Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper Bring A Parade Of Freaks To Houston

Sunday night Houston and surrounding area residents gathered within the grounds of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for an epic night of rock and metal music. The “Freaks On Parade” lineup included icons Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper along with supporting openers, Ministry and Filter. Four extremely talented bands with their own wide range of fans only made it that more clear to me that it was going to be a jam-packed show and to get myself prepared for the shenanigans that was yet to come. I’ve been a huge fan of Rob Zombie and also White Zombie since i was just a bratty little teen and have seen Rob live a handful of times but being able to photograph and cover his show was definitely a bucket list for me, so needless to say, not only was i over the moon in excitement, but i was definitely feeling the pressure as well.

Filter – Photo: Krystiee Lee Photography

Cleveland, Ohio originated rock band Filter was first to take the stage, shouting out to the crowd with heavy thanks of being there and immediately jumped into their intro song “You Walk Away”. Filter is one of those bands that will always give me that nostalgic late 90’s/ early 2000’s sitting out on the back porch drinking lemonade days that will always for some reason be planted in my childhood memory… almost soul music for me in a way. They played a super quick six song set that ultimately ended with everyone’s obvious favorite hits “Take A Picture”, “Welcome To The Fold”, and “Hey Man Nice Shot”. These guys are still after all these years perfectly tight and blended with their sounds, and still put one one heck of a performance. At first I felt they didn’t completely fit the vibe of the tour but after hearing them live it all made much more sense.

Ministry – Photo: Krystiee Lee Photography

Next up we had Chicago founded metal band Ministry. I’ve always heard great things about this band but never got myself to sit down and listen to them, which is honestly a loss on my end but I was stoked to be able to finally see what they were all about. First off, WOWWWWW. These dudes have some momentum… in all the best ways possible. I was instantly blown away by their stage presence but their style and music absolutely exceeded my expectations and I came to this conclusion not even two songs into their short set. Frontman and singer Al Jourgensen paced back and forth to each side of the stage probably a million times engaging with the crowd and even us photographers and was just thriving on that stage. Ministry played several songs including “Goddamn White Trash”, “Just One Fix”, and “Thieves” before ending their set with a bang to “Jesus Built My Hotrod”. Their performance was definitely off the walls in raging vocals, eccentric guitars, and pure chaos. All mixing into the perfect dose of good ol’ fashion metal.

Alice Cooper – Photo: Krystiee Lee Photography

After a short break for crew members to set up Alice Cooper’s stage, it was finally time to welcome the legend… and man did the crowd give him a welcome. Excited screams plastered all over the pavilion once the lights went dark and Alice walked out from behind his vintage newspaper themed stage curtain and all hell broke loose. Jumping right into “Lock Me Up”, “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, and “I’m Eighteen” with really no breaks in between to breathe.. By now I was absolutely in a trance of starstruck. With the lighting, the stage theatrical performance, and obviously the insane amount of guitar riffs coming from Nita Strauss… If any band in the world has the world record of energy.. It’s one thousand percent Alice Cooper’s band. He has a way of connecting with his fans in the most mystical way possible… almost as if he’s not just performing for his audience but WITH his audience, like a shared experience in a way if that makes any sense. Every song performed feels alive and raw at the same time, and not many bands can reach that level of expertise. Alice Cooper played a whopping sixteen song selist from many of his various albums – songs including “Snakebite”, “Black Widow Jam”, “Guitar Solo”, and “I Love The Dead” and each having its own little theatrical dialogue. Ending with “Elected” and everyone’s favorite “Schools Out”, Alice Cooper put on one hell of a show as always and proved he has just as much energy and liveliness as he did decades ago, and that

he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Rob Zombie – Photo: Krystiee Lee Photography

There was finally a breeze of air as it was time for what most of us fans were here for, Rob Zombie. The merch and beer lines were clear for once as everyone was settling into their seats or finding their placement in the lawn to get themselves ready to headband, mosh, and bring on the freak parade. After the curtain dropped from that stage, pure anarchy rained and it was time for shit to really hit the fan. Starting off with “Demon Speeding” Rob was hovering at the top of the biggest platform I’ve ever seen on a stage, it was almost impossible to see him unless you were far enough back into the crowd. It was by far the most insane stage setup I’ve ever witnessed. Huge LED screens in almost every direction, sparks falling from the stage ceiling, pyro (and I mean LOTS of pyro), monsters and more… how in the world could it get any better than that?! Rob Zombie has always been known for his extreme visuals and is a true mastermind to his craft of it, he’s made a huge name for himself with his movie directing and his music and continues to outdo himself in each project he does. Each song is notable for the extreme and horror themed craziness, and that is one reason why every single horror fan is ultimately a fan of Rob. There was a fifteen song set for the night including “Feel So Numb”, “Superbeast” and “Never Gonna Stop”. It was a super exciting moment hearing his old White Zombie hit tracks including my personal favorite “More Human Than Human” and “Thunder Kiss 65”. The whole performance was absolutely spectacular, and it was definitely one of the top five shows I’ve covered this year. Rob Zombie ended with encore “Dragula” and at that point every single human in that crowd was screaming alongside him. This show is without a doubt a must see, so if it comes to your city, I highly recommend attending. You will thank me later.