to be.

The first half of the show bolted from the gate;: 'Billion Dollar Babies,' a psychedelic 'I'm 18,' 'No More Mr. Nice Guy,' a salacious 'Be My Lover,' and 'Lost in America.' The new and savagely funny songs 'What do You Want from Me?' (with its ultimate sacrifice of 'I even burned my porn for you...') and 'High School to Old School' ('Nobody wants me hangin' around unless it's from a tree in the middle of town...') were white trash rock worthy of the most dire trailer park.

For 'Welcome to My Nightmare' he brought out the snake, and that's when the show lost heat. 'Only Women Bleed,' his ballad about wife abuse, may have been thoughtful, but the female dancer executing pseudo-ballet moves cluttered the vibe. 'Poison' and the wickedly funny 'Cold Ethel' cranked the velocity back up. Flinging a human-size ragdoll about like a soiled doily, he punched up 'Ethel''s demented punchline ('She's cool in bed/hell she oughta be 'cause Ethel's dead'). Reaching back for forgotten gems ('Halo of Flies,' 'Ballad of Dwight Frye,' 'Desperado') gave the show and him a timely bite. But if there was any doubt, the double barrel of 'School's Out' and 'Under My Wheels,' raging motor-city rockers both, closed the show with defiant fury.

A.C.'s best bit was at the finish. Two dancers, one in Britney drag and the other in a Madonna mask, took center stage and liplocked in an MTV-inspired kiss. They ended up in a fist fight with A.C. shaking his head in bewilderment. But it was dead-on and appropriate. As the master of outrage for more than 30 years, is it any wonder A.C.'s twisted comedy reflects the times we live in? ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------


This article shared 2611 times since Wed Nov 26, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground 2024-03-24
- At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21
- Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners 2024-03-19
- Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.