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Alice Cooper Plays to Large Crowd

Approximately 10,000 fans swarmed the Memorial Auditorium August 12, for one of the most electrifying stage shows in rock music today, "The Alice Cooper Experience."

The crescendo had been building for weeks as the box office was sold out three days before the concert. The concert started on time with the warmup group Earsela Majors [Ursa Majors] blasting onto the stage. The group played original songs and the crowd soon became heated and restless as the group played on.

When the intermission started and the lights were turned on numerous frisbees and an occasional beachball could be seen floating through the arena. The demanding clap for Alice Cooper started soon after the lights were dimmed. The group began to play silhouetted in pink light and producing thousands of tiny bubbles when Alice appeared. He pranced out clag in thigh high boots with black leotards. He wore a pinkish-red G-string over a sheer white sparky body suit with a leopard skin scarf tied around derriere. He shed his gloves and matching jacket during the first number called "Tell Me" from his School's Out album.

Cooper displays snakes

As Alice hopped and gyrated across the stage the crowd rushed forward breaking down a fence in front of the stage to get a closer look at the female impersonator. Cooper went into a medley of his greatest hits and the swelling audience went wild clapping and standing on its chairs. The police were tolerant of the crowd as the no smoking of anything rule was being violated throughout the coliseum.

As the drummer went into a solo Alice disappeared only to reappear bathed in a white light with a live 10 foot long boa constrictor wrapped around his body. He pointed the gigantic snake at the audience several times, then kissed and fondled it to the amazement of the crowd.

Alice went backstage to bring out two trash cans. While singing Halo of Flies, he dumped the contents of the cans on the stage. Salvaging through the trash he fished out a rat, Cooper then proceeded to swing the rat by its tail and heave it into the horrified crush of people by the stage.

Enacting a street fight with a fog effect similar to a scene in West Side Story, Alice sliced the air with a long sword. The brawl went on with an array of lights illuminating the stage. Red flashing lights appeared and sirens were heard. Alice was left on the stage beaten and stumbling about. The sirens and fog continued for some time until one of the group members stepped to the microphone and proposed they hang Alice Cooper as a customary part of his show. The gallows could be seen as the fog cleared and chants of "hang him" were scattered throughout the crowd.

Performer hangs in act

Torches lit the way to the gallows as the executioners dragged Alice, who was on his knees to the noose. Cooper stood screaming with the rope around his next receiving lashes as a lightening and thunder effect was produced. As Alice hangs the lights dim and go out with billowing smoke engulfing the victim. One wonders if this is the end of the show with the group playing Killer.

Suddenly the smoke clears and a skeleton is hanging where Alice was. The confusion ends when Cooper struts back out on stage attired in a white tuxedo with a top hat and cane. The bubbles that began the show floating across the stage again. This time accompanied by six foot wide red balloons pushed into the audience from backstage. Alice sand Long Way To Go as the huge balloons soared through the auditorium. With his mascara painted face running and his teased hair dripping wet with perspiration he waved good-bye.

Crowd demands encore

The crowd demanded an encore Alice reappeared just in his body suit, backless now, bowing and thanking everyone. The Coliseum exploded when he sang his current hit single School's Out. In the middle of the song he began to eat a poster of the group. He then pitched armloads full of posters to the audience. As the crowd was still peaking and the air heavy with a sweet smell, Alice spit on someone then said, "Indiana wants me. You know what? You're all crazier than we are!", and strolled off stage.