An epic night of rock as Alice Cooper and Motley Crue rolled into town for one last time.

Alice Cooper started the night with an explosive and pyrotechnic bang. Cooper didn’t waste any time as he plowed through his classic hits “School’s Out,” “Poison,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Looking at the crowd’s reaction, it was fair to say that the venue could have been filled for him alone. Of course, no set of Alice Cooper’s could be complete without his iconic guillotine and his full “Feed My Frankenstein” production. It’s clear to see where the likes of In This Moment, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie drew their inspiration.

Wearing his iconic red and black striped suit with his skull belt buckle, Cooper looked every bit the rock star you’ve come to know and love. His band looked like they were enjoying every moment of being on stage, and could be seen laughing and joking with each other as they took their turn for solos on the center podium. Nita Strauss had big shoes to fill when she replaced Orianthi as Cooper’s guitarist, but she has more than stepped up to the plate. She looked like she was born to play in Cooper’s band and was totally at home as she played harmoniously with Tommy Henriksen and Ryan Roxie, whilst undoubtedly making her presence felt with some ripping solos.

Motley Crue erupted onto the stage, and launched straight into the anthemic “Girls, Girls, Girls,” making sure the crowd were instantly on their feet with fists in the air. It was like a scene from the 80s hair metal hayday, with flames bursting across the stage and pyrotechnics exploding at any given moment.

Tommy Lee has taken his drum solo to a whole new level. Once upon a time, his drum kit would raise up, then came the rotating drum kit. Now there is the fully rotating roller coaster, known as “The Cruecifly,” which spans almost the whole length of the arena. It was nothing less than phenomenal to experience. Any drum solo that follows is surely going to pale in comparison.

The arena was filled by a passionate fan base, singing so loudly they almost completely drowned out Vince Neil, who himself was singing with every bit of passion and range as he did when these songs first came out. It really is a shame to think that these fans will not get to see their favorite band play live together again after the current tour.

As they banged out hits “Dr. Feelgood,” and “Kickstart My Heart,” the guys moved the show to a raised platform at the back of the arena to slow things down with the ever so poignant “Home Sweet Home,” which rounded out the set. One bucket list band checked off the list, but certainly a bittersweet night.

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Motley Crue
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About The Author

Kirstine moved from the UK to Chicago in 2011, and has fallen in love with the city and its music scene. She enjoys combining her two biggest passions – music and photography. If there is a band with a guitar playing, chances are she’ll be there…camera in hand. Kirstine went to her first live concert at 7 years old, and hasn’t looked back since!