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"Cooperstown"

'In a vacant lot on Jackson Street, the music from Alice Cooper's "Feed My Frankenstein" filled the afternoon air. Smoke seeped from around the steel door on the side of a building as two ghouls stepped out, followed by Cooper. It was the groundbreaking of his Cooper'sTown, a restaurant that will be just south of America West Arena. "This is going to be the oldest restaurant in Phoenix 100 years from now. We are going to make this our legacy," said Cooper, who explained why it wasn't built in time for baseball: "Getting a tour together is about a hundred times easier than putting a restaurant together." The eatery will be a cross between the All-Star Sports Cafe and the Hard Rock Cafe..... Cooper is putting together a band with other musicians in town, such as Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) and Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival), who will perform on the restaurant's outside stage. Clifford, a self-proclaimed snowbird from Lake Tahoe, Nev., was at the groundbreaking. "When I'm in town, I'll be on drums" said Clifford, who lives in Scottsdale's Gainey Ranch. Clifford and KUPD's Dave Pratt are among the many investors in Cooper'sTown. Autographed baseballs were tossed out, with the first pitch going to Jerry Colangelo. "Thanks for what you're doing downtown," shouted Evening Star producer Danny Zelisko, as Colangelo threw the ball. "You've taken a lot of cheap shots. To hell with all of them."

There is also alot of hoopla surrounding the Diamondbacks baseball season opener today at the new Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. Alice is supposed to be there, and this is what the 'AZ Republic' mentioned today about one of the opening day ceremonies:

*Now singing: The national anthem will be done by a choir composed of Arizona recording artists. Likely participants: Linda Ronstadt, Glen Campbell, Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks.

© Phoenix Newspaper Inc. Reprinted with permission.